April 07, 2017

The Worst is Over as the Storm Crosses Vancouver Island

The latest (8 PM) infrared satellite photo shows the storm now making landfall on Vancouver Island, as the wind begin to ease.  Amazing storm for April.


Here are the maximum winds today.  Some locations on the Oregon and Washington coast gusted to over 70 mph, with most coastal locations getting at least to 40 mph.  40-60 mph gusts in Portland, 35-50 mph gusts around Seattle (with a few getting to the mid-50s.  And 50-60 mph gusts around NW Washington.  At the mountain crests of the Olympics and Cascades, some winds of 90-100 mph were observed.


Destruction Island on the central WA coast got to around 72 knots (83 mph)

Seattle's West Point speed up to 42 knots (48 mph)

And Smith Island, just off of Whidbey Is. hit 58 knots (67 mph)

For Seattle's 520 bridge, winds have climbed to 40-45 mph.


Several hundred thousand people lost power, particularly over Oregon and SW Washington.    An unusual late season event, which will be followed by improving weather over the weekend.

Here are the high wind reports collected by the National Weather Service:
National Weather Service Seattle WA
1042 AM PDT Sat Apr 8 2017

..24 Hour Wind Reports Around Western Washington...

Wind speeds below 35 mph were omitted.  Values with a (S) are
sustained winds.  Values with a (P) are peak winds.  The rest are
gusts.

Location                     Speed     Time/Date       Lat/Lon/Elev (ft.) 

..Western Whatcom County...  
1 SW Kbli                    63 MPH    0742 PM 04/07   48.78N/122.56W/66    
Bellingham Airport           61 MPH(P) 0632 PM 04/07   48.79N/122.54W/158 
Cherry Point                 58 MPH    0524 PM 04/07   48.86N/122.76W/0       
Sandy Pt. Shores             56 MPH    0714 PM 04/07   48.80N/122.71W/9     
2 WSW Lawrence               55 MPH    1237 PM 04/07   48.83N/122.33W/232   
Lynden                       49 MPH    1128 PM 04/07   48.96N/122.41W/124   
2 N Bellingham               49 MPH    0636 PM 04/07   48.80N/122.49W/88    
Blaine                       48 MPH    0515 PM 04/07   49.00N/122.74W/91    
4 NE Nooksack                48 MPH    0815 PM 04/07   48.99N/122.27W/36  
Bellingham Airport           47 MPH(S) 0633 PM 04/07   48.79N/122.54W/158     
4 SSW Lynden                 44 MPH    0700 PM 04/07   48.89N/122.49W/89    
Lummi Island                 44 MPH    0220 PM 04/07   48.73N/122.70W/163   
2 WNW Ferndale               42 MPH    0442 PM 04/07   48.87N/122.62W/351   
1 WNW Lynden                 41 MPH    0315 PM 04/07   48.96N/122.48W/113   
3 N Ferndale                 38 MPH    0234 PM 04/07   48.90N/122.58W/62    
Blaine                       37 MPH    0240 PM 04/07   49.00N/122.75W/55    
4 ENE Ferndale               36 MPH    0326 PM 04/07   48.88N/122.51W/78    
3 WSW Sudden Valley          35 MPH    0715 PM 04/07   48.69N/122.40W/581   

..Western Strait of Juan De Fuca...
2 WNW Sekiu                  41 MPH    0659 PM 04/07   48.28N/124.36W/94    

..Western Skagit County...
1 NNW Blanchard              65 MPH    0638 PM 04/07   48.61N/122.43W/1066  
1 W Anacortes                49 MPH    0205 PM 04/07   48.50N/122.66W/241   
4 ENE Swinomish Village      48 MPH    0715 PM 04/07   48.45N/122.43W/8     
Padilla Bay                  46 MPH    0730 PM 04/07   48.46N/122.47W/4     
1 NNE Allen                  41 MPH    0728 PM 04/07   48.53N/122.37W/98 
1 NNW Blanchard              40 MPH(S) 0638 PM 04/07   48.61N/122.43W/1066     
Skagit Regional Airport      39 MPH    0755 PM 04/07   48.47N/122.42W/0     
1 WNW Anacortes              38 MPH    0204 PM 04/07   48.50N/122.66W/229   
1 W Snee Oosh                36 MPH    0418 PM 04/07   48.43N/122.59W/42    
2 NNE Anacortes              35 MPH    0205 PM 04/07   48.55N/122.59W/895   

..West Slopes South Central Cascades and Passes... 

