You no doubt have noticed the weather suddenly changing here this afternoon.

While tomorrow is Good Friday & there will be skeletal power crews on-duty, the National Weather Service has issued a Severe Weather Warning for our area for Friday, with the center of this storm path projected to be right here in the Yelm area.

You are advised to take precautions for potential power outages & flying debris.

Here is the NWS warning:

“HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT FOR…THE LAKE LAWRENCE AREA OF THURSTON COUNTY FROM 5 AM TO 9 PM PDT FRIDAY…

* VERY STRONG… POSSIBLY DAMAGING… SOUTH WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP IN ASSOCIATION WITH A DEEP SURFACE LOW AND ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH THE REGION ON FRIDAY. THE WINDIEST AREAS WILL INITIALLY BE NEAR LAKE LAWRENCE AND OTHER AREAS OPEN TO SOUTHERLY WINDS. WINDS OUTSIDE OF THE LAKE LAWRENCE AREA OF THE SOUTHWEST INTERIOR WILL BE LESS… 30 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 55 MPH. ELSEWHERE WINDS ARE ANTICIPATED TO INCREASE TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH.

“THE VERY STRONG WINDS COULD RESULT IN SOME POWER OUTAGES ACROSS PORTIONS OF WESTERN WASHINGTON FRIDAY DUE TO POWER LINES BEING DAMAGED BY TREE LIMBS. SOME OF THE REGIONS TREES HAVE BEGUN TO LEAF OUT ALREADY… WHICH COULD ADD TO THE POTENTIAL FOR WIND DAMAGE TO OCCUR. RAIN SOAKED GROUND COULD ALLOW TREES TO EASILY TOPPLE OR BECOME UPROOTED.”

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A HIGH WIND WARNING MEANS A HAZARDOUS HIGH WIND EVENT IS EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SUSTAINED WIND SPEEDS OF AT LEAST 40 MPH OR GUSTS OF 58 MPH OR MORE CAN LEAD TO PROPERTY DAMAGE.”

From The Olympian:
Meteorologist Dana Felton in Seattle says the “extremely uncommon” storm moving in from the Pacific could be the worst for this time of year since an Easter 1997 storm killed four people and knocked out power to about 170,000 homes and businesses.”