Rain, blustering winds to fade in Western WA until the weekend
Oct 21, 2024, 7:04 AM
The aftermath of a previous windstorm in Western Washington can be seen in a recent photo. (Image courtesy of KIRO 7)
(Image courtesy of KIRO 7)
The first significant fall storm of the season moved through Western Washington over the weekend. This week’s weather will be much quieter, permitting time to clean up the fallen leaves and tree debris, and finish restoring power to those who lost it over the weekend.
More on recent power outages: Strong winds in western Washington leave thousands in the dark
The heaviest rainfall over the weekend was primarily confined in the Olympic Peninsula through the Northern Cascades. Forks accumulated about six-and-two-thirds of an inch of rain from Friday to late Sunday. Bellingham received close to two-and-a-half inches of rain.
Rainfall amounts were far less further to the south. The Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) had only about a quarter-inch of rain in the rain gauge, while Olympia received just under a half-inch.
The strongest winds were also primarily confined to the northern tier of the region. Wind gusts peaked well into the 50-60 mph range along the north coast, the Admiral Inlet region including Port Townsend and Whidbey Island, and other parts of the North Sound and San Juans. With leaves on trees, the winds knocked down some tree limbs, resulting in isolated power outages that impacted close to 20,000 customers.
This week’s weather will be calmer in comparison to the weekend. Scattered rain showers will linger Monday with a snow level of around 4,500 feet in the mountains.
Higher pressure aloft is then expected to build over Western Washington Tuesday into Thursday, permitting a return of some sunshine and dry conditions after areas of morning fog. High temperatures this week are expected to be in the 50s, with some South Sound and Southwest interior locations rising above 60 Wednesday through Friday.
Lows this week will range from about 35 to 45 degrees.
More from Ted Buehner: Wind, rain and the front edge of La Niña coming through Western Washington
Heading into the weekend, another Pacific weather system is forecast to bring the return of rain. Anticipate wet weather when the Seattle Seahawks return home to take on the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
As the end of October approaches, the outlook continues to reflect cooler and wetter-than-average conditions. Stay tuned to learn if Halloween will involve this haunting weather.
Ted Buehner is the KIRO Newsradio meteorologist. You can read more of Ted’s stories here and follow him on X.
