UPDATE: Storm reaches landfall; heavy winds and mountain snows in some areas

Published 12:01 am Monday, March 12, 2012

High winds in the Port Townsend area and West End coast are forecast starting tonight.

In addition, a gale warning has been issued as heavy winds blow up the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and a winter storm warning for up to 20 inches of snow was issued for the Olympic Mountains.

Here are National Weather Service warnings and advisories:

A SURFACE LOW WILL RACE TOWARD NORTHERN VANCOUVER ISLAND TODAY.

THIS LOW WILL DEEPEN TO ABOUT 970 MB BEFORE REACHING THE WATERS

OFF NORTHERN VANCOUVER ISLAND. THE ASSOCIATED FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL

BRING THE POTENTIAL FOR STORM FORCE WINDS TO THE COASTAL WATERS

AND WEST ENTRANCE TO THE U.S. STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA AND GALE

FORCE WINDS ELSEWHERE. EXPECT SEAS TO BECOME CHAOTIC ON THE

COASTAL WATERS…RESULTING IN HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS FOR MARITIME

INTERESTS.

High wind warning:

SAN JUAN COUNTY-WESTERN WHATCOM COUNTY-ADMIRALTY INLET AREA-

NORTH COAST-CENTRAL COAST-

422 AM PDT MON MAR 12 2012

…HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM PDT THIS

AFTERNOON…

* SOME AFFECTED LOCATIONS…HOQUIAM AND FORKS ON THE COAST…

PORT TOWNSEND…WHIDBEY ISLAND…THE SAN JUAN ISLANDS…AND

AREAS NEAR THE WATER IN WESTERN WHATCOM COUNTY IN THE INTERIOR

LOWLANDS.

* TIMING…A STRONG FRONT WILL MAKE LANDFALL AT THE COAST EARLY

THIS MORNING…THEN MOVE INLAND DURING THE MORNING.

* WIND…SOUTHEAST WINDS 30 TO 45 MPH ARE LIKELY WITH LOCAL

GUSTS TO 65 MPH AS THE FRONT MAKES LANDFALL THIS MORNING.

* IMPACTS…STRONG WINDS CAN TOPPLE TREES AND CAUSE POWER

OUTAGES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A HIGH WIND WARNING MEANS THAT A HAZARDOUS WIND EVENT IS IMMINENT

OR OCCURRING.

Strait of Juan de Fuca, Pacific coast storm warning:

COASTAL WATERS FORECAST FOR WASHINGTON

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA

300 AM PDT MON MAR 12 2012

INLAND WATERS OF WESTERN WASHINGTON AND THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL

WASHINGTON COASTAL WATERS INCLUDING THE OLYMPIC COAST NATIONAL

MARINE SANCTUARY

WEST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-

300 AM PDT MON MAR 12 2012

…STORM WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON…

.TODAY…S WIND 35 TO 50 KT. COMBINED SEAS 11 TO 15 FT WITH A

DOMINANT PERIOD OF 11 SECONDS. RAIN.

.TONIGHT…SW WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 3 TO 5 FT. SW SWELL 12 FT

AT 11 SECONDS. SHOWERS.

.TUE…SW SWELL 12 FT AT 10 SECONDS. SW WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND

WAVES 2 FT OR LESS. SHOWERS.

.TUE NIGHT…SW SWELL 9 FT. SW WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR

LESS.

.WED…E WIND 20 TO 25 KT…BECOMING SE 15 TO 25 KT LATE IN THE

MORNING. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. W SWELL 8 FT.

.WED NIGHT…SW SWELL 10 FT. SE WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 2 FT

OR LESS.

.THU…SW SWELL 10 FT. SE WIND 10 KT… BECOMING E LATE IN THE

MORNING. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT.

.THU NIGHT…SW SWELL 12 FT. SW WIND 10 TO 15 KT…BECOMING E LATE

IN THE EVENING. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS.

.FRI…W SWELL 12 FT. SW WIND 10 TO 15 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT.

COASTAL WATERS FROM CAPE FLATTERY TO JAMES ISLAND OUT 10 NM-

300 AM PDT MON MAR 12 2012

…STORM WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON…

.TODAY…S WIND 40 TO 50 KT. COMBINED SEAS 20 TO 24 FT WITH A

DOMINANT PERIOD OF 10 SECONDS. RAIN.

.TONIGHT…SW WIND 20 TO 30 KT. WIND WAVES 5 TO 8 FT. SW SWELL 17 FT

AT 11 SECONDS. SHOWERS.

.TUE…SW SWELL 13 FT AT 10 SECONDS. S WIND 15 TO 20 KT…BECOMING

SW 10 TO 15 KT LATE IN THE MORNING. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT…

SUBSIDING TO 1 TO 2 FT LATE IN THE MORNING. SHOWERS.

.TUE NIGHT…SW SWELL 11 FT. S WIND 15 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO

4 FT.

.WED…SE WIND 20 TO 30 KT. WIND WAVES 4 TO 7 FT. W SWELL 9 FT…

BUILDING TO S 11 FT LATE IN THE MORNING.

.WED NIGHT…S WIND 15 TO 25 KT…EASING TO 10 TO 20 KT LATE IN THE

EVENING. WIND WAVES 2 TO 5 FT. SW SWELL 13 FT.

.THU…SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 4 FT. S SWELL 15 FT.

.THU NIGHT…SW SWELL 15 FT. S WIND 10 TO 15 KT…BECOMING SE 10 TO

20 KT LATE IN THE EVENING. WIND WAVES 1 TO 2 FT.

.FRI…W SWELL 14 FT. SW WIND 10 TO 20 KT. WIND WAVES 1 TO 4 FT.

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.

Olympic Mountains

OLYMPICS-WEST SLOPES NORTHERN CASCADES AND PASSES-

WEST SLOPES CENTRAL CASCADES AND PASSES-

419 AM PDT MON MAR 12 2012

…WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM PDT THIS

AFTERNOON…

* SOME AFFECTED LOCATIONS…HURRICANE RIDGE…MOUNT BAKER…

STEVENS PASS…SNOQUALMIE PASS…PARADISE…WHITE PASS.

* TIMING…HEAVY SNOW TODAY WILL DECREASE AND TURN SHOWERY

TONIGHT.

* ACCUMULATIONS…8 TO 18 INCHES OF SNOW IS EXPECTED TODAY AS A

STRONG FRONT MOVES THROUGH WESTERN WASHINGTON TODAY. WINDY

CONDITIONS WILL ALSO ACCOMPANY THE FRONT. SNOW WILL FALL ON THE

LOWER ELEVATIONS OF THE MOUNTAINS THIS MORNING WITH SEVERAL

INCHES POSSIBLE.

* MAIN IMPACT…HEAVY SNOW AND WINDY CONDITIONS WILL MAKE FOR

HAZARDOUS WINTER DRIVING CONDITIONS.

PEOPLE PLANNING TO TRAVEL IN THE MOUNTAINS TODAY SHOULD BE

PREPARED FOR HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS…DELAYS…AND POSSIBLE

ROAD CLOSURES FOR AVALANCHE CONTROL.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

PEOPLE PLANNING TO TRAVEL IN THE MOUNTAINS TODAY SHOULD BE

PREPARED FOR WINTER WEATHER…DIFFICULT DRIVING CONDITIONS…AND

DELAYS.

A WINTER STORM WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN 18 INCHES OR MORE IS LIKELY

DURING A 24 HOUR PERIOD OR STRONG WINDS WITH SNOW ARE EXPECTED.