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Wind warning issued as early fall storms expected to hit Western Washington

Posted on by Dimeks
Wind warning issued as early fall storms expected to hit Western Washington

SEATTLE — The first wind storms of the autumn season strongest The most damaging one of the year.

At this time of year, when trees are still fully leafed out (and some branches have naturally weakened during the hot, dry months of summer), it doesn’t take a particularly strong wind to knock down a branch or two.

That’s why early fall storms are called “mother nature’s loggers.”

A tight, compact low will quickly move across Western Washington overnight. So today we’ll go from nice, dry and somewhat breezy to winds gusting up to 45 mph in places throughout the night. Rains will also improve.

A wind warning will be in effect for the north shore, Admiralty Entrance Area and San Juan County from Friday through early Saturday morning. These are the areas at highest risk of power outages and tree branch damage overnight, especially south-facing parts of the islands.

There are storm warnings for hazardous seas tonight for the Eastern Entrance Waters of the Strait of Juan De Fuca, Admiralty Bay, and Pacific Coastal Waters.

Some of the forecast models are even predicting wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph near Friday Harbor and Oak Harbor. Damage to trees and downed power lines is possible after dark on Friday and into the early hours of Saturday morning.

From Mukilteo south toward Olympia, lighter winds of 20 to 35 mph are more likely, but a stray gust of 40 to 45 mph is also possible.

There are storm warnings for hazardous seas tonight for the Eastern Entrance Waters of the Strait of Juan De Fuca and the Admiralty Inlet and Pacific Coastal Waters.

Winds are expected to begin to pick up around The Sound from midnight on Friday evening and will be strongest by 7am on Saturday. Winds may be near 60 mph on some islands, and winds will move along with showers.

Winds decrease on Saturday, with showers continuing into Sunday and easing on Monday. Total rainfall of 1 inch in the lower elevations and 3 inches in the mountains is possible throughout the weekend.