Are there thunderstorms in seattle

And then — they lit up the sky. Social media was ablaze with lightning videos from all around western Washington. Like a snow day — these are unusual. Bond said the key ingredient to thunderstorms — the flashy kind — is warm temps and moisture in the air. So tell your Midwestern friends why we freaked out: Thunderstorms are rare here. And the ones earlier this month were spectacular. The National Weather Service in Seattle said during the first storm, there were seven to eight lightning strikes every minute.

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Thank you! The Stranger depends on your continuing support to provide articles like this one. In return, we pledge our ongoing commitment to truthful, progressive journalism and serving our community. Thank you—you are appreciated! Follow Email More articles. Downed trees and scattered power outages were reported throughout the region through the night and more are expected Tuesday.

A line of heavy rain along the cold front will bring strong west winds behind it down the Strait of Juan de Fuca for the next hour. Winds 55 to 60 mph possible over the open water. The risk of landslides is elevated due to soaked earth from the last rounds of heavy rain, the current expected rain and the high winds that knock down or loosen the roots of the trees and make the land unstable, the weather service said.

On Wednesday, we are likely to see some lingering showers and and breezy conditions, but it should overall be a much clearer day, Butwin said. We were busy during the overnight. Lightning can potentially strike as far out as 50 miles from the storm cloud itself, in any direction! Storm systems are always associated with a change in wind direction, as well as an increase in wind speeds for a period of several hours. Thunderstorms are often accompanied by significant rainfall within a period of hours.

During the heaviest showers, visibility can be reduced to ranges experienced during morning fog events. Driving during heavy rain requires more vigilance, as roads become slick and dangerous hydroplaning.