Winds could cut Whatcom power, interrupt Thanksgiving prep. Here’s what to expect Thursday
Expect a blustery day Tuesday, Nov. 24, as a typical fall storm system blows in from the southwest and threatens localized power outages that could interrupt Thanksgiving preparations.
South wInds increased within the past hour to 29 mph, gusting to 41 mph, at Bellingham International Airport, where National Weather Service data is recorded.
But the storm system doesn’t meet the criteria for a broad weather alert.
“A few wind gusts of 40 mph across Whatcom/Skagit and the San Juan Islands (Tuesday) morning with increasing south winds across the area,” meteorologist Mary Butwin said in the online forecast discussion.
“A stronger cold front will move through late (Tuesday) into (Tuesday) night. Rain will spread onshore (Tuesday) afternoon and slide east through (Tuesday) night,” Butwin said. “Precipitation will transition more showery in nature late (Tuesday) night into Wednesday.”
Thanksgiving should be a typical Northwest November day — cool and cloudy with a chance of rain and maybe a sun break or two, according to forecasts from the National Weather Service in Seattle.
If you’re traveling — and health officials ask everyone to stay home because COVID-19 cases are spreading exponentially — the Cascades passes should be relatively clear from Thursday into Sunday night, Butwin said in the online forecast discussion.
“Although cloudy, (Thanksgiving) should be a pretty dry day across Western Washington,” Butwin said. “There is a slight chance for some light rain showers in the afternoon/evening for the northern Olympic Peninsula as well as north of Marysville.”
High temperatures Thursday through Sunday should be in the high 40s to near 50 with overnight lows of about 40 degrees.
Expect mostly cloudy skies Friday, with rain in the lowlands and snow in the mountains overnight into Saturday morning.
Otherwise, Saturday will be mostly sunny.
Clouds move in again Sunday, with a chance of rain Sunday night.
This story was originally published November 24, 2020 at 11:05 AM.
