If you haven’t heard this already – the National Weather Service has put out a “special weather statement” for most areas around Puget Sound, including ours, warning of “significant precipitation and unseasonably cool temperatures.” Time to check the storm drains! See the NWS “statement” here.
The special event scheduled for tomorrow’s West Seattle Farmers’ Market – tomato tasting – has been rescheduled because of expected stormy weather, according to a note from Chris Curtis at the Neighborhood Farmers’ Market Alliance. It’s now scheduled to happen Sunday, September 20th.
In a parking lot by Jack Block Park Tuesday afternoon, Kevin McClintic happened onto Seattle Fire Department‘s West Seattle-based Ladder 11 practicing a couple of mesmerizing maneuvers with its 100-foot-long centerpiece:
Thanks to Kevin for sharing the photos. This also gives us an excuse to mention a semi-related Daily Weekly item you may not have seen – The Weekly’s West Seattle-residing managing editor Mike Seelyreported last week that a ladder truck is in Station 11‘s future too. One other West Seattle scene to share:
Mike caught Tuesday night’s glorious sunset – which we’ll use to segue to the newest forecast, which says we’re going back into the 80s; summer’s not giving up without a fight.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR ELECTION RESULTS: Our previous five reports focused on last night’s first round of election results, and candidate reaction. But many more votes remain to be counted. Next step: 4:30 pm today, King County goes public with its next count. This will be a daily affair for a while (here’s the official schedule), with final certification expected two weeks from today.
THE KENNEY: One air-conditioned place to be at mid-afternoon: The Landmarks Preservation Board‘s meeting, 3:30 pm, Municipal Tower downtown. They’ll decide whether to designate The Kenney‘s Seaview Building as an official city landmark. (Here’s our preview.)
CAMP LONG PUBLIC MEETING: From last year’s Parks Levy, a million bucks is earmarked for renovations at Camp Long Lodge. You can find out about the plan at a public meeting tonight, 5:30.
That’s a snippet of video of rainwater running downhill on a nearby side street. Nothing big, but a sight we haven’t seen in a while. Just in case you’re in a windowless room. In which case you’ve missed the lightning flashes and thunder rumbles this past hour, too. But the forecast says more typical summer weather WILL return soon – by the weekend, in fact. The National Weather Service is even calling for 80s starting Monday (PLUS we just saw a forecast by our favorite meteorologist, Q13’s Walter Kelley, who thinks it’ll be more like 90s next week). 6:40 PM UPDATE: We’re in the Hiawatha gym now, where the Summer Concerts at Hiawatha performance by the Elizabeth Carpenter Trio is starting a bit late to give people time to get here – there are a few dozen here despite the rain, it’s warm and cozy and bound to be fun. But be careful driving: Noticed some serious puddling on Fauntleroy Way, in the paving-project stretch, at least the northbound lanes. ADDED 10:12 PM: Got a photo, pre-dusk, of a truck splashing through one of those puddles:
That photo comes with this report from Gatewood resident and West Seattle Internet business owner Bill Hibler:
This happened at 6:30 this morning. No one was hurt although my wife was pretty shook. The tree landed on the corner of the house where there is a bathroom. She was standing at the sink washing her hands when it hit, immediately causing the ceiling to sag and finally break through. I was upstairs and thought there was either an earthquake (the house shook pretty good) or lightning had just struck about 100 feet from the house causing the one of the loudest thunder claps I’ve heard.
There was NO wind. The root structure was rotten and just the weight of the rain on the very large leaves of a broad-leaf maple caused it to topple.
This is the kind of thing you want to have happen AFTER the West Seattle Garden Tour.
If you want a professional to examine the tree, call Mark Harman of Stonehedge at 206-937-7428.
