National Weather Service

Skywarn (TM) spotter News

Summer 2007 Edition

From the National Weather Service - Seattle

Spring 2007 was a little sunnier and drier than normal. The wet winter gave way to well below-normal precipitation at Sea-Tac in April, with May a little below normal as well. Temperatures were a little above average (about a half a degree to one degree F) each month. There was an especially warm week from May 29th to June 4th with five days reaching well up into the 80's. However, after that warm spell temperatures cooled to a little below normal for each day through June 18^th.

In March, strong winds blew through the area near the east entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The strong winds knocked over a tree that damaged two homes near Oak Harbor and another tree fell on a shed near Stanwood. About 1100 homes lost power on Whidbey Island, and nearly 3000 homes lost power in Snohomish county. In April, a funnel cloud was sighted over Puget Sound west of Everett and there were several reports of hail. On April 1^st, a spotter in Whatcom county reported quarter inch hail. On April 9^th, spotters in Lewis and Clallam counties reported 1/2 inch hail. Quarter inch hail was reported in King county that same day. On April 18th, a spotter reported quarter inch hail in Mason county, and Kitsap county Emergency Management reported 2 lightning strikes that caused two seperate house fires.

Mountain snowpack as of May 1^st was running about 85 to 100% of normal. The location with the least amount of snowpack, as compared to normal, was Snoqualmie Pass with 66% of normal, the highest was at Mt. Baker with 118% of normal.

What are the all-time recorded high temperatures for these locations? And do you know the year it occurred? The answers are near the bottom.

Summer, our warmest and driest time of the year has arrived. Summer weather is usually tranquil. Yet, hazardous weather can occur. Significant summer weather events can include thunderstorms, strong winds with marine "pushes", and heat waves. Thunderstorms produce lightning and can produce strong damaging winds, funnel clouds, tornadoes or waterspouts, large hail, and heavy rainfall that leads to flash or small stream flooding.

Remember your safety rules. If thunderstorms are forecast, keep an eye to the sky. If a thunderstorm approaches, seek shelter in a building or vehicle. At home, avoid using electrical appliances, the phone or any plumbing fixtures during the storm. Side flashes from nearby lightning strikes can get into your home or business wiring and plumbing. If caught outdoors, find a low spot away from trees or other tall structures that lightning tends to strike. Visit www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov for more information including a fun on-line lightning safety game found under the kids page.

When safe conditions permit, report the thunderstorm related events found on your spotter criteria sheet.

Some thunderstorm events occur when a "marine push" begins. A marine push is a surge of cooler air from the Pacific Ocean accompanied by blustery winds that dramatically cool western Washington in the wake of warm weather.

Extended periods of hot weather are rather rare in our area. The interior of western Washington averages only 3 or 4 days a year in the 90s. However, when we do get hot spells, residents are not used to it. Maybe only one in ten residences have air conditioning. Ever had those restless nights of sleep when it was ‘hot’ in your home? Those hot nights add stress to your body and for those most vulnerable to heat including the elderly, those with heart conditions or susceptible to stroke, it is a serious health issue.

Hard to believe, but heat is the leading cause of weather-related fatalities across the nation, including Washington state. Heat-related fatalities outnumber those from hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and winter storms combined! Statistics show that just in the Seattle area alone, the city has averaged four hot weather related deaths per summer since the mid 1970s, and had as many as 60 deaths during the warm summer of 1992.

Most heat-related deaths are not direct heat-related illnesses like heat stress or heat stroke, but rather more indirect health issues, such as heart attack, stroke and respiratory illnesses.

During these hot weather periods, be sure to drink plenty of water, avoid strenuous activities during the heat of the day, and find cooler locations like shade or an air conditioned building if you find yourself or others beginning to experience heat related symptoms. Please do not leave young children or pets in a vehicle. Even with the windows down, temperatures climb to over 105 degrees in just 10 minutes inside vehicles. For more information, please visit the Weather Safety link on our web site.

Monitor weather forecasts this summer by visiting our web site at www.weather.gov/seattle or by listening to one of our NOAA Weather Radio network stations. If significant summer weather is forecast, you’ll be prepared for it. Enjoy your summer!

This spring, the National Weather Service implemented the Enhanced Fujita (EF) Scale to rate tornado intensity. The new EF-Scale updated the original Fujita Scale first introduced by the late Dr. Theodore Fujita in 1971.

