Wind sprites will
kick up their heels a bit this afternoon, with wind gusts possible up to 20
MPH.
Things will calm
down tonight, but Saturday will be exciting.
A Wind Advisory has
been posted for Mason County for 7 AM through 7 PM tomorrow.
Winds will be from
the South to Southwest, between 20 and 30 MPH, with occasional gusts to 45 MPH.
The University of Washington model shows winds increasing by 9 AM, and sticking
around until about 6 PM.
A Small Craft
Advisory is in effect through 3 AM Saturday for Hood Canal and Puget Sound. Wind
gusts on the water and nearby shorelines are forecast at between 17 and 29 MPH.
As the winds ease on
Saturday, a big bunch of cold air will cross the Canadian border and make
things VERY cold. Snow is forecast for up to an inch in the lowlands. Around
Lake Cushman, the forecast from Saturday night through Sunday is for snow accumulations
of three inches or more.
How cold will it be?
- By Sunday night, overnight low temperatures will
be dropping to near 20 degrees.
- Monday’s overnight low will be in the upper-teens.
- Tuesday’s overnight low will be in the low 20’s.
The cooling trend is
related to a breakout of cold weather from British Columbia’s Fraser River
Valley, called the “Fraser Outflow.” Here’s a good example. Look at all the
blue over Washington State. That means COLD. Thanks Canada.
There’s a Winter
Storm Watch for the Olympic Mountains, for elevations above 2,000 feet. Snow,
wind, blowing snow. Not good backcountry weather.
The passes through
the Cascade Mountains will be an “interesting trip.” Blustery winds, and snowfall
measured in FEET is the forecast through late Sunday. The snow and wind will
increase avalanche danger in the passes.
In a Nutshell:
- Weekend wind, rain, and snow.
- Wind Saturday, between 20 and 30 MPH, with
occasional gusts to 45 MPH.
- Up to an inch of rain Friday through Sunday
morning.
- Sunday: up to an inch of snow in the lowlands of
Mason County; three inches or more in areas like Lake Cushman.
- The coldest weather of winter so far: Sunday and
Monday overnight lows in the teens and low 20’s.
- All cross-Cascade passes will be affected
by winter travel conditions: wind and heavy snow.
