The National Weather Service issued an unusual Advisory Monday (Jan. 18th) – this one for a “minor tidal overflow” that will be in effect for Puget Sound Tuesday morning and possibly again Wednesday morning.

According to the report, “very high astronomical tides combined with lower than normal atmospheric pressures” as well as high winds may cause some flooding.

So, if you live near the shoreline and your street/yard/area has a tendency to flood, you might want to put out some sandbags just in case.

Here’s the actual advisory:

… Coastal Flood Advisory for minor tidal overflow is in effect for Puget Sound and the north interior from 5 am to 11 am PST Tuesday…

The National Weather Service in Seattle has issued a coastal Flood Advisory for minor tidal overflow from Puget Sound to the north interior… which is in effect from 5 am to 11 am PST Tuesday.

Minor tidal overflow may occur along some of the shorelines and nearby low-lying areas around Puget Sound and the north interior Tuesday morning… around the time of high tide. Minor tidal overflow is caused by very high astronomical tides combined with lower than normal atmospheric pressures. The Table below shows time of high tide for areas around Puget Sound… along with the normal tide table value and the expected total tide.

Time of tide table expected expected location high tide value anomaly total tide

• Seattle 7:30 am 12.2 ft 1.6 ft 13.8 ft
• Port Townsend 7:06 am 9.1 ft 1.8 ft 10.9 ft
• Bellingham 8:12 am 9.6 ft 1.9 ft 11.5 ft

Minor tidal overflow problems usually begin at 13.5 feet around Seattle and 11.5 feet around Bellingham… and the current forecasts for those areas just meet or exceed those levels. In addition… the atmospheric pressure could be a little lower than forecast… and local winds may cause water to pile up along shorelines more than expected… possibly higher than the expected total tide values. Southeast winds 20 to 30 knots are forecast over the northern inland waters Tuesday morning as another deep low pressure system moves northward offshore. Winds over the waters of Puget Sound are expected to be south 10 to 20 knots Tuesday morning.

Another very high astronomical tide will occur Wednesday morning. The forecast tides for Wednesday morning are slightly lower than for Tuesday… but computer model forecasts indicate the anomaly will still be large enough so that minor tidal overflow problems remain a possibility.

Precautionary/preparedness actions…

Minor tidal over flow can cause local flooding along shorelines and nearby low-lying areas.

The National Weather Service issued a “Special Weather Statement” at 4:30pm Thursday (Nov. 12th), warning of a “vigorous cold front” hitting the area Friday morning, bringing rain, wind and snow to the mountains.

Could this be the first breath of ol’ man winter?

Here’s the statement:

… Active weather day expected Friday…

A vigorous cold front will pass southeast across western Washington Friday morning… bringing Rain… Mountain snows… locally windy conditions and possibly snow showers to parts of The Lowlands.

South winds in advance of the front will increase late tonight into early Friday morning… mainly along the coast and parts of the northwest interior including the Admiralty Inlet region. Wind speeds in those areas are expected to reach 20 to 30 mph with a few gusts to 45 mph… mainly in and around the Island County area. After the front passes… winds will become west to southwest down the Strait of Juan de Fuca and across the northwest interior before diminishing through the afternoon. While below Wind Advisory criteria… wind of this strength could blow down a few tree limbs here and there with isolated power outages.

Colder air will surge in behind the front and lower already low snow levels across the region. During the morning hours ahead of the front the snow level will be around 1500 to 2000 feet. The snow level will then gradually drop through the day to around 500 feet by evening. This means some of the highest hills around the region could see a few snow showers late Friday into Friday evening. However… outside of the mountains or the immediate Cascade foothills… little to no snow accumulation is expected.

Dry and tranquil weather will return to the region late Friday night into Saturday.

The National Weather Service issued a “Special Weather Statement” Tuesday, Nov. 3rd at 4:57pm, warning of “very strong” winds and rain hitting the area Thursday (Nov. 5th) with gusts possibly as high as 50mph.

Here’s the warning in all its glory:

Statement as of 4:57 PM PST on November 03, 2009

… Windy conditions for the mountains… coast… and northern interior Thursday…

A strong Pacific frontal system will impact western Washington on Thursday. Breezy southeasterly winds on Wednesday night will become south-southwest on Thursday for the north interior and coast increasing to 20 to 30 mph with gust as high as 50 mph.

Winds just above the surface will be very strong on Thursday. Ridgetop winds for the Olympics and lower south facing slopes will range from 45 to 65 mph with higher gusts possible. Ridgetop winds along the southern slopes of the Cascades will also be windy… with sustained winds up to 50 mph possible. The strong winds will also be accompanied by heavy rains… combining for dangerous conditions in the mountains.

So…considered yourself warned – hold on to your hats and batten down your boats Des Moinesians!

The National Weather Service has issued a “Special Weather Statement” alerting us all that, despite the recent sunny and mild weather, the rain is a-comin’ back, starting Tuesday (Oct. 13th), so be sure to take heed an move all that crap in your yard and driveway back inside.

Here’s the statement, which was published at 4:44pm Sunday Oct. 11th:

Statement as of 4:44 PM PDT on October 11, 2009

… A series of Pacific storms will affect western Washington this week…

Columbus day will be a transition day from the recent cool and dry spell to an active… wet pattern. Look for a series of Pacific storms to affect the area starting Tuesday. The Tuesday system is expected to bring windy conditions to the coast and Cascade foothills as well as precipitation to the entire area. Chilly…east winds in the Cascade passes will mean that the precipitation will begin as snow or a rain and snow mix. However… significant snowfall amounts are unlikely.

Unsettled… wet conditions will persist on Wednesday as the region remains under the influence of a large area of low pressure over
the eastern Pacific. A much wetter system may affect the area during the latter part of the week.

Monitor forecasts from the National Weather Service in Seattle for updates on these upcoming events.

(Photo by Michael Brunk)

The National Weather Service issued a “Special Weather Statement” late Thursday afternoon (July 23rd) warning about a heat wave that will begin this weekend and last into next week, with projected highs in the 85-95 degree range.

Here’s the official warning:

… Hot weather beginning this weekend and lasting into next week…

The hottest weather of the year is likely to occur this weekend and early next week. High temperatures will be in the 85 to 95 range. Overnight lows will be in the 60s. All areas of western Washington could be affected.

The first really hot day will be Saturday or Sunday. The hottest days look like Sunday through Tuesday. At this time models predict the hot weather could last into Thursday or beyond.

Unlike many previous hot spells… this one could also affect the coast and other places near the water. Also it is rare to have many hot days in a row in western Washington… but this heat wave could last several days.

Western Washington is having a dry Summer… and no rain is in the forecast for the next week or so. Fire danger will increase during the hot weather. There is also a risk of air stagnation during this period.

The National Weather Service will issue more statements about this event over the coming days.

And according to meteorologist Cliff Mass:

“I took a look at the long-range forecasts and was shocked.

The temperature climbs through the weekend…into the lower 90s on Sunday and mid 90s at least on Monday and Tuesday.

Too far out to be sure now….but be ready for real heat.”

BTW, Cliff also adds that:

“2009 is the driest 20 May-19 Jul period on record using the combined SeaTac/downtown observations”

So…have a great weekend, but stay cool, slathered up, and be sure to check in on elderly neighbors/relatives and drink plenty of water!