Downed trees, power outages likely as wind sweeps through Puget Sound
Wind is coming to the Puget Sound region late Wednesday, strong enough to knock down trees and cause power outages.
“The strongest winds will be in the Cascade foothills region with gusts of 50 to 60 mph possible,” said KIRO Newsradio meteorologist Ted Buehner. “Strong winds will blow through gaps in our complex terrain, such as the Cascade Passes and Outer Banks spaces.”
The National Weather Service in Seattle reports that the winds will be here by noon Wednesday and continue through Thursday morning.
Easterly winds will blow across the region today, peaking tonight. The strongest winds will be along the Cascade Gaps, the Pacific coast and along the western Strait of Juan de Fuca, where winds of 30-40 mph and gusts up to 55 mph will be possible at times. #wawx pic.twitter.com/xVZ63n3Ahf
— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) January 4, 2023
“Gun winds are strong terrain-driven winds that blow across gaps in areas like the Cascades,” Ted said. “An analogy would be water flowing gently downstream, but then it encounters a narrow gorge where the water flows much faster. That’s what happens with gap winds.”
Driving can be difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles.
Winds will pick up in the afternoon across the Cascades with gusty winds through Thursday. Difficult driving is possible, especially for high-profile vehicles along I-90. The strongest winds will blow near the Cascade Hollows. #WAwx pic.twitter.com/UWYFbmiwM1
— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) January 4, 2023
“So winds downstream from Snoqualmie, Stampede, White and Stevens passes can be quite strong, sometimes exceeding 50 mph,” Ted said. “These winds can down trees and create power outages, while areas farther from the Cascades feel much less wind.”
California braces for more storms after Saturday’s flooding
From Meteorologist Nick Allard and the KIRO 7 Weather Team:
As a very large and powerful low-pressure storm system approaches the region, wind will shift offshore (east to west) and wind-sensitive locations of the Cascade Gap (Enumclaw, North Bend, to west to Seatac) could have winds over 40 mph to possibly 55 mph late today and tonight. The same applies to coastal countries. A wind advisory is in effect for these spots until tomorrow morning at 4. Elsewhere it will be windy through Wednesday evening, but winds should reach the 20-35 mph range. Winds will peak late tonight.
On Thursday we should stay breezy with rain. I see another round of rain for Friday with some strong to windy spots. Most of Saturday looks dry until Saturday evening when some rain returns. It is predicted to rain on Sunday.
Nick Allard and the KIRO 7 Pinpoint Weather Team contributed to this report
