Strong winds, coastal flooding expected as storm hits Whatcom County
Weather advisories for gusty winds, coastal flooding and mountain snowfall were issued in advance of a storm system heading toward Western Washington this weekend.
That blustery storm is expected to drop a half inch or more of rain around Bellingham and a foot or more of snow in the Mount Baker wilderness above 3,000 feet on Saturday.
A National Weather Service advisory warned of south winds at 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 50 mph through Saturday afternoon. Scattered power outages could be expected, the National Weather Service said.
In addition, a winter weather advisory through Sunday morning for the mountains of Whatcom County. Avalanche conditions were moderate in the backcountry, according to the Northwest Avalanche Center.
Because the windy weather coincides with abnormally high “king” tides, the weather service issued a coastal flood advisory for waterfront areas.
“Residents with boats in marinas should take preemptive actions to secure their vessels. People living on the coast should be prepared for strong wind gusts that coincide with high tide,” Amy Cloud at the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office Division of Emergency Management told The Bellingham Herald.
“The period of potential concern begins early Saturday, and spans from about 2 a.m. to about 3 p.m. Peak wind gusts may reach 45 knots from the southeast,” Cloud said in an email.
Environment Canada posted a gale warning for the Strait of Georgia south of Nanaimo, CLoud said.
“Because the winds are predicted to be from the southeast, the effects on parts of coastal Whatcom County could be impactful. The coastal areas of Whatcom County that should have the strongest winds include Bellingham Bay, Lummi Island, Birch Bay, Point Roberts, Point Whitehorn and Sandy Point,” Cloud said.
