(National Weather Service infographic)
It might just miss us … or not. Thanks to Guy for the tip that the National Weather Service is beginning to get a bit clearer about the wild weather that might sweep through Puget Sound tomorrow afternoon. From the NWS’s latest “forecast discussion” – again, this is all for Wednesday:
* MID MORNING: An initial wave of moisture will move toward the Olympic Peninsula, and showers and embedded thunderstorms may develop west of the Puget Sound. The primary threats of this initial wave will be lightning and the potential for small hail/graupel. However, a large amount of uncertainty exists over the intensity of this precipitation and how far inland these showers will develop.
* EARLY AFTERNOON: Activity will decrease across western Washington with a lull in shower and thunderstorm activity midday. Southerly flow aloft will continue to advect warm air into the region, and daytime heating with some cloud clearing will allow the environment to become very unstable by the early afternoon. …
* AFTERNOON/EVENING: The offshore low will lift a vigorous front northward across western Washington throughout the afternoon and evening hours, bringing a round of strong to potentially severe thunderstorms across the region from the south moving northward. The primary threats of these storms will be hail and gusty winds alongside frequent lightning and locally heavy rain. The strongest storms are favored to develop east of the Puget Sound Wednesday evening along the I-5 corridor, potentially impacting the evening commute. The strongest storms that develop could become severe and capable of producing hail up to 2 inches or more in diameter, outflow wind gusts as high as 60 mph or more, and/or an isolated brief tornado.
The NWS usually updates its forecast discussions around 9 pm, so look for another update then.
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