Breezy weather causes power outages in some areas
A wind advisory is in effect for parts of the North Sound and north Coast, and the breezy weather is causing power outages in some areas.
So far on Thursday, there have had been gusts in the low-30 mph range around Seattle, all the way up to the low-50 mph range at Camano Island.
Some peak winds this hour in mph:
Camano Is.: 53
Whidbey Is.: 51
Pt. Townsend: 49
Destruction Is.: 45
West Point: 43
Quillayute: 40
Everett: 38
Shilshole Marina: 35— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) October 27, 2022
While there have been some outages affecting as many as 2,500 Puget Sound Energy customers at one time, Snohomish PUD was showing that about 3,200 of its customers were without power, primarily in the Arlington area, as of 1 p.m.
Just after 2 p.m., Clallam PUD reported nearly 6,000 customers were without power in Clallam County, with the majority of impact just west of Port Angeles.
Just before 4 p.m., Snohomish PUD reported nearly 5,000 customers without power near Stanwood and Lake Stevens.
By 10 p.m., the total number of Snohomish PUD customers affected was down to 566.
Most of the day will be mainly dry and mainly cloudy, but some sunshine is getting through. Highs will be in the mid-to-upper 50s. That’s warmer than recent days because southwesterly winds will be increasing ahead of an atmospheric river moving south through British Columbia for most of the day.
It will become rather breezy in the afternoon and evening hours along the north coast and north/west of Everett.
A wind advisory has been issued for these locations for gusts from 20 to 35 mph with isolated gusts over 40 mph. This could cause some power outages north/west of Everett through the islands through Thursday evening.
Winds for most of the area, including the central and South Sound, will be in the 15 to 25 mph range with isolated gusts over 30 mph.
Strong wind continues, especially north through 4-6pm, calming thereafter as rain sweeps through Western Washington north to south tonight. #wawx #wawind (1pm gusts) pic.twitter.com/v7sMCNd3bk
— Morgan Palmer (@MorganKIRO7) October 27, 2022
KIRO7′s Briseida Holguin went to Mukilteo where she found people who were excited for the change in the weather.
“I’m looking forward to it,” said Karen Epiphano.
“I love (the strong wind), it lets you know that nature is in charge, and we’ve had a long, hot, dry summer and I am ready for snow and wind and winter,” said Dave Erickson, who lives on Whidbey Island.
Patricia Storey also lives on the island. She encountered some strong gusts Thursday morning.
“It started out to be calm, but as I progressed down the island toward the ferry, my car was bumping around and it was pretty brisk,” said Storey.
National Weather Service officials said they will share damage reports and downed trees on social media so people are aware. They say Thursday’s wind event is just the first of many.
“It’s just the first one, all the foliage still on the trees may be leading to some higher impacts with regards to downed tree limbs,” said NWS meteorologist Jacob DeFlitch.
If there’s downed power lines, stay away and report it to your utility company.
Meanwhile, a batch of heavy rain associated with the atmospheric river arrives Thursday night up north and then sags southward through the rest of Western Washington overnight into Friday morning.
By daybreak Friday, the heavier rain should be over the southern one-third of the area and will be clearing our area before noon.
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Most locations in the lowlands can expect a half-inch or more of rain as this band of precipitation moves through.
In the mountains, only the higher peaks above 5,000 feet will get snow. We’ll have to watch the burn scars again for any potential flooding Thursday night and Friday morning.
Showers taper through Friday and Saturday with some sunshine at times, but there could be a pocket of rain at any time in the lowlands.
Another batch of heavy rain arrives later in the day Sunday into Monday morning, and it will likely be breezy with this weather system as well.
Highs this weekend will be in the 50s with lows in the 40s.
Rain showers taper after midday Monday and a few pockets of rain could be around Tuesday before drier weather Wednesday and Thursday.
It will be rather chilly mid-late next week with the drier weather.
Highs will be in the 40s to low 50s starting around Tuesday with lows in the 30s to low 40s.
