West Seattle Weather Watch: What’s up with the wind

(windblown, rain-pelted tree around 12:15 pm – before the sun came out again – fast-moving weather!)
The forecast said “breezy” but this deserves a stronger word. Amy just e-mailed about a power flicker on Gatewood Hill. The latest “hourly observations” posted by the National Weather Service include 39-mph wind at Alki Point (look for K91S on this list; KSEA is Sea-Tac, KBFI is Boeing Field, SP is the sustained wind-speed category while GS is wind gust). Checking for official forecast updates. Multiple reports of finally-emptied trash containers blowing into streets, needless to say. 12:28 PM UPDATE: Also received word of brief power loss in High Point. 1:09 PM UPDATE: The tree in our few seconds of video above also guest-stars toward the end of this clip by Frank. Desiree sent this alert via mobile:

Hi – I just drove down Fauntleroy from Morgan Junction to WS freeway and counted seven garbage cans on Fauntleroy. Most are blocking lanes. Lids are also careening around like stray hubcaps! Drive with extra caution around West Seattle today.

1:27 PM UPDATE: Also reports of power flickering in Hansen View (south of Providence Mount St. Vincent). National Weather Service has not changed the forecasts or posted a watch/warning for our area aside from a “gale warning” for Puget Sound waters that went up in late morning, in effect through 4 pm.

GenHillOne December 29, 2008 (12:11 pm)

Power flickered here too – thank you to whomever shoved our empty (woo-hoo!) trash cans into our bushes so that they wouldn’t blow down the hill!

Irukandji December 29, 2008 (12:13 pm)

Trash is FLYING through north Admiral. I’m off to finally haul the cans in since we won’t get pick up until Saturday (if at all this week).

JayDee December 29, 2008 (12:17 pm)

Walking out of One Union, I was nearly blown over by a building deflected wind gust. I checked the West Point weather and they are reporting gusts near 48 knots, winds at 28 knots. The pressure curve is just bottoming out so we should continue to have winds for awhile. Here is a link to the stations data: http://tinyurl.com/9rbq2l
(shortened)

Shell Marr December 29, 2008 (12:37 pm)

I’m at work in Ballard….(Golden Gardens) area…. and my oh my…. the water is a trip!! The trees are moving big time….. one branch fell off one and came within inches on my car! EEkkk….

Polyclinic Northgate is without power.

Tim McGuire December 29, 2008 (12:49 pm)

A window was blown out of an insurance business just west of california on Oregon Street. Lots of trash being blown down the alleys behind Alaska Junction Pagliacci! They said They’d clean it up when the wind calms down.

EricG December 29, 2008 (12:55 pm)

Here in Fauntleroy neighborhood east of Lincoln park, large spruce at the SW corner of our property has been bending over and practically touching the roof. Emptied trash cans blew 40 feet from where they were placed…

Cami December 29, 2008 (12:57 pm)

Trash is also flying around Alki. Just drove down Admiral and there are plastic bags floating everywhere.

BB December 29, 2008 (1:00 pm)

The over flowing garbage/recycling coupled with the wind is turning Seaview into a gross mess! YUCK

DM December 29, 2008 (1:06 pm)

16th Ave SW and Holden: It’s nutty windy over here! Long nerve rattling gusts and flickering lights. “Stuff” keeps banging up against my house…Does anyone know how long this current “breeze” is supposed to last?

I may go back to bed till next Monday.

WSB December 29, 2008 (1:08 pm)

Any photos, please send – we have a few more things to post before we can get out and start surveying the neighborhoods. Seriously, this is documenting the results of 3 weeks of pickuplessness plus relentless winter weather. Argh.

Diane December 29, 2008 (1:16 pm)

super strong winds here at 37th & Hinds since noon
~
garbage blowing up in the air fast up Belvidere and 37th, and in circles all over the place
~
our garbage containers still overflowing; haven’t put mine out in weeks, though I don’t produce much waste; only 1 garbage and 2 recycle small bags, so waiting for empty containers before putting mine outside; glad now I didn’t put it out, who knows where it might blow off to…..new concept for air-mail

Irukandji December 29, 2008 (1:34 pm)

If you are missing the black top to your old Weber grill, let me know.

add December 29, 2008 (1:37 pm)

I also drove from Morgan Junction to top of Genesee Hill – tons of garbage cans rolling all over the streets, full recycle bins blown over, lids everywhere, and swirling plastic bags & other trash. Nice.

