First we have the wind:
AST PUGET SOUND LOWLANDS-
A HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 9 AM SATURDAY TO 4 PM
PST SUNDAY.
STRONG WINDS WILL DEVELOP OVER THE EAST PUGET SOUND LOWLANDS ON
SATURDAY MORNING AND INTENSIFY ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON. THIS WIND
EVENT WILL PEAK ON SATURDAY NIGHT AND THEN SUBSIDE ON SUNDAY.
AT THE HEIGHT OF THIS EVENT…SUSTAINED WINDS COULD REACH 50 TO
70 MPH WITH PEAK GUSTS OF 70 TO 90 MPH. THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE
EXPECTED TO IMPACT COMMUNITIES IN EASTERN KING COUNTY SUCH AS
NORTH BEND…MAPLE VALLEY AND ENUMCLAW. COMMUNITES IN EASTERN
SNOHOMISH COUNTY SUCH AS SULTAN AND GOLD BAR COULD ALSO EXPERIENCE
WINDS APPROACHING THIS MAGNITUDE.
FURTHER WEST ALONG THE I-405 AND HIGHWAY 167 CORRIDORS…INCLUDING
WOODINVILLE…BELLEVUE…RENTON AND AUBURN…WINDS OF 25 TO 35
MPH WITH GUSTS OF 50 TO 55 MPH ARE EXPECTED.
THIS EVENT COULD RIVAL A SIMILAR FOOTHILLS WIND STORM FROM EARLY
DECEMBER 2003. DURING THAT EVENT…NUMEROUS TREES WERE BLOWN
OVER…BLOCKING RESIDENTIAL STREETS AND MAJOR HIGHWAYS
ALIKE…INCLUDING HIGHWAY 18 NEAR TIGER MOUNTAIN. POWER WAS
KNOCKED OUT TO MANY RESIDENCES AND BUSINESSES FOR AS MUCH AS A
WEEK. PEOPLE NEED TO PREPARE NOW FOR MAJOR DISRUPTION RESULTING
FROM THIS WINDSTORM. BE SURE TO HAVE ENOUGH SUPPLIES ON HAND TO
LAST FOR SEVERAL DAYS SHOULD YOU BE STRANDED AT HOME. BY LATE
SATURDAY MORNING…IT MAY BE TOO LATE TO PREPARE.
IN ADDITION…WIND CHILL READINGS DURING THIS EVENT MAY BE NEAR
ZERO WITH AIR TEMPERATURES IN THE MID TO UPPER 20S.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
A HIGH WIND WARNING MEANS THAT A SEVERE HIGH WIND EVENT IS
IMMINENT OR OCCURRING. SUSTAINED WINDS OF AT LEAST 50 MPH…OR
GUSTS OF 75 MPH OR HIGHER WILL OCCUR ACROSS THE LOWLANDS.
RESIDENTS AND LOCAL OFFICIALS IN THE WARNED AREA SHOULD BE
PREPARED FOR WIDESPREAD DAMAGE AND POWER OUTAGES
THAT COULD LAST FOR MORE THAN A WEEK.
Then we have the snow:
A WINTER STORM WARNING is in effect for most of the rest of the Western Washington lowlands, including the Seattle metro corridor. Snow will begin around sunset Saturday and fall heavily through Saturday night and into Sunday morning before tapering off midday Sunday.
But wait! There is more! We actually have the potential for freezing rain!
A worst case scenario is a widespread freezing rain event on top of a several-inch snow event with winds still roaring to 40-60 mph across parts of the region — a recipe for power outages in the midst of freezing weather, especially in the foothills and in Southwestern Washington.
So, if I stop blog updating, now you know.
We can heat the house with natural gas (two natural gas fireplaces designed to do just that). We have a lot of food. But I can tell you, being without power for an extended length of time sucks.
Because of our proximity to the ocean and the Puget Sound, winter weather is unpredictable. I live in North-Central King County, which is notorious for either A) Having snow while the rest Redmond (the nearest town) did not or B) missing the foul weather. Normally we get whatever Bellevue gets plus a couple of inches, so we could be on the 25-35 mile winds with the gusts up to 55 mph.
Or, we could get the most icky foothills blizzard-like conditions with sustained winds up at 50 with gusts up to 70 mph.
Unfortunately, both are bad. I live in the woods. This is a heavily wooded area. Winds up to 55 mph will topple trees around here in significant amounts to cause major road and power disruptions. If the foothill winter storm hits this area and moves to Seattle, it will create wide-spread destruction. If the 90 mph stuff moves west from the east, we will not get a lot of snow, but we will get royally and thoroughly fooked.
I will keep everyone apprised on my Twitter feed. But if I go dark, the UPS battery for the router died, or my cable was cut.
As far as my house, I cut down all the trees that would fall on it (that I could) years ago. There is a potential for some to fall on the house (and in 1997 two actually did), but it is doubtful.
I gassed up the car. Heuh.
