The first strong weather system of the fall will sweep across western Washington this evening, bringing high winds and rain.
Fortunately, the center of the storm is well offshore and moving toward the upper British Columbia coast. Still, its associated frontal system will pack a punch as it moves toward the coast at night.
Winds
Winds along the outer coast are expected to peak at around 60 mph overnight. Much of the rest of Western Washington will experience wind gusts of up to 45 to 50 mph overnight.
Strong winds are likely to tear off some tree branches and potentially knock down weaker trees, which could lead to power outages. Officials are urging residents to prepare for the possibility of losing power overnight.
Additionally, forecasters suggest that residents in the Northwest should avoid driving in strong winds, especially if they operate large vehicles like large trucks and RVs. Many deaths from windstorms occur when motorists are struck by falling trees.
Marine waters
The center of this storm is close enough to the coast that a storm warning is in effect, with wind gusts reaching 50 to 55 nautical miles per hour (knots) overnight.
This storm will also bring rough seas and powerful waves along outer coast beaches. Seas of 20 to 26 feet are likely, with rapidly rising waves on beaches, carrying debris like logs and generating sneaker waves. It is best to avoid beaches during this storm and watch the action from higher, safer ground.
For the remainder of Western Washington’s marine waters, a gale warning is in place for wind gusts up to 35 to 40 knots overnight. Washington State Ferries is monitoring the weather and may need to cancel overnight sailings due to strong winds and rough seas, such as on the Port Townsend route.
Rain
This storm will also bring a fair amount of rain. Along the coast and in the mountains, one to two inches of rain are likely. Elsewhere in Western Washington, the forecast is between a half and an inch and a half.
As strong winds bring down more leaves, officials are encouraging the cleaning of storm drains to prevent water from accumulating on roads and creating local urban flooding.
Mountains
This is a warm storm, which means mountain snow levels will be quite high – around 7,000 feet overnight. Mountain pass highways will likely have wet pavement for drivers crossing the passes.
Sunday
The wet and windy frontal system associated with the storm is expected to move further inland and weaken on Sunday. Winds in western Washington are expected to ease early in the day and rain transition to scattered showers with sunshades.
Temperatures
Being a relatively warm storm, low temperatures are only expected to drop into the low 50s overnight. Highs on Sunday are expected to be above average, ranging from the mid 50s to low 60s – quite mild for mid-November.
Week Ahead
Other weather systems are lined up in the North Pacific, ready to sweep the coast next week for periods of rain and breeze, but not as windy. Temperatures will once again be mostly mild, with high temperatures in some areas reaching the 60s on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Mountain snow levels will remain well above the passes, reaching around 8,000 feet.
November is generally the wettest month of the year. The recent change in weather conditions from dry October suggests that November will likely retain its wet reputation.
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