Crystal Mountain            102 MPH    1200 PM 04/07   46.94N/121.50W/6830  
6 W Crystal Mountain         86 MPH    1000 AM 04/07   46.92N/121.64W/6900  
3 SSW Crystal Mountain       71 MPH    1000 AM 04/07   46.88N/121.52W/6240  
Greenwater                   40 MPH    1000 AM 04/07   47.12N/121.60W/2404  
Elbe                         38 MPH    1115 AM 04/07   46.76N/122.19W/375   

..West Slopes North Central Cascades and Passes...
Alpentalski Area Nwac        46 MPH(P) 0500 PM 04/07   47.44N/121.43W/3100  
1 WNW Snoqualmie Pass        46 MPH    0500 PM 04/07   47.44N/121.44W/5470  
10 SW Index                  41 MPH(S) 0800 PM 04/07   47.69N/121.69W/1765  

..West Slopes North Cascades and Passes...
Mount Baker                  86 MPH    0300 PM 04/07   48.85N/121.68W/5020  

..Tacoma Area...
Tacoma Narrows Airport       53 MPH(P) 1213 PM 04/07   47.27N/122.58W/294   
JBLM                         53 MPH(P) 1125 AM 04/07   47.13N/122.48W/321   
Ft. Lewis                    53 MPH(P) 1047 AM 04/07   47.08N/122.58W/301   
Lakewood                     46 MPH    1234 PM 04/07   47.17N/122.52W/269   
3 NNE Frederickson           42 MPH    1034 AM 04/07   47.13N/122.34W/475   
1 W Tacoma                   39 MPH    1201 PM 04/07   47.25N/122.49W/360
Tacoma Narrows Airport       38 MPH(S) 1210 PM 04/07   47.27N/122.58W/294     
2 SW Federal Way             38 MPH    1126 AM 04/07   47.29N/122.38W/435   
2 NNW Midland                38 MPH    1110 AM 04/07   47.21N/122.43W/357   
Ruston                       38 MPH    1210 PM 04/07   47.30N/122.52W/213   
2 W Ruston                   36 MPH    1103 AM 04/07   47.30N/122.56W/203   
1 ENE Fircrest               35 MPH    0315 PM 04/07   47.24N/122.48W/380   

..Southwest Interior...
5 S Lacey                    55 MPH    1038 AM 04/07   46.96N/122.80W/229   
Olympia Airport              54 MPH(P) 0957 AM 04/07   46.97N/122.90W/188   
5 WNW Onalaska               49 MPH    1038 AM 04/07   46.62N/122.80W/314   
8 E Mccleary                 48 MPH    0900 AM 04/07   47.03N/123.10W/547   
Chehalis Centralia Airport   46 MPH    0115 PM 04/07   46.68N/122.98W/177   
Tenino                       45 MPH    1110 AM 04/07   46.86N/122.85W/283   
1 WNW Yelm                   42 MPH    1015 AM 04/07   46.95N/122.62W/313   
1 NE Winlock                 40 MPH    1012 AM 04/07   46.51N/122.92W/450   
2 ENE Olympia                39 MPH    1033 AM 04/07   47.06N/122.86W/200   
1 WNW Nisqually              39 MPH    1115 AM 04/07   47.07N/122.72W/40  
Olympia Airport              36 MPH(S) 1252 PM 04/07   46.97N/122.90W/188     
1 N Lacey                    36 MPH    1125 AM 04/07   47.05N/122.83W/235   

