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 18th.
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 1st,
a spotter in Whatcom county reported quarter inch hail. On April 9th,
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 1st 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.
.
Trivia Question
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.
Degrees F
Forks
98, 100, or 102
Sequim
99, 101, or 103
Blaine 92, 96, or 98
Centralia 102, 104 or 107
Stampede Pass
95, 100, or 102
SeaTac
Airport
99, 100, or 101
Summer Has Arrived !
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!
Enhanced Fujita Scale Now In Place
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/
Wildfire Season Is Coming
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.
- Be careful with fire outside such as open burning,
campfires or barbeques.
- 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.
Jim Prange – Fire Weather Program Manager
Skywarn (TM) Spotter Notes
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.
Trivia Question Answer
Forks
102 set on Aug 8th
and 9th, 1981
Sequim
99 set on Jul 14,
1941
Blaine
92 set on Jun 9,
1955 and Aug 9, 1960
Centralia
104 set on Jul 14,
1935 and Jul 15 and 16, 1941
National Weather Service Mission: "The
National Weather Service (NWS) provides weather,
hydrologic, and climate forecasts and warnings for
the United States, its territories, adjacent waters
and ocean areas, for the protection of life and
property and the enhancement of the national economy.
NWS data and products form a national information
database and infrastructure which can be used by
other governmental agencies, the private sector,
the public, and the global community."