(Thursday night sunset from Alki, photographed and shared by Mike Boyle)
Since we’re sponsoring tomorrow night’s edition of West Seattle Outdoor Movies on the Wall — “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” — we’re keeping a really close watch on the forecast, since this week only, there’s no backup indoor location. So far, while it definitely sounds like a sweater night, the National Weather Service probably wouldn’t put much odds on a rainout. From the newest twice-daily Forecast Discussion, issued about an hour ago:
SYNOPSIS…EXPECT A WEAK LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM TO BRING A CHANCE OF LIGHT RAIN OR DRIZZLE TO MAINLY THE COAST ON SATURDAY. A STRONGER SYSTEM WILL BRING A BETTER CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION TO THE REGION ON MONDAY.
.SHORT TERM…
A WEAK…UPPER TROF WAS APPROACHING THE COAST FROM THE W. THE CDFNT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SYSTEM WILL LIKELY FALL APART BEFORE REACHING THE WA COAST. THUS THE BEST CHANCE OF ANY PRECIP…ALBEIT LIGHT… WILL BE ON THE COAST…AND MOST LIKELY IN THE AFTERNOON. ELSEWHERE…ANTICIPATE CLOUDY SKIES ON SATURDAY WITH DAYTIME TEMPS REMAINING WELL BELOW NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF THE YEAR.
As always, tomorrow night’s movie is scheduled for dusk on the big “screen” (white wall) in the courtyard by Hotwire Coffee (WSB sponsor) — gates open at 7 – free, but bring a few $ for concessions and raffles, all benefiting local nonprofits. And if it DOES turn showery at any point during the day, keep an eye on WSB and/or Twitter (twitter.com/westseattleblog) and/or Facebook (facebook.com/westseattleblog), whichever is most convenient for you, because we will post updates about the movie’s status in all three places. Meantime – hope to see you there!
Saturday morning, members and neighbors of St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church got to work clearing an area south of the church, along SW Hanford (map), that they’re hoping will become a “park-like space” for the neighborhood. Among the helpers, Charlie the Bichon Frise:
“He’s the boss!” one of the volunteers told our photojournalist. For the human volunteers, next step is planting drought-resistant native plants later this summer. Not a bad idea, given our dry weather, which took a turn for the foggy this morning:
Greg Wright shared that look at the downtown skyline seemingly floating over the fog. The forecast does not mention a rerun for this morning; another weather note, famous forecaster Cliff Maas says the stats show that last Wednesday wasn’t the only recordsetter – the entire month of July goes on record as Seattle’s hottest July ever.
(Wednesday sunset photo by Jim Clark)
As of 9 o’clock tonight, the “excessive heat warning” officially expired. Temperatures are into the 70s and said to be heading for the 60s. At tonight’s Summer Concerts at Hiawatha show (earlier coverage here), that was a huge topic we heard buzzing through the crowd – so many people had trouble sleeping last night and were looking forward to catching up tonight. As for the official forecast, looks like 80s for the next several days. (Now that we can think clearly again, we can all start polishing up our stories of The Hottest Day In Seattle History for the kids/grandkids/out-of-town relatives – darn, we never did get around to the fry-egg-on-sidewalk experiment – right on the heels of Snowpocalypse ’08.)
(TV covers the heat by putting up a tent at the beach – Alki photo courtesy Chas Redmond)
Just got word from Seattle Public LibraryHQ that the libraries around the city without a/c are closing at 4 pm. In West Seattle, that means the branch in the Admiral District. (The Southwest branch “does not have air conditioning on the main level,” according to the SPL news release, but will remain open till 8 pm. The Delridge and High Point branches DO have a/c.) ADDED 3:06 PM: King County Public Health is reporting what’s described as the county’s first heat-related death – according to the news release, “a man in his 60s from Seattle , had heart disease with heat as a contributing factor to his cause of death.” ADDED 3:31 PM: Diane reminds us that the Senior Center of West Seattle, in The Junction, has A/C and is open till 8 pm. Meantime, good news – the “excessive heat warning” is now scheduled to end at 9 tonight, rather than 6 pm tomorrow (though the air-stagnation advisory continues till tomorrow night).