..Seattle and Vicinity...   
3 NW Seattle                 57 MPH    0242 PM 04/07   47.67N/122.39W/45    
Normandy Park                51 MPH    1227 PM 04/07   47.44N/122.34W/328     
Evergreen Point Bridge       49 MPH    0710 PM 04/07   47.64N/122.26W/22    
Renton Airport               47 MPH(P) 1041 AM 04/07   47.49N/122.21W/29        
SeaTac Airport               47 MPH(P) 1210 PM 04/07   47.44N/122.31W/370   
Boeing Field                 43 MPH(P) 0146 PM 04/07   47.53N/122.30W/18    
3 NW White Center            42 MPH    1233 PM 04/07   47.56N/122.39W/278   
Univ. Of Washington          40 MPH    1036 AM 04/07   47.65N/122.31W/171   
Edgewood                     39 MPH    1213 PM 04/07   47.26N/122.29W/344
SeaTac Airport               38 MPH(S) 1211 PM 04/07   47.44N/122.31W/370      
2 NW White Center            38 MPH    1233 PM 04/07   47.55N/122.38W/367   
3 NW White Center            38 MPH    1200 PM 04/07   47.56N/122.39W/305
3 NW Seattle                 37 MPH(S) 0312 PM 04/07   47.67N/122.39W/45       
3 WNW Hunts Point            37 MPH    0215 PM 04/07   47.67N/122.29W/229   
Tukwila                      37 MPH    0300 PM 04/07   47.47N/122.27W/216   
3 SW Seattle                 37 MPH    0202 PM 04/07   47.58N/122.40W/32    
1 NE Seattle                 37 MPH    0403 PM 04/07   47.62N/122.32W/275   
3 S Sheridan Beach           36 MPH    0932 AM 04/07   47.69N/122.28W/301   
Seattle                      36 MPH    1153 AM 04/07   47.61N/122.31W/370   
1 NNW Federal Way            36 MPH    0155 PM 04/07   47.34N/122.35W/174   
2 W Kirkland                 36 MPH    0610 PM 04/07   47.69N/122.26W/65    
3 WNW Seattle                36 MPH    0330 PM 04/07   47.65N/122.41W/372   
2 NW Hunts Point             35 MPH    0220 PM 04/07   47.67N/122.26W/144   
1 WNW White Center           35 MPH(S) 0130 PM 04/07   47.53N/122.39W/15    
1 SE Seattle                 35 MPH    0525 PM 04/07   47.59N/122.32W/328   
1 ENE Des Moines             35 MPH    1206 PM 04/07   47.40N/122.28W/124   

..San Juan County...
Lopez Island                 65 MPH    0244 PM 04/07   48.53N/122.87W/114   
S. Lopez Island              55 MPH    0524 PM 04/07   48.40N/122.90W/118   
Friday Harbor Airport        52 MPH(P) 0249 PM 04/07   48.52N/123.02W/0     
Nw Decatur Is. Beach         51 MPH    0420 PM 04/07   48.51N/122.83W/53    
2 SE Eastsound               47 MPH    0346 PM 04/07   48.67N/122.87W/1033  
4 SSW Roche Harbor           43 MPH    0439 PM 04/07   48.55N/123.16W/36    
Friday Harbor                40 MPH    0636 PM 04/07   48.55N/123.01W/0 
Friday Harbor Airport        37 MPH(S) 0520 PM 04/07   48.52N/123.02W/0      
Orcas Island Airport         37 MPH    0615 PM 04/07   48.71N/122.91W/0     

..Olympics...
Huricane Ridge Raws          94 MPH(P) 0500 PM 04/07   47.97N/123.50W/5262   
Cougar Mountain              47 MPH    0712 PM 04/07   47.94N/123.07W/2400  
Jefferson Creek              36 MPH    0336 PM 04/07   47.55N/123.22W/2200  

