Snow!

February 9, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Last night, inches of beautiful snow arrived to the Beach Drive neighborhood.

Based on what I’m hearing from neighbors and what I see in our yard, I’m guessing we have about 4-6 inches of snow. I have not ventured out yet to see what the streets look like. Please let us know how the roads are in your area!

Winter Storm Warning is still in effect until 4:00 pm today. (Last update 3:45 am)

...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM PST THIS
AFTERNOON...

* WHAT...Additional snowfall accumulations of 1 to 3 inches are
  expected through midday. This will be on top of the 2 to 4
  inches that fell near the water in Seattle and 5 to 8 inches
  that have fallen elsewhere. North winds will increase today to
  15 to 30 mph with a few gusts to 40 mph. The wind may reduce
  visibility at times due to blowing snow, especially near
  shorelines of the inland waters.

* WHERE...Portions of northwest and west central Washington,
  including Seattle, Everett, Tacoma, Bremerton, Bellevue, North
  Bend, Redmond, Kent, Mount Vernon, and Oak Harbor.

* WHEN...Until 4 PM PST Saturday. Snowfall will slowly taper off
  today.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Heaviest snowfall at 345 AM extends from
  around Seattle northwestward to Port Angeles. The snowfall will
  taper off from east to west today. Travel will be very
  difficult today.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Winter Storm Warning for snow means severe winter weather
conditions will make travel very hazardous or impossible. If you
must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food and water in your
vehicle in case of an emergency.

For the latest road conditions in Washington state, call 5 1 1.

I guess it’s a good thing we braved the grocery stores for “combat shopping” after all! Although
I must admit, I enjoyed seeing neighbors and making new friends while waiting in the long lines. 🙂

UPDATED 7:44 AM

Here’s a great tool to see what roads have been serviced in Seattle. The picture below is from 7:40 am this morning. Click this link for updated road conditions in Seattle.

Filed Under: Weather Tagged With:

Winter Storm Warning and Gale Watch

February 8, 2019 by Leave a Comment

It looks like we could be in for a doozie of storm starting later today. I’m amazed at the pics I’ve seen on social media of the empty shelves in several grocery stores in West Seattle! We will continue to keep you posted as much as possible. If we lose power, you’ll find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/beachdriveblog 

Here’s the data we have as of writing this post at 8:24 this morning:

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE (UPDATED 2:19 AM)


...WINTER STORM WARNING NOW IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 4 PM PST
SATURDAY...

* WHAT...Heavy snow expected. Total snow accumulations of 4 to 6
  inches expected. Local snowfall accumulations of 8 inches. North
  to northeast winds will increase late tonight and Saturday to 15
  to 30 mph with some local gusts to 45 mph. The wind will likely
  reduce visibility at times due to blowing snow, especially near
  shorelines of the inland waters.

* WHERE...Portions of northwest and west central Washington,
  including Seattle, Everett, Tacoma, Bremerton, Bellevue, North
  Bend, Redmond, Kent, Port Angeles, Sequim, Oak Harbor, and Mount
  Vernon.

* WHEN...From Noon today to 4 PM PST Saturday. The heaviest
  snowfall accumulations for most of the area will occur between 3
  PM this afternoon and 10 PM this evening.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...A period of 2 inch per hour snowfall
  accumulations is likely during todays late afternoon and evening
  commute in the Tacoma, Everett, Seattle, and Bremerton area.
  Travel is likely to become very difficult. Areas of blowing snow
  could contribute to reduced visibility late tonight into
  Saturday.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Winter Storm Warning for snow means severe winter weather
conditions will make travel very hazardous or impossible. If you
must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food and water in your
vehicle in case of an emergency.

For the latest road conditions in Washington state, call 5 1 1.

Puget Sound - Hood Canal Marine Forecast - Gale Watch 6:00 PM - Saturday Night (Last updated: 

 TONIGHT
 NE wind 15 to 25 kt rising to 25 to 35 kt after
 midnight. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft building to 4 to 6 ft after
 midnight. Snow.

 SAT
 N wind 25 to 35 kt easing to 20 to 30 kt in the afternoon.
 Wind waves 4 to 6 ft. Snow in the morning then a chance of snow
 in the afternoon.

