The National Weather Service issued a “High Wind Watch” advisory Thursday afternoon (April 1), and unlike some of our earlier stories, this one’s no joke – expect wind speeds between 35 and 55 MPH beginning around 10am Friday, April 2nd.

This means that there could be downed trees, power outages, road hazards, and of course, messy hair aplenty.

It also means snow and high winds in the mountains, along with treacherous pass conditions, so be careful if you’re traveling anywhere for Easter weekend.

Here’s the language the weatherfolk are using:

…High wind watch remains in effect for the greater Puget Sound region…east Puget Sound lowlands…and the lower Chehalis valley from Friday morning through Friday afternoon…

A high wind watch remains in effect from Friday morning through friday afternoon. * very strong…possibly damaging…south winds may develop along and behind a cold front on Friday…over portions of interior Western Washington.

There is still some uncertainty as to the exact track and depth of the associated surface low moving near or just north of washington. At this time…the most likely scenario would generate south winds of 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 55 mph.

However…if the surface low deepens more than expected…wind speeds could reach close to high wind criteria. Therefore the high wind watch remains in effect until details are more certain. * the very strong winds could result in some power outages across portions of western washington friday afternoon and evening due to power lines being damaged by tree limbs. Some of the regions trees have begun to leaf out already…which could add to the potential for wind damage to occur. Rain soaked ground could allow trees to easily topple or become uprooted.

Precautionary/preparedness actions… A high wind watch means conditions are favorable for damaging winds. High winds can topple trees…down power lines…and damage some structures.

• Confidence is high that strong winds and heavy snow will affect the mountains.
• Confidence is high that damaging winds will affect the Washington Coast and North Interior
• Confidence is only moderate that damaging winds will affect the Central Puget Sound area

A strong spring storm system will develop offshore and rapidly move through Western Washington Friday

• Strong and damaging winds are expected, especially along the coast and in the northern interior of Western Washington
• Trees have begun to leaf out, so there is a greater likelihood of downed limbs and trees
• Heavy mountain snow of 1 to 3 feet is expected in the Cascades and Olympics above 3000 feet.
• Increased avalanche hazards in the Cascades and Olympics
• Heavy rainfall at lower elevations of the Southern Olympics will cause rises on the Skokomish river, though flooding is not expected at this time. Other rivers will not flood.

Bulk of Puget Sound area and Southwest Interior: S to SW 35 (with) Gusts of 55 mph beginning 10 AM PDT

For the latest updates, check out the National Weather Service’s Seattle-area website here.

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 issued a “Special Weather Statement” Sunday afternoon about a strong, windy weather system that’s predicted to hit the area Monday night.

We’re no Cliff Mass, but one thing that struck us was the mention of the pressure in this storm, rated at 980 millibars. As comparison, Hurricane Katrina was rated at 920 mb (lower is stronger), and the Inauguration Day storm of 1993 was rated between 972-980 mb (for a great read on northwest storm systems, with info on pressures, click here).

While it’s a powerful system, since the storm will weaken as it pushes inland, wind speeds are predicted to be between 20-35 mph, with gusts up to 45. There could be downed trees and power outages though, so you may want to batten down your boat if you’ve got one.

Here’s the statement:

Statement as of 3:51 PM PDT on May 03, 2009

… Very windy conditions are expected to develop in the western Washington lowlands Monday night and continue through Tuesday morning…

A developing storm system in the central Pacific is expected to deepen to around 980 mb as it moves through the Washington offshore waters toward northern Vancouver Island Monday and Monday night. A strong frontal system associated with this low will move through western Washington Monday night.

A storm and frontal system of this magnitude is more typical of late fall or winter than of early may.

At this point it appears that south winds of 20 to 35 mph with gusts to 45 mph will develop Monday night as the front moves through and continue through the early morning hours on Tuesday. Many deciduous trees are now leafing. So winds of this magnitude may break some large branches and possibly topple a few trees.

Local power outages are possible.