..North Coast...
Quillayute Airport           54 MPH(P) 1157 AM 04/07   47.94N/124.56W/185   
Ellis Mountain               49 MPH    0800 PM 04/07   48.13N/124.31W/2305      
Forks-raws                   37 MPH    0633 PM 04/07   47.96N/124.38W/303  
Quillayute Airport           35 MPH(S) 0456 PM 04/07   47.94N/124.56W/185  

..Lower Chehalis Valley Area...
Central Park                 38 MPH    0115 PM 04/07   46.96N/123.72W/62    
Minot Peak                   36 MPH    0800 AM 04/07   46.89N/123.42W/1768  

..Hood Canal Area...
4 E Port Ludlow              46 MPH    0630 PM 04/07   47.92N/122.58W/49    
1 WSW Brinnon                43 MPH    0703 PM 04/07   47.67N/122.93W/689   
Shelton Airport              42 MPH(P) 0912 AM 04/07   47.24N/123.14W/271   
Quilcene                     40 MPH    0536 PM 04/07   47.82N/122.88W/62    

..Everett and Vicinity...
Paine Field                  50 MPH(P) 0248 PM 04/07   47.91N/122.28W/606  
Paine Field                  41 MPH(S) 0249 PM 04/07   47.91N/122.28W/606   
Arlington Airport            39 MPH    0555 PM 04/07   48.16N/122.16W/0     
Harbour Pointe               38 MPH    0759 PM 04/07   47.89N/122.32W/347   
Everett                      36 MPH    0615 PM 04/07   47.98N/122.19W/9     
3 S Everett                  35 MPH    0215 PM 04/07   47.92N/122.21W/121   

..East Puget Sound Lowlands...
1 N Covington                37 MPH    1050 AM 04/07   47.37N/122.07W/528   
3 N Bonney Lake              37 MPH    1213 PM 04/07   47.23N/122.16W/564   
Lake Stevens                 37 MPH    0559 PM 04/07   48.03N/122.06W/255   
4 N Monroe                   36 MPH    0319 PM 04/07   47.92N/121.98W/643   
1 SW Mirrormont              36 MPH    1218 PM 04/07   47.44N/122.01W/770   
1 ESE Lake Stevens           36 MPH    0304 PM 04/07   48.00N/122.03W/149   
North Bend                   35 MPH    0550 PM 04/07   47.50N/121.78W/439   

..Central Coast...
Hoquiam Airport              66 MPH(P) 0140 PM 04/07   46.97N/123.93W/12    
1 SSE Ocean Shores           53 MPH    1104 AM 04/07   46.95N/124.14W/23 
Hoquiam Airport              47 MPH(S) 0136 PM 04/07   46.97N/123.93W/12     
1 WNW Aberdeen               45 MPH    0132 PM 04/07   46.98N/123.84W/131   
2 NNW Ocean City             39 MPH    1118 AM 04/07   47.11N/124.18W/16    
2 N Ocean Shores             38 MPH    0927 AM 04/07   47.00N/124.15W/15    

..Bremerton and Vicinity...
Indianola                    45 MPH    1215 PM 04/07   47.74N/122.51W/147   
Bremerton Airport            35 MPH    0555 PM 04/07   47.50N/122.75W/482   

..Bellevue and Vicinity...  
1 SSW Maltby                 65 MPH    0613 PM 04/07   47.78N/122.12W/413   
1 S Eastgate                 42 MPH    0256 PM 04/07   47.55N/122.13W/1170  
1 WNW Kirkland               39 MPH    0633 PM 04/07   47.69N/122.22W/16  
1 SSW Maltby                 37 MPH(S) 0603 PM 04/07   47.78N/122.12W/413    
Kenmore                      37 MPH    0538 PM 04/07   47.76N/122.25W/42    
2 NE Fairwood                37 MPH    0121 PM 04/07   47.48N/122.12W/584   
1 NW Eastgate                36 MPH    0139 PM 04/07   47.59N/122.15W/419   

..Admiralty Inlet Area...
Whidbey Island NAS           59 MPH(P) 0147 PM 04/07   48.35N/122.67W/47    
8 NW Langley                 58 MPH    0540 PM 04/07   48.14N/122.52W/9     
2 WSW Coupeville             58 MPH    0750 PM 04/07   48.21N/122.74W/236 
2 WSW Coupeville             41 MPH(S) 0750 PM 04/07   48.21N/122.74W/236     
Coupeville                   41 MPH    0605 PM 04/07   48.22N/122.69W/98    
2 W Oak Harbor               39 MPH    0603 PM 04/07   48.29N/122.69W/106   
2 NW Port Hadlock            37 MPH    0803 PM 04/07   48.06N/122.79W/258   

..Maritime Stations...
Destruction Island           76 MPH    0500 PM 04/07   47.68N/124.49W/68    
Westport Tide Gauge          60 MPH    1036 AM 04/07   46.90N/124.11W/0     
Smith Island                 60 MPH    0500 PM 04/07   48.32N/122.84W/49    
Hood Canal Bridge            59 MPH    0115 PM 04/07   47.86N/122.62W/0     
Cape Elizabeth Buoy          58 MPH    0350 PM 04/07   47.30N/124.70W/0     
Port Townsend Nos Tide Gauge 54 MPH    0600 PM 04/07   48.12N/122.75W/0     
Hein Bank Buoy               47 MPH    0520 PM 04/07   48.30N/123.20W/0     
Possession Sound             47 MPH    0413 PM 04/07   48.02N/122.27W/25 
Point Robinson               47 MPH    1110 AM 04/07   47.39N/122.37W/9    
La Push Nos Tide Gauge       47 MPH    0436 PM 04/07   47.91N/124.64W/0 
Golden Gardens Seattle       46 MPH    0215 PM 04/07   47.69N/122.40W/20    
Blanchard                    46 MPH    0705 PM 04/07   48.59N/122.43W/16    
6 SSW Marietta               43 MPH    0645 PM 04/07   48.70N/122.60W/0     
Henderson Bay                43 MPH    1200 PM 04/07   47.38N/122.63W/27    
Richmond Beach               41 MPH    0210 PM 04/07   47.77N/122.39W/27    
West Point                   39 MPH    1200 PM 04/07   47.66N/122.44W/9     
Keystone Ferry Dock          39 MPH    0820 PM 04/07   48.16N/122.67W/9     
Port Of Tacoma #1            39 MPH    1254 PM 04/07   47.28N/122.42W/0     
Seattle                      35 MPH    1242 PM 04/07   47.60N/122.34W/0     

________________________

Will Such Storms Increase Under Global Warming? Help Us Determine the Local Impacts of Climate Change

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11 comments:

  1. Bless you Cliff - live in Gig Harbor surrounded by trees - each storm I hang on your every word. Thanks again

    ReplyDelete
  2. We lost power around 5:30ish. Luckily it came back in time for dinner.

    ReplyDelete
  3. "Will storms increase under global warming....?"
    Always learning we are.

    ReplyDelete
  4. The storm skipped my neighborhood in Olympia, just rain and very little wind, talk about microclimates!

    ReplyDelete
  5. So this was an "extraordinary" storm and "probably the "most powerful April storm to approach the Northwest coast during the past half century"? I don't buy that for one second.

    I have lived here long enough to have seen plenty of late March/ early April windstorms that have knocked down trees and brought 60mph+ gusts to the Puget Sound region. We just had one of these in April of 2010 which was arguably more of an event than this. So what, that never happened? Here is your blog on it: http://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2010/04/storm-watch.html

    No big hype on that one... but it dropped to 970-975 mb over Tatoosh (see comment section) and it was nasty. Here is a youtube on it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTVGXjlelYI. It also had a cold front associated with it that brought snow to the Kitsap Peninsula and dumped a large amount of snow in the Cascades. I can't imagine what the hype would have been on that one today... "Storm of the Century!!!!!!!!"

