Gusty winds diminishing along the Strait of Juan de Fuca this afternoon
Published 12:23 pm Monday, February 7, 2011
Gusty winds that blew up the Strait of Juan de Fuca from the west overnight and this morning are diminishing this afternoon.
The winds are the result of a cold front that moved over the area Sunday evening and brought gusts in the 30 mph range along the Strait. The highest gust was on Whidbey Island at the east end of the Strait, where winds topped 40 mph.
Some other top gusts from overnight, as reported to the National Weather Service at noon today:
PORT ANGELES (William R. Fairchild International Airport): 32 mph at 3:19 a.m.; 31 mph at 11:53 a.m.
SEQUIM-DUNGENESS VALLEY: 37 mph at 3:03 a.m. and 6:04 a.m., and 36 mph at 8:04 a.m.
PORT TOWNSEND: 36 mph at 3:54 a.m.
FORKS (Quillayute Field): 32 mph at 2:53 a.m.
HURRICANE RIDGE (Olympic National Park): 35 mph at 4 a.m. and 6 a.m.
Most wind gusts in all areas were below 30 mph in the noon hour.
Here is the National Weather Service’s latest warning for mariners in the Strait of Juan de Fuca:
…SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO
3 PM PST TUESDAY…
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SEATTLE HAS ISSUED A GALE WARNING
FOR THE WEST ENTRANCE TO THE STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA…WHICH IS IN
EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON. A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY HAS
ALSO BEEN ISSUED. THIS SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 PM
THIS AFTERNOON TO 3 PM PST TUESDAY.
* WIND…NORTHWEST 20 TO 30 KNOTS THROUGH THIS EVENING. EXPECT
FREQUENT GUSTS TO 40 KT THROUGH EARLY THIS AFTERNOON.
* SEAS…COMBINED SEAS OF 12 TO 14 FEET ARE EXPECTED TODAY. A WEST
SWELL OF 12 FEET AT 11 SECONDS THIS EVENING WILL FALL TO BELOW 10
FEET LATE TUESDAY AFTERNOON.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A GALE WARNING MEANS WINDS OF 34 TO 47 KNOTS ARE IMMINENT OR
OCCURRING. OPERATING A VESSEL IN GALE CONDITIONS REQUIRES
EXPERIENCE AND PROPERLY EQUIPPED VESSELS. IT IS HIGHLY
RECOMMENDED THAT MARINERS WITHOUT THE PROPER EXPERIENCE SEEK SAFE
HARBOR PRIOR TO THE ONSET OF GALE CONDITIONS.
A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY MEANS THAT WIND SPEEDS OF 21 TO 33 KNOTS
ARE EXPECTED TO PRODUCE HAZARDOUS WAVE CONDITIONS TO SMALL CRAFT.
INEXPERIENCED MARINERS…ESPECIALLY THOSE OPERATING SMALLER
VESSELS SHOULD AVOID NAVIGATING IN THESE CONDITIONS.