Via Facebook, we were asked yesterday about “red signs” at Alki. Went looking for them – didn’t see them – then checked with the Parks Department; spokesperson Joelle Ligon tells us signs are posted for a temporary ban on non-cooking fires, while “small gas-powered equipment” is off-limits too:
We have imposed a temporary burn restriction at Golden Gardens and Alki beaches. Signs have been posted on site at Golden Gardens Park and at Alki Beach. We have notified the Seattle Police Department of the temporary beach fire restriction so that they may help us enforce it. The gas-powered equipment means Grounds Maintenance and Natural Resources Unit crews will cease using gas powered blowers,weed trimmers, hedgers, hand pushed mowers, etc. until Monday August 3, when the ban is lifted.
On a weather-related note: What little wind there is, is now coming from a different direction, possibly the signal that the worst truly is over. Temperatures are about 10 degrees cooler than this time yesterday, so that’s a good sign too.
(WSB photo from Angels’ arrival at Boeing Field Tuesday) BLUE ANGELS: Today’s the first of two days that they’ll be practicing, before the two official shows Saturday-Sunday over Lake Washington. While tomorrow’s practice is the same show they’ll perform over the weekend, today is somewhat looser, with maneuvers and geography familiarization, and it also means the I-90 bridge will be closed twice today – 9:45 to noon, 1:15-2:30 pm.
FAUNTLEROY CONCERT: “Sweet, Sweet Music” tonight at Fauntleroy Church – Sarah Ackers, Betsy Boyer and Bronwyn Edwards Cryer are in what’s promised to be a “cool” Fellowship Hall, 7:30 pm, music and desserts, $5 (more info here).
KING COUNTY’S FUTURE: Across the street from that church, you’ll find The Hall at Fauntleroy, where a 6:30 pm meeting is the last in a series of discussions around the county, about the county, and where it should go from here.
Barring big news on the weather, we’ll keep this item for a while and add to it as needed – photos, vignettes, whatever comes up. First tidbit: WSB’er “D” says a truckload of fans just arrived at McLendon Hardware in White Center – but “almost sold out in minutes.” P.S. The WSB Forums‘ running thread on the heat and “where to stay cool” can be found here. 11:46 AM UPDATE: Youngstown Arts Center is having a “cooling-off activity” in the theater (where we covered that air-conditioned meeting last night), noon-4 pm. (Here’s the flyer.) 3:05 PM UPDATE: The official National Weather Service 3 pm readings are in. Boeing Field is at 102 degrees. Sea-Tac has hit 102 (though right now it shows 101). The previous all-time Seattle record was 100. 5 PM UPDATE: Added a photo shared by South Seattle Community College, showing what is now officially the coolest school in West Seattle, explaining: “Inventor and Campus Services staffer Murray Fye has setup a cooling station by the campus Clock Tower. It is a mist/fog type that uses very low flow misting heads. It’s being enjoyed by one and all!” Another note: Metro has issued an advisory to passengers, warning that it may be just too hot to ride buses. 6:09 PM UPDATE: Thanks to Diane for sharing a couple of updates. West Seattle (Admiral) library branch – NOT air-conditioned, nor is Southwest – closed at 5 pm. The Senior Center of West Seattle, which IS air-conditioned, is open till 8. Wading pool hours are extended – Delridge and Hiawatha to 7:30, EC Hughes to 8, Lincoln Park till 8:30. And there’s a mysterious stream of cool air coming from the Chase ATM at the north end of The Junction, according to this photo Keith Bacon sent of Corianton Hale:
ADDED EARLY THURSDAY: We’ll check this out later today – Tom A reports:
Rode my bicycle home from work downtown (more pleasant than riding Metro today) and noticed sidewalks buckled (pushed up more than 18 inches) in front of Salty’s on Alki and again along the Don Armeni parking lot. I don’t think we had an earthquake, so it must be due to the heat expanding the concrete.
NEWEST FORECAST: As usual, the National Weather Serviceissued a forecast update overnight – no reprieve, though, it still calls for a potential 100-plus-degree high today.
PROSECUTOR’S DECISION IN SOUTH PARK MURDER: At 10 this morning, King County Prosecuting AttorneyDan Satterberg is scheduled to announce his decision on charges against Isaiah Kalebu, jailed in connection with the attack that killed 39-year-old Teresa Butz at her South Park home a week and a half ago. After Kalebu’s arrest last Friday night, a deputy prosecutor had said they would consider seeking the death penalty.
BALLOTS IN THE MAIL: Also from your county government – today’s the day ballots will be mailed for the August 18 primary, the first major election King County is conducting entirely by mail. Who’s running – along with links to their websites and other info – is listed here; the city Voters’ Guide, including video links and information on Proposition 1 (the bag fee) as well as the mayor/council races, is here.
WEST SEATTLE LITTLE LEAGUE 11-12 ALL-STARS GO FOR WIN #3: The state tournament continues for the WSLL 11-12 All-Stars; tonight at 7:30, they face Pasco in their third game of the tourney, which is happening at Art Mikelson Field in Port Orchard (just a Fauntleroy-to-Southworth ferry ride away, and think of those cool breezes on the water!).
From the city’s recap of the mayor’s heat-wave briefing today:
Case managers in the Human Services Department will begin calling senior citizen clients to check on their welfare. City workers, including police officers, are determining ways to keep the homeless hydrated. Seattle City Light is monitoring electrical demand. Although the utility has reached peak demand for July, the city still has adequate supplies. The utility is contacting its largest customers to request they limit their nonessential uses of electricity.
Libraries are open regular hours, and the city points out that Delridge, High Point and Southwest branches have A/C. Some wading pools will extend their hours – Lincoln Park, which would normally close at 8, will stay open till 8:30; E.C. Hughes, which would close at 7, will stay open till 8; Delridge and Hiawatha, which usually close at 7, will stay open till 7:30.
The National Weather Service has just updated its forecast – and the “excessive heat warning” has now been extended till 6 pm Friday. (That air-conditioned 6 pm meeting at Youngstown re: West Seattle’s future is looking even better …)
That photo just looks so cool and blue … thanks to Gary Jones for sharing his pic of the US Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf as it arrived in Elliott Bay for Seafair (as previewed here). ADDED 6:25 PM: Gary has video of the arrival too:
Meantime, this afternoon’s biggest Seafair arrival, the Blue Angels, are reportedly running late – latest estimate, 3-3:30 pm at Boeing Field. Now, as for the heat: The newest forecast is still calling for up to 100 today, even hotter tomorrow; we’re compiling a keep-cool list in the WSB Forums (read it and/or add your suggestion/s here). Meantime, the mayor’s having a media briefing about the city’s heat-wave response in about an hour.
We were just about to update our calendar with word of a September 4th blood drive at the local Prudential Northwest Realty office (more on that later) when this came in – Puget Sound Blood Center needs help NOW because of the weather: They’ve had to cancel blood drives “scheduled for un-air-conditioned venues” (no donating anywhere it’s 80 degrees or more indoors) and that’s cost them almost 200 donations. Read more about how/where to help.
FORECAST UPDATE: Tomorrow, up to 100. Wednesday, up to 103. Read it here. Meantime, as for trying to cool off: We mentioned wading pools and swimming pools earlier; we’re also collecting suggestions from comments on each and every heat-related update (and the WSB Forums, plus e-mailed suggestions, editor@westseattleblog.com) regarding cooldown advice, so we can compile a list tonight to display prominently through the week. And now, a city list has just come in, with information about everything from senior centers to libraries – read on:Read More
WHAT’S NEXT FOR ELECTION RESULTS: Our previous five reports focused on last night’s first round of election results, and candidate reaction. But many more votes remain to be counted. Next step: 4:30 pm today, King County goes public with its next count. This will be a daily affair for a while (
We were just about to update our calendar with word of a September 4th blood drive at the local 
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