Oct 17th--Severe weather statement for Seattle area just released (tornado possibility)--

[Mrs. Overall]

Wow it could be a wild afternoon around here--severe thunderstorms, wind shear, gusts, funnel clouds, hail, and urban flooding.

Stay safe and dry!

WAZ001-503>517-180400-
SAN JUAN COUNTY-WESTERN WHATCOM COUNTY-SOUTHWEST INTERIOR-
EAST PUGET SOUND LOWLANDS-WESTERN SKAGIT COUNTY-EVERETT AND VICINITY-
SEATTLE/BREMERTON AREA-TACOMA AREA-ADMIRALTY INLET AREA-
HOOD CANAL AREA-LOWER CHEHALIS VALLEY AREA-OLYMPICS-
EASTERN STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-WESTERN STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-
NORTH COAST-CENTRAL COAST-
959 AM PDT SAT OCT 17 2009

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE THIS AFTERNOON...

A RATHER STRONG EARLY FALL COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP NORTHEAST ACROSS
WESTERN WASHINGTON LATE THIS MORNING AND EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. THE
FRONT WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY A LINE OF HEAVY SHOWERS AND POSSIBLY
A FEW THUNDERSTORMS.

BEHIND THE FRONT...THE AIR MASS WILL BECOME UNSTABLE AS COOLER AIR
MOVES IN ALOFT MAKING THE REGION RIPE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF
THUNDERSTORMS. THIS INSTABILITY WILL BE COMBINED WITH STRONG WIND
SHEAR IN THE MID LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE. THAT COMBINATION BRINGS
ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR ROTATION TO DEVELOP IN ANY STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS THAT DO DEVELOP DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS.

ALTHOUGH TORNADOES ARE RARE IN WESTERN WASHINGTON...WHEN WE DO GET
THEM IT IS NORMALLY UNDER SITUATIONS SIMILAR TO THIS WHEN THEY
HAPPEN...BUT EVERYTHING HAS TO COME TOGETHER JUST RIGHT.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL BE MONITORING THE SITUATION
CLOSELY THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS AND WILL ISSUE STATEMENTS AND
WARNINGS AS NEEDED. WE ARE ACTIVATING THE SKYWARN SPOTTER NETWORK
AT THIS TIME FOR THE POTENTIAL AFTERNOON CONVECTION AND ARE
ASKING FOR CALLS RELATED TO UNUSUAL CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY.

[Goldom]

1. 330 PM Update:

.NOW...
SHOWERS AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS HAVE STARTED DEVELOPING ACROSS
WESTERN WASHINGTON AS AN UNSTABLE AIR MASS MOVES OVER THE REGION.
THE STRONGER STORMS WILL PRODUCE SHORT PERIODS OF VERY HEAVY
RAIN...OCCASIONAL LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLE HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS.
ISOLATED FUNNEL CLOUDS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE STRONGEST OF THE STORMS
THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING.