Saturday, August 29, 2015, the National Weather Service issued a High Wind Warning for the East Puget Sound lowlands, which includes the Snoqualmie Valley. NWS says winds will increase from the south at 20-30MPM, with local gusts of 45-50MPH possible.
Wind events like these are pretty rare during the summer months say local weather forecasters. According to a story from KOMO News weather producer, Scott Sistek:
Those wind speeds are pretty routine for November and December — this type of storm probably wouldn’t even be a story on the home page of our website three months from now. But for August, 45 mph winds are quite rare, and have potential to do more damage than usual.
The local weather guys are concerned over trees still being heavy, full and dry, which increases the chance for branches to break off and cause damage.
The High Wind Warning is in effect from 8AM Saturday, August 29th until 6PM Saturday evening, with the strongest winds predicted from 9AM to 4PM.
According to the National Weather Service:
Winds this strong typically occur during the fall and winter. This wind event could create more problems due to trees being under stress because of dry conditions and due to deciduous trees still having their leaves. These factors will increase the risk of downed trees and branches. There could also be local power outages.
Rain will also be heavy with this summer storm. Much of western Washington is expected to get an inch of rain and some areas of the mountains could pick up 2-3 inches.
