The Storm Has Arrived

 The promised storm has begun.  Tens of thousands of customers have already lost power, mainly in the southern Puget Sound region at this point...and more will surely follow.

The composite weather radar image is extraordinary (see image around 7:40 PM below).  The low center was then along the central Washington coast.  We can only see this because of the Langley Hill radar near Hoquium (thanks, as always, to Senator Cantwell for helping to make that radar a reality).

A few hours earlier, the low center was also evident in visible satellite imagery (below).

As of 7 PM, winds have exceeded 70 mph on the coast and at Crystal Mountain, with and over 50 mph over the south Sound area (see below).

With low pressure along the coast and higher pressure inland, strong easterly winds from the east descended the western slopes of the Cascades, contributing to power outages from Issaquah and Black Diamond to Enumclaw and out to the Sound.

This has resulted in massive power outages in these locations (see Puget Sound Energy outage map at 7:30 PM)

In Seattle, only about 850 customers have lost power.  

The numbers increase greatly in the hours ahead.  

The latest UW/Seattle Windwatch prediction of maximum winds in Seattle suggests that winds will peak around midnight, as the low center passes to the north (see prediction below).    This early in the season, with lots of leaves on the trees and untested new growth, one can expect substantial power loss with such winds.

Showtime in 2-3 hours for central Puget Sound.  Time to make sure all my devices are charged up.