URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
518 AM PST SAT DEC 20 2008
...A MAJOR DISRUPTIVE WINTER STORM WILL AFFECT MOST OF WESTERN
WASHINGTON LATE SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY...

.A STRONG FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL SPREAD PRECIPITATION INLAND OVER
WESTERN WASHINGTON THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUING THROUGH MIDDAY
SUNDAY. A COMBINATION OF BLIZZARD CONDITIONS... HEAVY
SNOW...STRONG WINDS AND POSSIBLE ICE BUILDUPS ARE EXPECTED.
WAZ001-503-504-506>512-517-210045-
/O.EXT.KSEW.WS.W.0007.081221T0000Z-081221T1800Z/
SAN JUAN COUNTY-WESTERN WHATCOM COUNTY-SOUTHWEST INTERIOR-
WESTERN SKAGIT COUNTY-EVERETT AND VICINITY-SEATTLE/BREMERTON AREA-
TACOMA AREA-ADMIRALTY INLET AREA-HOOD CANAL AREA-
LOWER CHEHALIS VALLEY AREA-CENTRAL COAST-
518 AM PST SAT DEC 20 2008
...WINTER STORM WARNING NOW IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO
10 AM PST SUNDAY...
THE WINTER STORM WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM THIS
AFTERNOON TO 10 AM PST SUNDAY.
A MAJOR WINTER STORM IS ON TAP FOR LATER TODAY INTO SUNDAY. HEAVY
SNOW IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG THE COAST ON THIS AFTERNOON AND
THEN SPREAD INTO THE INTERIOR OF WESTERN WASHINGTON EARLY THIS EVENING.
HEAVIEST SNOW WILL OCCUR ON THE KITSAP PENINSULA...ALONG HOOD
CANAL...AND FROM OLYMPIA AND CHEHALIS WEST TO THE CENTRAL COAST
NEAR OCEAN SHORES. 10 TO 18 INCHES OF SNOW IS EXPECTED CLOSE TO
THE HOOD CANAL. OTHER LOCATIONS WITHIN THIS AREA SHOULD GET 5 TO
12 INCHES OF SNOW.
ALONG THE I-5 CORRIDOR NORTH OF TACOMA...INCLUDING SEATTLE AND
EVERETT...STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL OF 4 TO 8 INCHES IS EXPECTED.
IN GENERAL...LIGHTER AMOUNTS WILL OCCUR NEAR THE CASCADE
FOOTHILLS WITH HEAVIER AMOUNTS FARTHER WEST ALONG THE SHORES OF
PUGET SOUND. SOME PARTS OF EASTERN KING COUNTY...WHERE WIND IS A
BIG THREAT...WILL RECEIVE 1 INCH OR LESS OF SNOWFALL. THE HEAVIEST
SNOWFALL IS EXPECTED BETWEEN 7 PM TONIGHT AND 4 AM SUNDAY
MORNING.
LATE TONIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING...LOCATIONS FROM TACOMA ON SOUTH
THROUGH LEWIS COUNTY AND WEST TO THE COAST THE PRECIPITATION COULD
POSSIBLY CHANGE OVER TO SLEET OR FREEZING RAIN. FREEZING RAIN IS
MOST LIKELY IN GRAYS HARBOR COUNTY AND THE LOWER CHEHALIS VALLEY.
IF MORE PRECIPITATION OCCURS IN THE FORM OF FREEZING RAIN THAN
SNOW...THEN AN ICE STORM WOULD BE POSSIBLE WITH ICE ACCUMULATIONS
IN EXCESS OF ONE QUARTER OF AN INCH. THIS IS NOT A CERTAINTY BUT
SHOULD BE KEPT IN MIND. ICE STORMS ARE CAPABLE OF CAUSING POWER
LINES AND LARGE TREE BRANCHES TO SNAP AND CAUSE MAJOR TRAVEL
DISRUPTIONS.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW...
SLEET...AND ICE ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO
POSSIBLE. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.
$$