Heads up, Seattle. Rare funnel cloud/tornado warning just released by Nat. Weather Service--

[Mrs. Overall]

We're in for a potentially wild afternoon--wind shear, thunderstorms, 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.

[FightingIrish]

1. There's a similar forecast for Portland

Right now it looks like they're set to get the worst of it.

http://www.wunderground.com/wundermap/?lat=45.41565&lon=-122.52428&zoom=8&type=hyb&units=english&pin=Happy%20Valley,%20OR&plat=45.41565&plon=-122.52428&rad=1&rad.num=6&rad.spd=25&rad.opa=70&rad.stm=1&rad.type=N0R&rad.smo=1&rad.mrg=0&wxsn=0&svr=0&cams=0&sat=0&riv=0&mm=0&hur=0&fire=0&tor=0&ndfd=0&pix=0

[PearliePoo2]

2. I've seen it rain hard before...but this is really something!

I notice on the lightning site thunderstorm.vaisala.com, southern Puget Sound is getting storm activity right now.
I'm heading out to work the night shift on a ferry in a few hours. Should be a WILD one.
:scared:

[Mrs. Overall]

3. Yes, I just read that 1 inch diameter hail is falling with huge wind gusts

in South King County and parts of Pierce County.

On Edit: Stay safe on the ferry--the warning is just for the afternoon, so hopefully by this evening it will have passed.

[PearliePoo2]

4. Holy Storm Batman!

1 inch hail is really rare for this area...so are freakin' TORNADOES and thunderstorms in general!
My DirecTv just lost feed due to the heavy rain (I'm up in the San Juan Islands) no hail yet but it looks like it's coming north. Yikes!
Thanks for the warning and wishes to keep safe!

[AlienGirl]

5. Is this happening right now?

Where can I get current updates on a really slow computer?

Tucker

[Mrs. Overall]

6. KOMO News is doing frequent updates. It's the main story and then you can click

on the weather blog for updates from the National Weather Service:

http://www.komonews.com/

http://www.komonews.com/weather/blog/64668452.html

On Edit: the warnings are for this afternoon (Saturday, Oct.17th).

[AlienGirl]

8. Thank you!

[KT2000]

7. Thanks for this

I had no idea but will have my NOAA radio ready!