West Seattle, Washington
29 Wednesday
(Added: WSB photo, looking toward Vashon from Lowman Beach)
As this increasingly smoky day moves into late afternoon, an air-quality alert just arrived by e-mail, from the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency and health agencies around the metro area:
Air pollution is increasing due to wildfire smoke and may cause health problems.
We expect air quality to reach levels that are UNHEALTHY FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS overnight and into tomorrow in many areas. A high pressure system is pushing upper-level wildfire smoke down. Smoke from British Columbia and the Cascades is continuing to build in the Puget Sound region today. Winds tomorrow afternoon could help clean the air. Thankfully, we don’t expect this to last as long as it did last summer. We are forecasting for GOOD to MODERATE air quality Wednesday and beyond.
Wildfire smoke can cause a range of health problems:
Chest pain
Fast heartbeat
Coughing
Stinging eyes
Irritated sinuses
Headaches
Asthma attack
Trouble breathingSensitive groups should take precautions, including: children, older adults, and people that are pregnant, have heart or lung issues (such as asthma and COPD), or that have had a stroke.
Stay indoors when possible.
Limit your physical activity outdoors, such as running, bicycling, physical labor, and sports.
Close windows in your home, if possible, and keep the indoor air clean. If you have an air conditioner, use the “recirculation” switch. Use an indoor air filter if available.
If you do not have an air conditioner, consider finding a public place with clean, air-conditioned indoor air like a public library or a community center.
Avoid driving, when possible. If you must drive, keep the windows closed. If you use the car’s fan or air conditioning, make sure the system recirculates air from inside the car; don’t pull air from outside.
Schools and daycare providers should consider postponing outdoor activities or moving them indoors.N95 or N100 rated masks can help protect some people from air pollution. These masks are usually available at hardware and home repair stores. Please check with your doctor to see if this appropriate for you. More information here.
For more information on ways to reduce your exposure, see the Washington Department of Health’s Smoke From Fire tips.
Air quality conditions may change quickly. Check the air quality forecast regularly at the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency’s website.
As always, check with your health care provider for more specific questions and concerns.
Thanks to Mike Shaughnessy for the view from Alki Statue of Liberty Plaza, and James Bratsanos for the view from Fauntleroy, looking at what might be one of the last smoky sunsets for a bit.
The Washington Smoke Information website says the smoke should start to clear out “Friday evening.” Saturday’s forecast says we might see some rain.
8:39 PM: Thanks to David Hutchinson for the view from Alki. He and others pointed out smoke from the south end of the Olympics, and after some research, we’re thinking it’s the fire near Hamma Hamma on Hood Canal, now more than 70 acres, burning in what’s described as “steep terrain.”
ADDED 11:33 PM: From Long Bach Nguyen, a photo from the fire area, which is also near Lake Cushman:
The state is calling this the Maple wildfire.
(Photo by Kanit Cottrell)
12:35 AM: As we say goodbye to the weekend – contributed photos captured the pink of Sunday’s sunset, and the Blue Angels‘ flight earlier.
(Photo by David Hutchinson)
(Photo by Marc Milrod)
(Photo by Monica Zaborac)
Thanks as always for the photos!
ADDED 10:45 AM: In case you wondered … the Blue Angels are gone until next year:
The Blue Angels just left. See you next year! #seafairissummer #usnavyblueangels #avgeeks #seattleattractions pic.twitter.com/nny1QbcBCC
— The Museum of Flight (@museumofflight) August 6, 2018
Thanks to James Bratsanos for the Saturday sunset view! The weather’s warming up again – the forecast predicts 90s by Wednesday.
Two similar views of tonight’s smoke-reddened sunset (along with Siberia and B.C., Northern California is a factor too, says Cliff Mass) – one with something extra. Above, David Hutchinson‘s view from Alki as the sun started to slip behind the Olympics … below, Robin Sinner‘s view, with a seabird that’s been audible inland too:
The silhouetted bird is a Caspian Tern, and their call – which some have described as “prehistoric” (see and hear them here) – has been heard more inland than we recall from previous years. We asked one of our expert local bird/wildlife watchers, Kersti Muul, about it recently and she said the terns heard away from the water are likely carrying food to a nesting colony that’s in the east Duwamish area.
The heat wave’s not over yet. The National Weather Service has issued a “special weather statement” alert for the metro area, warning that the high temperature will be back up in the 90s Sunday and Monday. You can read the entire alert here. The NWS says this is already our area’s second-hottest July on record.
As noted here early today, a heat advisory is in effect, and the National Weather Service also says this week overall might break a record:
Seattle's long term average of 85+ degree days in July is 4. We've had 8 so far this month. The record is 12 days (2015). Somehow, one gets the feeling that record could be toast before the week is over. #wawx pic.twitter.com/qlIgelBA6w
— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) July 23, 2018
With that said, the city’s just sent its list of places to stay cool. In West Seattle, the list includes Delridge Library (5423 Delridge Way SW) and High Point Library (3411 SW Raymond), both open 1-8 pm today, as well as the Senior Center of West Seattle (4217 SW Oregon), open weekdays 8:30 am-5 pm. You can see the full city announcement – which also includes advice on staying cool, protecting pets and vulnerable people, etc. – by going here.
P.S. Got other air-conditioning recommendations – restaurants/bars, for example? We don’t keep a standard list because it’s ever-changing but we appreciate suggestions in the comments!
Today’s high is expected to be in the 90s, so the National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory that’ll be in effect 10 am-9 pm. Lots of health/safety advice – you can read it in its entirety here.