 SAT NIGHT
 N wind 25 to 35 kt. Wind waves 4 to 6 ft.

 SUN
 NW wind 15 to 25 kt easing to 10 to 20 kt in the
 afternoon. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft.

Wind Alert has two different models of slightly different stories...both have snow.

Stay warm, Neighbors!

Filed Under: Weather Tagged With: ,

Garbage pick-up delayed due to snow

February 4, 2019 by Leave a Comment

The beautiful dusting of snow is causing garbage pick-up for Monday to be delayed until tomorrow. Many Seattle schools are closed today.

Looks like we may continue to see some snow continue to fall this morning.

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM PST THIS
MORNING...

* WHAT...Snow continued. Total accumulations of 1 to 4 inches.

* WHERE...Land areas around central Puget Sound, including the
  Seattle metro area, Tacoma, Bremerton.

* WHEN...Until 10 AM PST this morning.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Plan on slippery road conditions.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Winter Weather Advisory for snow means periods of snow will
cause primarily travel difficulties. Expect snow covered roads
and limited visibilities, and use caution while driving.

For the latest road conditions in Washington state, call 5 1 1.

As of 3:00 am this morning, there is a small craft advisory in effect through tomorrow afternoon with wind waves of 3 to 5 feet coming from the chilly north at an estimated 20-30 knots.

We have snow in the forecast for later this week.

Hello Winter!

Filed Under: Weather Tagged With: ,

Body found at Mee Kwa Mooks

February 1, 2019 by Leave a Comment

We are sad to report that a deceased person has been found at Me Kwa Mooks park. At this time, it appears to be a suicide. Seattle Police and Fire Departments are on the scene.

The deceased person was discovered on a trail not far from the street by a friend while walking their dog.

Update 11:08 am:

The deceased person appears to be a white male.

If you or someone you know are in crisis, there is 24 hour help. You can call 866-427-4747 or visit https://www.crisisconnections.org

Filed Under: Breaking News, Parks Tagged With:

UPDATED: Derelict Boat drifting off Beach Drive

January 31, 2019 by 2 Comments

Around 3:30 this afternoon, we called the Coastguard when it appeared a boat was adrift. From our view point, we could not see if there was anyone on board. The Coastguard asked if we could send them a photo to help identify the boat (picture is above).


The intrepid reporter, Scupper and I hopped into our car to see if we could get a better vantage point of the boat. We called the Coastguard once we noticed that there was a person on-board (on the dinghy) and that the boat was getting dangerously close to Harbor West Condominiums.

 The disabled cabin cruiser was pinned against the pilings of Harbor West Condos. The Coastguard confirmed with us that he is out of immediate danger as the boat seemed secured, and that they’re leaving.

Update:
A big turnout from both the Seattle Police and Seattle Fire Departments.

The boat was able to get free of the condo’s pilings and began to drift towards the reef just as the SPD and SFD boats arrived.

It appeared as though the boater did not want any help. He was in his dinghy pulling the boat away from the SPD and SFD just missing the reef by inches.

Seattle Fire Department was able to secure the boat and the boat operator.

Update: the boat is slowly being towed. We are wondering where it will end up.

Update 6:09 pm.

We are at Don Armeni boat launch where the Seattle Fire Department appear to be preparing to dock the boat.

Update 6:31pm

The boat is now secured at Don Armeni boat ramp.

Scupper assisted with helping to secure the boat to the dock.

The inhabitant on the boat stayed below deck while Scupper was assisting the fire and rescue crew.  

It’s Scupper’s opinion that this boat has not been under it’s own power for some time and his dinghy is used to maneuver the boat. It appears to be a derelict live-aboard boat.

It will be interesting to see what happens next. Obviously the boat cannot stay at Don Armeni tied to the boat ramp.

The Department of Natural Resources has a program for derelict boats but it appears that this man does not want to give up this boat/home.

