Powerful Storm

The storm is now is moving into Vancouver Island and the model forecasts verified quite well. Below is the latest infrared satellite picture...you can clearly see the low center. Beneath that is the visible satellite photo at 5 PM. Really impressive... you can see the swirling clouds and the strong front that had just passed through Puget Sound.

The winds did not disappoint. Destruction Island off the NW Olympic coast hit 72 knots (see below)...that is 83 mph! Hurricane strength gusts (to be fair hurricanes have sustained winds greater than 64 knots)



A number of the coastal buoys had gusts of 50-55 knots (58-63 mph) with similar winds at some exposed coastal locations).



Winds are really surging now over NW weather, with several locations in the area from N. Whidbey to the San Juans being hit by 40-60 mph gusts. Take Point Wilson on the NE tip of the Olympic Peninsual for example--almost up to 50 kts! (see below)



Even over the waters of Puget Sound, things are pretty wild tonight...check out the latest ferry observations from the Fauntleroy-Southworth ferry-- 38 knots in mid-channel but only 8 knots downstream of Vashon Is....and even less over land.

This is something you should never forget..the winds blow much harder over the water. We are all very lucky to have weather observations from the WS Ferries, a great teacher and promotes marine safety.



There have been a number of power outages over the region affecting thousands of customers. If any of you have interesting wind reports, please report them in the comments below. Here is a max wind collection from the National Weather Service:



PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA

1240 PM PDT THU MAY 20 2010



..MAXIMUM PEAK WIND GUSTS FROM AROUND WESTERN WASHINGTON WEDNESDAY

AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT...



OFFICIAL LOW LAND AIRPORT OBSERVATION SITES.



QUILLAYUTE 60 MPH

HOQUIAM 60 MPH

WHIDBEY ISLAND NAVAL STATION 49 MPH

BELLINGHAM INTERNATIONAL 49 MPH

TACOMA INDUSTRIAL 47 MPH

FRIDAY HARBOR 43 MPH

EVERETT / PAINE FIELD 43 MPH

SHELTON 41 MPH

ARLINGTON 37 MPH

MCCHORD AFB 36 MPH

SEATTLE FORECAST OFFICE 36 MPH

PORT ANGELES 35 MPH

RENTON 32 MPH

OLYMPIA 32 MPH

BOEING FIELD 31 MPH



NATIONAL WEATHER SPOTTER REPORTS

AND MESOWEST



ENUMCLAW 65 MPH

OCEAN SHORES 59 MPH

PORT TOWNSEND 56 MPH

LA PUSH 55 MPH

BELLINGHAM 54 MPH

BOTHELL 51 MPH

SANDY POINT 49 MPH

COPALIS BEACH 48 MPH

LYNDEN 43 MPH

CHERRY POINT 40 MPH



MOUNTAIN OBSERVATIONS



HURRICANE RIDGE (RAWS) 118 MPH

HURRICANE RIDGE (NWAC) 83 MPH

MOUNT BAKER (NWAC) 78 MPH

WHITE PASS (NWAC) 55 MPH



MARINE OBSERVATIONS

DESTRUCTION ISLAND 70 MPH

TATOOSH ISLAND 62 MPH

SMITH ISLAND 52 MPH

POINT WILSON 50 MPH

WEST POINT 40 MPH



$$