WEST SEATTLE WEATHER: Thunder, lightning, pouring rain

(UPDATED EARLY FRIDAY with more lightning photos – scroll down)

(Added: Photo by Kevin Callahan, from Seaview)

3:57 PM: Just in time for the commute home – the predicted thunder and lightning have arrived. The National Weather Service has a “short-term forecast” alert, warning that “small hail and heavy downpours” are possible. And as we get ready to publish this – the downpour has arrived. Updates to come.

(Added: Photo by Kersti Muul, from Me-Kwa-Mooks)

4:13 PM: While it’s brightening a bit, @WestSeaWx – who has been tracking this on Twitter for days – says another thunderstorm, currently warned to be “severe,” is moving this way from the Olympia area.

(Photo by Michelle Blakeslee, from Upper Alki, as the storm approached)

For our area right now, there’s an updated short-term alert.

4:58 PM: More thunder.

5:22 PM: And the rain followed. Also a potentially related traffic alert: Colby tells us via Twitter that the traffic signal at 26th/106th/107th is flashing red.

Downpour & thunder pic.twitter.com/xgWXRsjzrm

— West Seattle Blog (@westseattleblog) May 5, 2017

5:54 PM: Our short video clip is more for the audio than the video – pouring rain, and some thunder. We’re waiting for it to calm before heading out to our evening meeting coverage. Looks like the clouds are lifting to the west. (added) Sound Transit just sent an alert saying its express buses, including West Seattle/White Center-serving Route 560, are delayed because of the storm.

(Another photo from Kevin Callahan – cloud-to-cloud lightning)

6:01 PM: If your pet got lost in the storm – or if you found someone else’s pet – remember that WSB has the only all-West Seattle lost/found pets page – e-mail us photo, info, phone #. Just added lost dog Shasta a minute ago.

7:58 PM: The weather’s calm now but one last thing – not sure if it was weather-related or not but it wasn’t too long after that last big burst, a car flip on the Delridge offramp from the westbound West Seattle Bridge:

Thanks to “Westwood Charlie” for the photo. No details but checking the SFD log for the response to this incident, no medic or aid unit was in service long enough to transport someone, which means no major injuries.

ADDED EARLY FRIDAY: More lightning views! The first is a frame from video by David Hutchinson:

From Chris Frankovich, lightning in the clouds:

sc May 4, 2017 (4:30 pm)

“Thunderbolt and lightning

very very frightening…”

– Bohemian Rhapsody

anonyme May 4, 2017 (5:31 pm)

Those were some of the most ominous looking skies I’ve ever seen here. It looked like tornado weather.

JC May 4, 2017 (9:55 pm)

I was just thinking the same thing. Clouds were wicked looking.

newnative May 4, 2017 (5:37 pm)

I celebrated it by walking in it faster than the bus could have delivered me to my next stop. Traffic is Classic Seattle in the Rain.

Lisa Jefferson May 4, 2017 (5:42 pm)

Anyone’s Centurylink Internet down? Mine is…Alki

WSB May 4, 2017 (5:53 pm)

I just had to switch to Comcast (we have both) …
TheKing May 4, 2017 (6:52 pm)

I also switched to Comcast from centurylink a couple of years ago. If it was windy, sunny or cloudy their Internet would drop out.

Trileigh May 4, 2017 (6:05 pm)

Our CenturyLink seems to be out too.

Deb May 4, 2017 (6:13 pm)

Just had a large plane fly over Seaview and wondered if the air traffic controllers are shifting flight patterns away from the storm?

miws May 4, 2017 (7:24 pm)

Deb, I’m in South Delridge, on 16th, and although I’m located semi-subterranean to where I can’t see much sky out of my window, the jets have sounded much lower and louder this afternoon.

Can’t really determine direction just by sound.

Mike
- WSB May 4, 2017 (7:54 pm)
  
  We heard that for a while too. Did not have time to try to ask someone to verify.
  - AD May 4, 2017 (9:03 pm)
    
    I’m also in Seaview and heard the jet noise. Looking at the flight paths, it was pretty clear that the planes were going around the storm cells (and landings were delayed at times).
    
    https://flightaware.com/live/airport/KSEA
JC May 4, 2017 (9:58 pm)

To answer the question yes, they will change flight pattern to avoid going into the storm clouds. In this case this is exactly what they did. The news said they even had delays at the airport due to the thunderstorm.

JRR May 4, 2017 (6:17 pm)

The air held that Midwestern ozone scent before the heaviest rains broke and I couldn’t help but scan the sky for twisters.

Rick May 5, 2017 (7:50 am)

Kansas kid myself. Dorothy and Toto and all that good stuff. We didn’t get a direct hit back in the 50’s and 60’s but got roughed up pretty good. There is a smell/feeling in the air before a tornado. Like something’s wrong. Really wrong.
- JRR May 5, 2017 (8:30 am)
  
  Quiet. No birds. Green, unsettled air. I know it well!

West Seattle Hipster May 4, 2017 (6:54 pm)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOV05EnZVY8

ttt May 4, 2017 (7:36 pm)

jrr: it is not midwestern ozone scent when you live here, lol… it’s just smell of a thunderstorm. Seattle does get thunderstorms from time to time…glad we don’t get twisters though!

dcn May 4, 2017 (7:47 pm)

Awesome photo by Kersti Muul.

RickB May 4, 2017 (8:27 pm)

The 26th/106th light was flashing red this afternoon at approx. 1:45, way before the weather got bad. Was still flashing at 7:00 or so. Should I assume someone (?) knows about it?

WSB May 4, 2017 (8:32 pm)

Sorry, that’s the first we heard of it. Here’s the county’s 24/7 hotline – if you can spare a minute, would be good to call to be sure they know. http://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/transportation/roads/24×7-helpline.aspx

JRR May 4, 2017 (8:30 pm)

I would consider that more of a squall.

miws May 4, 2017 (9:12 pm)

Thunderboomers starting up again, South Delridge, 9:10 pm.

Mike

North of Admiral May 4, 2017 (9:27 pm)

I got a kick out of the wading pool story after this. Just go outside. Wading pools are already open.

WSB May 4, 2017 (9:36 pm)

Wading puddles, anyway. But I wouldn’t advise going outside. More lightning, thunder, rain!

Rick May 5, 2017 (4:41 am)

Upside down car. In West Seattle. Vehicle vortex strikes again.

sbre May 5, 2017 (4:53 am)

Biked home during the down-pour.

Once home and poured the water out of my shoes a salmon came out too!

MMB May 5, 2017 (6:49 am)

There’s a stretch of 35th, when you’re southbound you can see a long portion of it ahead, to a vanishing point near Roxbury. On my way home yesterday, I saw two big bolts right at that vanishing point, against a black cloud. It was so cool! I mixed a Martini and set up on our back patio to enjoy the rolling thunder.

Sorry, comment time is over.