EDITORS NOTE: This was a “live” post that was mostly done from my cell phone. My apologies for any typo’s I didn’t catch! We also have videos posted at www.facebook.com/beachdriveblog

Filed Under: Boats Tagged With: ,

Possible Windy Night

January 22, 2019 by Leave a Comment

Wind Alert is showing some potentially gusty winds in store later tonight. Our next high tide is 11.56 feet at 4:55 p.m. …just when the winds are predicted to pick up.

The Puget Sound Marine Forecast has issued a small craft advisory through tonight:

TODAY
S wind 15 to 25 kt rising to 20 to 30 kt in the afternoon. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft. Rain likely in the morning then rain in the afternoon.

TONIGHT
S wind 20 to 30 kt. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft. Rain.

The UW’s forecast has not been updated since 3:08 am.

Seattle and Vicinity-
Including the cities of Seattle, Shoreline, Federal Way, and Kent
308 AM PST Tue Jan 22 2019

TODAY…Breezy. Rain likely in the morning, then rain in the afternoon. Rainfall amounts a quarter to a half inch possible. Highs in the mid to upper 40s. South wind 15 to 25 mph with gusts to 35 mph.

TONIGHT…Windy, rain. Rainfall amounts a quarter to a half inch possible. Lows in the lower to mid 40s. South wind 15 to 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph.

 

It looks like this may just miss us as far as any measurable flooding… however, it could be a spectacular night with plenty of splash. Stay tuned!

Filed Under: Weather Tagged With: , ,

USS Carl Vinson heading to Bremerton

January 20, 2019 by Leave a Comment

The USS Carl Vinson CVN-70 is heading to Bremerton, the ships home-port.

Filed Under: Puget Sound

High Wind Warning and High Tides

January 5, 2019 by Leave a Comment

We have a high wind warning that goes into effect in about an hour that will coincide with high tides. There are a lot of mixed forecast tonight that are being hyped over various media outlets. We always prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

This was issued at 6:39 P.M. from the National Weather Service:

...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 10 AM
PST SUNDAY...

The National Weather Service in Seattle has issued a High Wind
Warning, which is in effect from 10 PM this evening to 10 AM PST
Sunday. The Wind Advisory is no longer in effect.

* WIND…South to southwest wind 20 to 35 mph with gusts 45 to 55
mph. A brief period with gusts to around 60 mph is possible
during the peak of the storm overnight.

* SOME AFFECTED LOCATIONS…Hoquaim, Forks, Tacoma, Seattle,
Bremerton, and Friday Harbor.

* TIMING…South to southwest winds will rapidly develop late this
evening then ease around daybreak Sunday. For most of the area,
the strongest winds will occur in the early morning hours on
Sunday. In the central Puget Sound region, including Seattle,
the peak winds are expected between 2 AM and 4 AM.

* IMPACTS…Winds may down trees and cause power outages.
Dangerous cross winds will be possible on east-west oriented
roadways including I-90 and SR-520 across Lake Washington.
Temporary structures and fences may be damaged. Loose or
unsecured objects may be displaced.

High tide is predicted at 6:16 am to be 12.18 feet.



Here is the Wind Alert current prediction (subject to change, of course!)




Puget Sound Marine Forecast:


Puget Sound and Hood Canal-

831 PM PST Sat Jan 5 2019


GALE WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM PST SUNDAY

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM PST SUNDAY THROUGH

SUNDAY AFTERNOON


TONIGHT

E wind 15 to 25 kt becoming S 25 to 35 kt after

midnight. Wind waves 2 to 4 ft building to 4 to 6 ft after

midnight. Rain likely in the evening then showers after midnight.


SUN

S wind 25 to 35 kt easing to 15 to 25 kt in the afternoon.

Wind waves 4 to 6 ft subsiding to 2 to 4 ft in the afternoon. A

chance of showers.


It’s quite possible that this could be a big storm… but as far as flooding, we’re leaning towards that we’ll have impresive splash come over and might have to fire up the pumps between 4:00 am – 6:00 am but it won’t be significant based on the reports we review for our personal reference. This is probably a good time to remind our readers that we are not weather forecasters – we are just your neighbors sharing information that we use for our purposes.


Filed Under: Safety, Weather 
High Tides and Winds


December 29, 2018  by  Leave a Comment 
It looks like we’re in for another windy day. With a wind advisory in effect until 4:00 pm today and an extra high tide of 12.59 feet at 10:32 this morning.