The original F-Scale was very subjective and did not have modern wind speed and damage studies. The EF-Scale includes results of these studies and is based on damage assessment of many kinds of buildings, trees and other indicators. A correlation between the original F-scale and the new EF-Scale has been developed and will not adversely impact the history of tornado intensity.

Washington gets between one and two tornadoes per year. Most are weak EF-0 events, but the state does have a history of EF-2s and 3s causing significant property damage as well as fatalities and injuries. For more information about the EF-Scale, please visit www.spc.noaa.gov/efscale/

Summer is our warm dry season and also our wildfire season. Since the mountain snow pack was close to normal and is melting off, and this spring’s precipitation has been relatively close to normal, it appears this fire season will get off to a typical start, beginning in mid to late July.

Spring rainfall helped generate a healthy crop of grasses and shrubs. As we move into our summer dry season, these grasses and scrubs will cure creating fine fuels ready to accept fire.

So what does the outlook for this summer and early fall look like? The outlook through September is for increased odds of above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation. So it appears our fire season will likely extend into early fall when we usually get our first healthy rain event.

As a weather spotter, what does all this mean to you? From your spotter report criteria, be aware of days following an extended period of warm dry weather when thunderstorms are in the forecast, particularly those with little or no rainfall expected. If you see frequent lightning (4 or more cloud to ground strikes in a minute), contact our office. If you see smoke from an apparent wild fire, call 911 and let fire response know. This is particularly important if the smoke is near an area of homes and businesses that could turn into an urban interface wildfire if not stopped right away.

In addition, here are some steps you can take to help prevent wildfires and keep your home safe.

- Use your vehicle’s ashtray to extinguish cigarettes instead of tossing it out the window. (Also avoid a healthy fine if caught!)

- Avoid taking your vehicle into grassy areas since your hot exhaust system can ignite grass.

- If you live in wooded areas, be firewise and remove dead yard materials from around your home, trim tree limbs up off the ground to above your head, and remove wood piles next to the house. Please visit www.firewise.org for more tips to help your home not become a wildfire victim.

Spotter Training Update - We plan to renew spotter training this fall in Clallam, Mason, Snohomish, and Kitsap counties. Other training events may also be scheduled. Watch our web site headlines or your mailbox for spotter training announcements.

Pacific NW Weather Scramble Entries Available - The Pacific Northwest Weather Scramble Golf Tournament is set for Saturday, August 18, at Fort Lewis Golf Course near Tacoma. Skywarn (TM) Weather Spotters, friends and family are welcome to play in this fun networking outing. Others involved in the weather community, such as media, emergency managers, and other agencies, also play. Entries and more information are now available by contacting Ted Buehner at NWS Seattle, 206-526-6095 x223. Hurry, the entry deadline is August 8, and over a dozen paid entries have already arrived. The course limits tournament numbers to 44 players.

Weather Radio Awareness Month in September - September will be Weather Radio Awareness Month in Washington State. The awareness campaign is a partnership between Washington State Emergency Management and the National Weather Service (NWS). The campaign goal is to raise awareness of NOAA Weather Radio and have weather radio receivers become as common as smoke detectors in homes, businesses, schools, health care facilities and other places where people gather.

NOAA Weather Radio is an all-hazards warning system. Emergency Alert System (EAS) messages from national, state, county and local authorities are automatically relayed onto all western Washington NOAA Weather Radio stations. As a result, NOAA Weather Radio is a key element in the state EAS plan. All TV and radio broadcasters monitor their local weather radio station as a key input to their EAS operations, meaning you get these EAS warning messages at the same time with your weather radio receiver!

Recently, a new NOAA Weather Radio station hit the air near Blaine, bringing the total number of NOAA Weather Radio transmitters serving the state to 22, serving over 95% of the state’s population. A dedication ceremony for this new station is planned in September at the Peace Arch Park in Blaine. The state of Washington and many local jurisdictions have embraced NOAA Weather Radio as their key all-hazards alert and warning system.

This past fall, a Department of Homeland Security program funded weather radio receivers for all public schools around the country. Later this year, all colleges and universities as well as private schools will get a weather radio receiver. These receivers are a part of every school institution’s safety plan.

Have you got a weather radio receiver? If not, or you are looking for a gift for someone, many weather radio manufacturers and vendors will offer receivers at reduced prices during September. Look for the September campaign link on our web site late this summer. It will include information about consumer incentives.