High Wind in Washington, December 15, 2002

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
830 AM PST SUN DEC 15 2002

.SYNOPSIS...ANOTHER STRONG FRONT WILL SPREAD RAIN OVER THE AREA THIS
AFTERNOON. VERY WINDY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED ON THE COAST THIS
AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH NEXT WEEK
WITH A COOLER AIR MASS OVER THE AREA.

.DISCUSSION...STG OCFNT REACHES THE COAST THIS AFTERNOON W/ FROPA
ARND 6PM. CHANCE FOR HIGH WINDS COAST COMES FROM FNTL WINDS...BUT THE
STG WSW WIND IN THE TROF BHND THE LOW HEADS UP N INTO VANCOUVER
ISLAND. THE LOW CENTER TRACKS TOO FAR NORTH TO POSE A RISK TO OUR
COAST FROM THAT FEATURE. STILL...THIS IS A DARN STRONG FRONT AND THE
CURRENT FCST LOOKS PRETTY GOOD...MODELS TAKE THE DEEP 960MB LOW TO
130W AT 00Z THEN N BETWEEN CAPE ST JAMES AND CAPE SCOTT. I WILL
LIKELY CHANGE THE WATCH TO A HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE COAST WITH THE
MORNING PACKAGE AT 10AM...BUT HIGH WINDS ARE NOT A SLAM DUNK WITH
THIS TRACK SO FAR N. FOR THE NORTH INTERIOR...MAY SIT ON THE
WATCH...DAMAGING WINDS ARE NOT A VERY GOOD BET UP THERE BUT WILL
STILL SEE A FULL GALE LATE THIS AFTERNOON...SLY WIND 30 MPH GUSTS TO
50...ABOUT THE SAME AS YESTERDAY. IF THERE ARE ANY SUPRISES ON THE
18Z ANALYSIS WILL STILL HAVE A LITTLE TIME TO MAKE CHANGES FOR THE
AFTERNOON PACKAGE. McFarland

UIL ++8 SEA 9+7 OLM 9+7

.SEW...STORM WARNING COAST AND WEST ENTRANCE TO THE STRAIT.
       GALE WARNING REMAINDER OF STRAIT...ADMIRALTY INLET...
        AND CAMANO ISLAND TO PT ROBERTS.
      .SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY PUGET SOUND.
      .HIGH SURF ADVISORY COAST.
      .COASTAL FLOOD WATCH FOR TONIGHT.
      .HIGH WIND WATCH LATE THIS AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING COAST AND
        NRN INTERIOR.
      .FLOOD WARNING SKOKOMISH RIVER.

.KATX...VCP21/CSR21...OPERATIONAL.

WAZ001>018-161500-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
1040 AM PST SUN DEC 15 2002

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL PARTS
OF WESTERN WASHINGTON

...HIGH WIND WARNING NORTH AND CENTRAL WASHINGTON COAST THROUGH THIS
EVENING...
...HIGH WIND WATCH FOR THE NORTH INTERIOR LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND
THIS EVENING...
...HIGH SURF ADVISORY NORTH AND CENTRAL WASHINGTON COAST...
...COASTAL FLOOD WATCH FOR THE NORTH AND CENTRAL WASHINGTON
COAST TONIGHT...
...FLOOD WARNING FOR THE SKOKOMISH RIVER...

.DAY ONE... TODAY

A DEEP LOW IS TRACKING TOWARD QUEEN CHARLOTTE SOUND. THE ASSOCIATED
STRONG FRONT IS APPROACHING THE WASHINGTON COAST AND WILL MAKE
LANDFALL LATER THIS AFTERNOON OR EARLY THIS EVENING. STORM WARNINGS
ARE IN EFFECT FOR THE COASTAL WATERS WITH HIGH WINDS EXPECTED ALONG
THE COAST OVER LAND AS WELL. HIGH WINDS ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE NORTH
INTERIOR LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. GALE FORCE WINDS ARE
EXPECTED ACROSS THE INLAND WATERS LATER TODAY...EXCEPT FOR PUGET
SOUND.

THE DEEP LOW IS GENERATING HIGH SEAS WHICH WILL RESULT IN SURF ABOVE
20 FEET ALONG THE COAST TONIGHT. A HIGH SURF ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT.
SEE THE COASTAL FLOOD WATCH FOR FURTHER DETAILS.

THE SKOKOMISH RIVER IS RIGHT AT FLOOD STAGE THIS MORNING. THE RIVER
SHOULD FALL JUST BELOW FLOOD STAGE TODAY AND THEN RISE AGAIN AND
FLOOD TONIGHT. SEE THE FLOOD STATEMENT FOR FURTHER DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

HIGH SURF ABOVE 20 FEET IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE ALONG THE NORTH AND
CENTRAL WASHINGTON COAST INTO MONDAY. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF
LOCALIZED COASTAL FLOODING AROUND HIGH TIDE MONDAY MORNING. SEE THE
COASTAL FLOOD WATCH FOR DETAILS.

THE SKOKOMISH RIVER MAY REMAIN NEAR OR ABOVE FLOOD STAGE MONDAY. SEE
THE FLOOD STATEMENT FOR FURTHER DETAILS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.