Alice December 29, 2008 (1:40 pm)

Hmm we’re close to this being a “tropical storm” force system:

Tropical cyclones with maximum sustained surface winds of less than 17 m/s (34 kt, 39 mph) are called “tropical depressions” (This is not to be confused with the condition mid-latitude people get during a long, cold and grey winter wishing they could be closer to the equator ;-)). Once the tropical cyclone reaches winds of at least 17 m/s (34 kt, 39 mph) they are typically called a “tropical storm” and assigned a name. If winds reach 33 m/s (64 kt, 74 mph)), then they are called:

* “hurricane” (the North Atlantic Ocean, the Northeast Pacific Ocean east of the dateline, or the South Pacific Ocean east of 160E)
* “typhoon” (the Northwest Pacific Ocean west of the dateline)
* “severe tropical cyclone” (the Southwest Pacific Ocean west of 160E or Southeast Indian Ocean east of 90E)
* “severe cyclonic storm” (the North Indian Ocean)
* “tropical cyclone” (the Southwest Indian Ocean)
(from http://www.aoml.noaa.gov)

Of course – it’ll actually be an “Extratropical Windstorm” or an “Extratropical Cyclone” like the Hannukah eve storm of 2006 – since we’re nowhere near the tropics: Hannukah Eve Storm.

Shell Marr December 29, 2008 (1:46 pm)

Hubby just sent me a text from his office in Kirkland…… waiting out 2nd power outage. Crossing fingers we have power at home and Allstar keeps theirs too…. I SO need a workout tonight!! LOL

Elikapeka December 29, 2008 (2:22 pm)

Drove down Sylvan Way to Home Depot an hour or so ago and there are several tree branches in the road, some pretty good size. Be careful driving that stretch.

blown away December 29, 2008 (2:29 pm)

My garbage collector never locks lids back on cans after emptying, is this true everywhere in Seattle? It seems like a small thing to ask of the vendors that would save a lot of time and money looking for and replacing lost lids, not to mention keeping them off the roads (unless the whole can goes of course!)

Lessie Woodruff December 29, 2008 (2:54 pm)

Junction Firehouse Ladder 11 ROCKS!!!
Took the morning off, then received calls from WaMu and two neighbors that the window to my office had been blown out ( that is OUT ) no glass inside, go figure. Ladder 11 was on site swweeping up the glass and hanging plastic over the opening. Cookies for the Junction Fire Dept. are in order. I’m buying mine from Hazel at Blue Willow.
(side bar) I am a 64 year old grandmother and mother, but please note that the men of Ladder 11 were adorable and handsome to a fault. No TV show could have done better casting.

AD December 29, 2008 (2:59 pm)

“counted seven garbage cans on Fauntleroy. Most are blocking lanes. Lids are also careening around like stray hubcaps!”

So does this mean the garbage was collected? :)

KJBC December 29, 2008 (3:00 pm)

Hello. This is your garbage can. I am currently rolling sideways down the alley. Please help me. I know that you never come back into the alley except to fill me up, so you probably don’t know about the horrible situation I am in right now. I could really use your help this afternoon. I am enduring unspeakable torture at the heartless whim of the uncaring wind. Unlike you, there are some people who actually use the alley on a regular basis and they are currently threatening to run me over. I do my best to serve you and the family well, and I don’t ask much of you, but right now I could really use your help before some asshat in a Range Rover turns me into urban roadkill.

WSB December 29, 2008 (3:02 pm)

Lessie – I’m working on a new post with Patrick’s photo of your window, will republish your comment there too :) thanks!!! – TR

JH December 29, 2008 (3:09 pm)

Lessie, based on your comments on the fire guys, I’m smashing all my windows out now.

JayDee December 29, 2008 (6:04 pm)

On the hill, Mondays (my trash day) always seem to coincide with windy days. I learned early on to write the address of the house on the can and the lid to increase the chances of getting them back. It once took a week for a lid to be returned…At least they got the trash this week, and my neighbor retrieved the lid and can.

squareeyes December 29, 2008 (6:48 pm)

My garbage bin was in the street in front of my house. The lid was not so lucky…I took a brief walk to find it two houses down, across the street (arterial), obviously run over. Still fits though…yay.

Bradley5 December 29, 2008 (7:03 pm)

All our trash finally got picked up today in near Brandon/45th, although we’ve been without power since before noon. City Light is working on it now and it seems to be localized outage affecting only a few houses.