Snow!

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.

Winter Storm Warning and Gale Watch

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!

Garbage pick-up delayed due to snow

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!

Possible Windy Night

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!

High Wind Warning and High Tides

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.

High Tides and Winds

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!

December 20, 2018 Storm

We’ve had some waves coming over since around noon and building towards high tide which just passed minutes ago. This video is from about an hour ago. We have had to fire up the big ol’ trash pumps since this video.

I have more pictures and videos on Facebook.  Hope you’re staying safe and not having too much trouble with the waves.

Barking Dog Report: High Wind Warning and Wind Waves

Good morning, Neighbors! Well the wind and rain is just starting to pick up along Beach Drive in West Seattle. We just passed low tide and are now on our way to an estimated 11.71 feet at 2:06 pm today.

Here’s a peek a the current forecast from Wind Alert.

The Puget Sound Marine Forecast (updated at 8:38 am) has a Gale Warning in effect through this evening.

 S wind 20 to 30 kt rising to 35 to 45 kt in the  afternoon. Wind waves 3 to 5 ft building to 6 to 8 ft in the  afternoon. Rain in the morning then rain likely in the afternoon.

The National Weather Service has issued a High Wind Warning. This was last updated at 3:29 a.m. I’m surprised it hasn’t been updated yet this morning…maybe they’re stalling to get a better read on pending storm?  At 7:54 a.m. the NWS added a Special Weather Statement warning of a higher risk of landslides.  Here’s the wind warning;

...HIGH WIND WARNING NOW IN EFFECT FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO
7 PM PST THIS EVENING...

* WIND...South to southeast wind 25 to 40 mph with gusts up to
  60 mph.

* SOME AFFECTED LOCATIONS...Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma, and
  Bremerton.

* TIMING...Winds will increase rapidly Thursday morning with the
  strongest gusts expected for a few hours Thursday afternoon.

* IMPACTS...Snapped tree branches and downed trees along with
  some power outages.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A High Wind Warning means a hazardous high wind event is expected
or occurring. Sustained wind speeds of at least 40 mph or gusts
of 58 mph or more can lead to property damage.

Bottom line, our plans have not changed since last night. We are preparing to flood and possibly lose power… the joys of living on Puget Sound! If you still have any patio furniture or other potential projectiles outside, you may want to secure them. Charge up your cell phones and have some candles ready. Stay safe, Neighbors!

BARKING DOG REPORT: High Wind Watch and High Tides Thursday

Anytime we have waves predicted at 7 feet combined with high tides, it’s likely we’ll issue a barking dog report. This is a lengthy post so if you want the “bottom line”, we are preparing for the possibility of flooding around the second high tide tomorrow (11.79 feet at 2:44 pm). If we see anything near the currently predicted 7 foot waves, we could see water coming over our bulkhead starting around lunchtime. If you have a waterfront home along Beach Drive, you may want to prepare for potential flooding. With the strong winds that are predicted, we could see power outages as well.

Here’s what Wind Alert has currently (as of 8:40 am 12/19/18) predicted for Thursday:

And here are the predicted tides for Puget Sound:

High tides for Thursday, December 20, 2018 are 11.27 at 4:30 am and 11.79 at 2:44 pm. According to wind alert, we could see gusts in the mid to upper 40s approaching the afternoon high tide.

I’ve been stalling on this post waiting for updated forecast… here we go!

Puget Sound Marine Forecast has issued a small craft advisory in effect until 4:00 pm this afternoon and a gale warning from tonight through tomorrow at 4:00 pm.

THU  S wind 25 to 35 kt rising to 30 to 40 kt in the afternoon.  Wind waves 4 to 7 ft. Rain in the morning then rain likely in the  afternoon.  

THU NIGHT  SW wind 25 to 35 kt easing to 15 to 25 kt after  midnight. Wind waves 4 to 6 ft subsiding to 2 to 4 ft after  midnight.

The National Weather Service has issued a high wind warning for tomorrow. Note: the local Seattle forecast from the NWS shows gusts as high as 50 mph tomorrow.

...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 7 AM TO 7 PM PST THURSDAY...

The National Weather Service in Seattle has issued a High Wind
Warning, which is in effect from 7 AM to 7 PM PST Thursday. The
High Wind Watch is no longer in effect.

* WIND…South to southeast wind 25 to 40 mph with gusts up to 60
mph.

* SOME AFFECTED LOCATIONS…Ferndale, Bellingham, Sandy Point,
Anacortes, Friday Harbor, Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma, Everett,
and Bremerton.

* TIMING…Winds will increase rapidly Thursday morning with the
strongest gusts expected for a few hours Thursday afternoon.
This is not expected to be a prolonged event.

* IMPACTS…Snapped tree branches and downed trees along with
local power outages.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A High Wind Warning means a hazardous high wind event is expected
or occurring. Sustained wind speeds of at least 40 mph or gusts
of 58 mph or more can lead to property damage.

City of Seattle forecast:

TONIGHT…Breezy. Cloudy with a chance of rain. Lows in the 40s. East wind 10 to 15 mph becoming south 15 to 25 mph with gusts to 35 mph after midnight.

THURSDAY…Very windy. Rain. Rainfall amounts a quarter to a half inch possible. Highs in the lower to mid 50s. South wind 15 to 30 mph with gusts to 40 mph increasing to 25 to 40 mph with gusts to 60 mph in the afternoon.

THURSDAY NIGHT…Windy. Mostly cloudy with a chance of rain in the evening, then partly cloudy with a slight chance of rain showers after midnight. Lows in the 30s to lower 40s. Southwest wind 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 50 mph decreasing to 10 to 15 mph after midnight.

We will be spending today getting our home ready for strong winds, potential flooding and loss of power. Mother Nature showed us yesterday with the tornado that touched down in Port Orchard that she is nothing to mess around with.

Of course, forecast can and do change – be sure to stay tuned!

High Wind Watch for Friday

The National Weather Service has just issued a “High Wind Watch” from 10 am through
6pm Friday…check out how someone spelled Bellevue below 😉 This is right in time
for high tide which is predicted to be at 11.72 feet at 10:12 am Friday.

1143 AM PST Thu Dec 13 2018

…HIGH WIND WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH
FRIDAY EVENING…

* WIND…South wind potentially 40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph.

* SOME AFFECTED LOCATIONS…Seattle, Bellview, Tacoma and
Bremerton.

* TIMING…10 AM Friday morning through 6 PM Friday evening.

Currently, Wind Alert’s predictions are not as exciting as what the National Weather Service’s Wind Watch.

This time of year, Scupper and I start to feel a bit like “Chicken Little” with all
of our warnings and Barking Dog Reports…we feel it’s always better to be safe than
sorry when it comes to dealing with Mother Nature.

Stay tuned!