Flood Advisory and Wind Advisory Issued

There are already lots of reports of localized flooding around the peninsula, especially southern locations like Port Orchard and Belfair. I will echo what a lot of people are saying: slow down out there! It’s already extremely wet and slippery, and it won’t be getting any better throughout the day.

First things first: the NWS as issued a Flood Advisory for Kitsap County:

AT 1153 AM PST…PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN CONTINUED ACROSS THE AREA.

IN THE SIX HOUR PERIOD ENDING AT 11 AM PST…A HALF TO 1.5 INCHES

OF RAIN HAS FALLEN ACROSS THE AREA. THIS AMOUNT OF RAIN HAS LED

TO PONDING OF WATER ON NUMEROUS ROADS…LOW LYING AREAS…AND

SOME HIGHWAY UNDERPASSES. AN ADDITIONAL HALF TO 1.2 INCHES

OF RAIN IS EXPECTED BY 7 PM PST THIS EVENING. THIS COULD CAUSE

SOME SMALLER STREAMS TO OVERFLOW THEIR BANKS AS WELL AS TRIGGER

LANDSLIDES.

A Wind Advisory was also issued:

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SEATTLE HAS ISSUED A WIND

ADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON.

* SOME AFFECTED LOCATIONS...CENTRALIA...LACEY...TACOMA...AND

  SEATTLE.

* TIMING...THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO OCCUR BETWEEN 11 AM

  AND 4 PM PST TODAY.

* WIND...WILL INCREASE FROM THE SOUTH AT 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS

  NEAR 45 MPH.

* IMPACTS...THE STRONG WINDS WILL LIKELY SNAP TREE LIMBS AND CAUSE

  SCATTERED POWER OUTAGES.

Of course a major concern with all of this rain isn’t just the flooding, but landslides as well. All the rain we’ve had lately has soaked soils around Western Washington, which has put the concern of landslides at moderate.

So when does the heavy stuff end? By this evening the steady, heavy rain will subside and frequent showers will take its place. Steady rain will continue through Thanksgiving Day and beyond, so it will be a while yet before we come up for air, so to speak. The long range forecast sustains this idea, with above normal precipitation expected over the next 14 days.

Stay tuned to this blog and the Kitsap Sun for regular weather updates!

Matthew Leach

Forecasting Kitsap

E-mail: forecastingkitsap@live.com