The Moon and Venus have added to the sky show just after sunset this weekend. Top view is from Kanit Cottrell, while Chris Frankovich contributed the planetary closeup below:
Those views were from tonight (after a day with a record high, 93 at Sea-Tac); we also have a beautiful view from last night, courtesy of Mark Dale:
Thanks as always for the photos – westseattleblog@gmail.com remains our best current address for sending them.
Whichever way you looked, it was a super sunset. The view from Kanit Cottrell, above, looks directly west at the Olympic Mountains from Gatewood. Elaine Dale, also in that area, looked southwest toward Vashon:
And Marc Milrod‘s view was toward the northwest:
Thanks as always for sharing photos!
Thanks to Carolyn Newman for sharing the colorful view, seen against the clouds to the east. While the sky’s looked foreboding in that direction and to our south, we’re still under a mostly clear sky.
(Photo by David Hutchinson, from Alki)
You’ve probably heard it many times – “summer starts in Seattle on July 5th.” Seems appropriate this year, with a beautiful 5th following a cloudy 4th of July night, so we appreciate the photos that captured the sunset starting the heart of summer!
(Photo by Elaine Dale, from Gatewood)
One of those sunsets where the colors just kept intensifying …
(Photo by Mike Jensen, via Twitter)
Although even our more-muted view an hour later had its own majesty:
(WSB photo, from Lincoln Park)
Welcome, summer!
We watched the sunset at Alice Enevoldsen‘s early summer-solstice gathering – that story later. First, from the inbox, beautiful images of the post-sunset clouds:
That view is from James Bratsanos. Next one is from Jim Borrow.
And from Kevin Callahan:
Thanks to everyone who shared sunset photos!
Two waves of color in the sky at day’s end – thanks for the photo! First the double rainbow – above, from Birgit Petersen at Seacrest; next, from Doug B. in The Junction:
And from J&R at Constellation Park:
Then the sunset! From Jim Spraker:
And from Mark Dale:
Like this evening’s weather, tomorrow’s weather looks … mixed.
The National Weather Service is warning that Saturday might bring strong wind to our area and much of Western Washington. It’s issued a “special weather statement” saying southerly wind is possible on Saturday “in the 20-30 mph range, with gusts 40 to 45 mph.” Read the full alert here. And keep everything charged!
Thanks to James Bratsanos for the view of tonight’s golden-hearted sunset. Still a bit soon to tell for sure, but the forecast suggests some sunshine for all that fun stuff planned next Saturday.
(Added: Photo texted from Westwood – thank you!)
10:02 AM: Thanks for the texts – we’re seeing it too: Some snow here on the hills. Today’s colder weather has been anticipated for some days, though the official forecast doesn’t mention flakes – it does mention a chance of thunderstorms, and accompanying hail, starting later.
10:34 AM: Continuing to snow off and on – turned to rain for a few minutes, now back to flakes. Not too photogenic so far.
11:11 AM: And in case you’re off-peninsula and wondering … no, it’s not sticking. Too warm. (“Warm” being a relative term here …)
Before the day went gray … three colorful views:
Above – thanks to Frank S.! Below – thanks to Chris Frankovich:
And thanks to Jim Borrow for this view, as fog rolled in:
If you have lost track — spring is just three days away! It arrives at 9:15 am Tuesday.
That’s what the Friday night sunset looked like to us. @WestSeaWx explained it as “debris clouds” left over from terrain-based thunderstorms (we had tweeted an afternoon view). Thanks for the photos! Above, from Dan Ciske; below, from James Bratsanos:
And the wider view of that colorful phase, from Kersti Muul:
Photos are always welcome – 206-293-6302 for phone photos of breaking news, editor@westseattleblog.com is best if non-breaking.
Thanks to James Bratsanos for the view from Seacrest at the end of a day that set a weather record – a high temperature of 73 degrees, 20 years after the previous record, 68, was set. The National Weather Service adds via Twitter, “73° is the normal high for June 29th through July 2nd.” Rain is expected tomorrow; some sunshine is expected to return by midweek – but with highs in the 50s.
P.S. The orange-hulled ship in the bay toward the right side of the image is not the Zhen Hua 28, which left Puget Sound over the weekend after dropping off those big cranes in Tacoma, but one of its sibling heavy-lift vessels, the Zhen Hua 33. According to this item we found, it a floating drydock for Vigor – (confirmed) it’s this one announced last year.
James Bratsanos‘s panorama shows the perfect end to this beautiful day. Looks like a car carrier in his photo. It was a busy day on the water – Chris Frankovich caught US Coast Cuard Cutter Midgett out in the area again:
We reported earlier this week (with more Coast Guard info added the next day) on the Midgett and two other USCG vessels seen off West Seattle, including training close to shore off Alki Beach.
Also today, Jim Borrow spotted the Zhen Hua 28 – covered here as it took those four huge cranes to Tacoma two weeks ago – headed back outbound:
MarineTraffic.com shows it just now exiting the Strait of Juan de Fuca, headed back across the Pacific to Shanghai. At midday today, we were in the Lowman Beach Park area when two more-ordinary container ships passed, southbound and northbound:
The next two days should be even better for water-watching – more sunshine, with highs expected in the 60s tomorrow, maybe even the 70s Monday.
Thanks to James Bratsanos for the view of tonight’s sunset, following an almost-springlike day. Spring is close – two weeks from Tuesday; it starts when the vernal equinox arrives at 9:15 am (our time) on March 20th. Even closer is Daylight Saving Time, which is one week away – 2 am Sunday, March 11th, we “spring forward” an hour.
(We appreciate photos, whatever the season, cool views as well as breaking news – editor@westseattleblog.com or texted to our hotline, 206-293-6302 – thank you!)
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