    And then to make it worse today, you have an ask at the end: "Will Such Storms Increase Under Global Warming? Help Us Determine the Local Impacts of Climate Change."

    Go back and read that post from 2010 Cliff. No hype, just science.

    Do you not see the problem with all of this? Longtime fan here Cliff as you know but this one disturbs me.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Sunsnow..... no...that is not really correct. Charlie Phillips (who gave the 970 mb number) was wrong. Look at the model output on my blog... MUCH smaller storm with sea level pressure around 983 hpa....that is much higher. I checked the official analysis as well. That April 2010 storm brought some high winds because it was more compact and closer in, but it was not in the league of the storm we experienced. This week's storm was absolutely unique in size and intensity...look at the normalized anomalies if you are unsure about that. It deserves the hype...it was that unusual. And I think it is an interesting question whether the temporal boundaries of our strong storms might change under global warming...cliff

    ReplyDelete
  7. Cliff - Fair point on size - but 4/2/10 still packed a punch, and in objective wind speed terms was remarkably identical at SeaTac: 4/2/10 = 37/47mph sustained/gust vs. 4/7/17 = 38/47. And that's what I took as the general context throughout this -- the "potency" of the storm, not the size. That's what was emblazoned across headlines.

    But thank you for the comment section and engaging in it. We live in an age of hit and runs on climate or weather issues where debate is not allowed. You embrace the debate and it is good.

    Also... while I still have the floor... can you please come up with a different photo to represent your campaign for the study on regional impacts? A raging forest fire... really? From someone who has been outspoken - and backed it up - that there is scant evidence suggesting a link? And you've paid a price for it! Instead of fear - which is what that photo clearly invokes - how about a Goldfinch on a Rhododendron? I could use a Goldfinch about now. We all could.

    ReplyDelete
  8. In a closed system energy in = energy out. Given that the added heat imbalance imparted to the global energy system is quickly closing in on 2.5 billion Hiroshima size nuclear bombs since 1998, [Skeptical Science] I would assume the weather systems are surely responding as we speak. Weather on steroids if you will.

    People the world over readily accept the scientific fact that changing a patch of South Pacific from warm to cool by only a couple of degrees C, and the resulting comparatively narrow El Nino/La Nina current across the Equatorial Pacific to South America, can have a profound effect on the weather. Not only here in the United States, but to a lesser degree Europe and Africa.
    On the other hand, transforming a much closer, (boarders in many cases), highly reflective patch of earth from significantly bellow freezing to dark open water above freezing, a difference of 10′s of degrees C and its no problem? Get real. An area that is larger than the states of Alaska and Texas combined! World wide science is telling you, and the on the ground reality are raising red flags here.

    ReplyDelete
  9. If the ~50 mph gusts claimed for the station I spent most of the day across the street from were accurate, then 50 mph gusts are a lot less impressive than I was expecting.

    It was a decent storm, but not even the worst I've seen in the last 5 years living north of Seattle.

    It definitely wasn't even in the same league as the Inauguration Day windstorm of 1993.

    ReplyDelete
  10. It blew hard all afternoon, with quite impressive winds at the Admiralty inlet around 7 PM. It crescendoed to a roar near the water.

    Stronger than average, even if it were a November storm.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Ferndale WA took some pretty strong winds on Friday too - I see there was a gust of 84 mph. (I believe that this station is among one of the most accurate in Whatcom County - I've seen gusts of 99 recorded there.)

    See: https://www.wunderground.com/personal-weather-station/dashboard?ID=KWAFERND7#history/s20170407/e20170407/mdaily

    ReplyDelete

Please make sure your comments are civil. Name calling and personal attacks are not appropriate.

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