EVERETT — Don’t be fooled by the sun outside or the lack of wind Tuesday.
A bomb cyclone, remains on track to deliver potentially damaging winds throughout western Washington, starting as early as Tuesday afternoon.
“If you notice it is not very windy yet in the middle of the afternoon just be patient,” the National Weather Service reported.
For Snohomish County that means 30 mph easterly winds with gusts as high as 50 mph or more. As of 10:30 a.m., wind gauges in Everett and surrounding cities showed no sign of wind.
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Bomb cyclone set to bring strong winds to Snohomish CountyNov 18, 2024
Significant winds alongside lowland rain and mountain snow are on track to move into western Washington this afternoon and evening. For the latest weather and hazard updates, check https://t.co/VchLfhfUbN #WAwx pic.twitter.com/YXTOVGYeAm
— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) November 19, 2024
That should change dramatically, said weather service meteorologist Maddie Kristell.
“The onset should be pretty abrupt,” Kristell said Tuesday.
In preparation for the storm, the Snohomish Public Utility District is alerting customers to prepare for outages, and positioning linemen around the county, spokesperson Aaron Swaney said.
“When it’s 30-35 mph sustained winds, that really gets our attention,” Swaney said Tuesday.
A bomb cyclone, referred to as Bombogenesis by meteorologists, is when a rotating system of clouds and thunderstorms intensifies quickly in a 24-hour period. It’s characterized by a rapid drop in barometric pressure.
Despite its distance offshore, the weather service expects it will be felt from Vancouver Island to northern California.
High wind warnings were in place for the Washington coast and Cascade foothills. Gold Bar, about 27 miles southeast of Everett, could see 55-60 mph gusts.
Almost the entire western slopes of the Cascades will be under a blizzard warning from 2 p.m. Tuesday through 10 a.m. Wednesday. Forecasters still expect 4 to 12 inches of snow above 2,500 feet.
Widespread power outages, downed trees and dangerous driving conditions are all possible from the winds. Residents should take time to secure objects in their yards, Kristell said.
Temperatures should warm up Wednesday and Thursday to near 50 degrees before another system arrives Friday, producing what should be a wet and windy day.
Michael Henneke: 425-339-3431; michael.henneke@heraldnet.com; X: @ihenpecked.
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