Here’s the current (8:08 am) Wind Alert forecast. If we do see gusts in the 40s around high tide, it’s quite possible we’ll see some water coming over the bulkhead.




 


The Puget Sound Marine forecast has a small craft advisory until 10am this morning (last update 2:41 am).


 TODAY  S wind 20 to 30 kt rising to 25 to 35 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 3 to 6 ft. Rain.


 TONIGHT  SW wind 15 to 25 kt. Wind becoming NW 10 to 20 kt N  part in the evening and SW 10 to 20 kt S part in the evening.  Wind waves 2 to 4 ft. A chance of rain.


National Weather Service (4:00 am update).


...WIND ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING TO 4 PM PST
THIS AFTERNOON...

* WIND...Southerly 20 to 35 mph with gusts 45 to 50 mph.

* SOME AFFECTED LOCATIONS...Port Townsend, Everett, Bremerton,
  Seattle, Tacoma, La Push, Ocean Shores, Westport, and Hoquiam.

* IMPACTS...Winds may snap weak branches that have not been
  pruned by recent storms, produce isolated power outages, and
  make the driving of high-profile vehicles difficult.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Wind Advisory means that winds of 35 mph are expected. Winds
this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high
profile vehicles. Use extra caution.


We’re not sure if this is going to be a “Barking Dog Report” event where we think there will be flooding along Beach Drive… just something to keep alert about at this point… and we will be past high tide in just over two hours.


Stay tuned!


Filed Under: Safety, Weather Tagged With: , , 
Big Changes for Short Term Rentals along Beach Drive and Alki


December 28, 2018  by  Leave a Comment 
If you or someone you know owns or operates a vacation rental along Beach Drive or along Alki, you may want to let them know about regulations that are going into effect January 1, 2019 that will prohibit short term vacation rentals on waterfront homes and potentially including homes within 200 feet of Puget Sound.


We believe this is an unintended consequence from the City of Seattle labeling short term vacation rentals as “commercial lodging” which is not permitted per the shoreline code. This includes detached single family residences, condos, apartments and homes that are within 200 feet of the high water mark of Puget Sound (homes across the street from Puget Sound could be included). Other areas may be included as well if they are within the shoreline management restricted areas.


From the City of Seattle – one of their many pages regarding Short Term Rentals (aka “STR”s):


“Floating on-water residences, waterfront residences, and other areas where lodging activities are prohibited by the Shoreline Code“


We have owned and operated a short term vacation rental on Beach Drive for a couple of years. We are saddened that it looks like we will no longer be able to offer Beach Drive Bungalow as a vacation rental. Many of our guests over the years have been from neighbors and other Seattle-ites with visiting families.


Many who have owned and operated vacation rentals near the shoreline in Seattle may not know about this snafu. To our knowledge, there has been no notifications from the vacation rental platforms, like VRBO/Homeaway or AirbNb nor from the City of Seattle (unless you visit their website and try to make sense of the shoreline code).


I reached out weeks ago to our City Council. Today, I received my first response from a representative for O’Brien who stated:


“Thanks so much for reaching out to Councilmember O’Brien on this issue.  I am sorry for the complicated and confusing nature of our code and that your property is no longer eligible as a STR.  After looking into it a bit, my understanding is that this is due to the shoreline code – lodging activities are prohibited in Floating on-water residences, waterfront residences, and in specific shoreline environments.  This was not a policy choice about waterfront locations specifically but rather just making it explicit that defining short-term rentals as a lodging use (and not a residential use) means prohibiting STRs where lodging uses are prohibited by the shoreline code.   To modify this would require amending the shoreline code which typically requires working with and approval by the Department of Ecology.


Sorry to not have a more hopeful response for you.  Have you considered renting the property as a long-term rental?”


No response yet from our West Seattle rep, Lisa Herbold.


We do plan on reaching out to the Department of Ecology.


If you have questions, you can email: str@seattle.gov.


Filed Under: Beach Drive Homes, Politics, Puget Sound, Real Estate Tagged With: , , , , 
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