It’s likely that local private schools will follow suit, so be sure to check with them to see if Thursday will be another snow day.

The National Weather Service says that there is a chance of a bit more snow tonight, but that it should turn to rain Thursday and Friday, with another storm moving in that will dump a lot more rain on us, causing concern for flooding in local rivers.

We suggest to our Readers that now would be a good time to clear around your local storm drains as the snow melts and the rains come.

Here’s the most recent weather advisory, issued at 3:57 p.m.:

HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA 357 PM PST WED JAN 18 2012

…CORRECTED TO ADD SPECIFIC MENTION OF RIVERS…

…FLOOD POTENTIAL THIS WEEKEND FOR SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON…

A WET AND ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN IS IN PLACE FOR WESTERN WASHINGTON FOR THE NEXT WEEK. AS WE WIND UP THIS SNOW STORM…WE WILL BE EVALUATING THE AMOUNT OF WATER EQUIVALENT THAT IS LYING ON THE GROUND WAITING TO MELT AND RUNOFF IN TO AREA RIVERS.

MEANWHILE…A PACIFIC STORM IS HEADING FOR WESTERN WASHINGTON FOR FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY THAT WILL BRING RAIN OF ONE HALF TO TWO AND ONE HALF INCHES BELOW 4000-5000 FEET ELEVATION. MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES WILL BE IN THE MID FORTIES AND TOGETHER WITH THE WIND AND RAIN…WILL MELT THE LOWLAND SNOW. THIS AMOUNT OF RUNOFF COULD DRIVE RIVERS IN LOW ELEVATION BASINS ABOVE FLOOD STAGE. THIS INCLUDES THE CHEHALIS AND SKOKOMISH RIVERS. ANY FLOODING THAT DOES OCCUR IS EXPECTED TO BE MINOR. IN ADDITION…THIS COULD PRODUCE URBAN AND SMALL STREAM
PONDING OR FLOODING FROM SNOW AND ICE CLOGGED DRAINS AND CULVERTS JUST ABOUT ANYWHERE IN THE LOWLANDS OF WESTERN WASHINGTON.

THIS WILL BE A TRICKY SITUATION TO FORECAST AND UNCERTAINTY THAT THERE WILL OR WILL NOT BE FLOODING IS QUITE HIGH. RAINFALL INTENSITIES AND THE AMOUNT AND RATE OF LOWLAND SNOW MELT WILL DETERMINE HOW HIGH THE RIVERS RISE. THERE IS A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY IN HOW MUCH SNOW WATER THERE IS AND HOW FAST THAT SNOW WILL MELT.

RIVER MODELS DO NOT ALWAYS HANDLE THESE SITUATIONS VERY WELL SO SPECIFIC RIVER FORECASTS MAY NOT FULLY INDICATE THE EXISTING FLOOD RISK.

BEYOND THIS WEEKEND…WE WILL CONTINUE TO GET STORMS THAT WILL CONTINUE TO BUILD RISES ON AREA RIVERS INTO NEXT WEEK FOR ADDITIONAL PERIODS WHEN THERE MAY BE THE RISK OF FLOODING.

STAY TUNE TO THE LATEST WEATHER AND RIVER FORECASTS AND BULLETINS.

Here’s the latest 7-day :

Tonight: A chance of snow before 10pm, then a chance of rain and snow. Snow level 200 feet. Cloudy, with a low around 30. North northeast wind between 5 and 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

Thursday: A chance of rain and snow. Snow level 100 feet. Cloudy, with a high near 37. North northeast wind between 7 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

Thursday Night: A chance of rain and snow. Snow level 200 feet. Cloudy, with a steady temperature around 34. North northeast wind between 7 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

Friday: Rain. High near 44. South southeast wind between 5 and 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Friday Night: Rain. Low around 40. South southeast wind around 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.

Saturday: Rain. High near 46. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

Saturday Night: Rain. Low around 37. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Sunday: Rain likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 43.

Sunday Night: Rain. Cloudy, with a low around 38.

Monday: Rain. Cloudy, with a high near 43.

Monday Night: Rain. Cloudy, with a low around 37.

Tuesday: Rain. Cloudy, with a high near 47.

Tuesday Night: Rain. Cloudy, with a low around 37.

Wednesday: Rain. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 47.

The National Weather Service released a ‘Wind Advisory‘ Monday (Nov. 21), warning residents of south winds from 20 – 30 mph with gusts between 45 – 57 mph through Noon Tuesday.

So batten down your blue tarps Burien, and make sure you’re ready, as “winds tonight through Tuesday morning could topple small trees or cause local power outages,” according to the weather peeps.

According to noted UW Meteorologist Cliff Mass:

A VERY serious storm is going to hit the Northwest during the next two days–one that will cause flooding and coastal wind damage.

And the urban areas are doing to experience a deluge.

Folks, this will be a major event.

Here’s the Wind Advisory, as of 4:54 p.m. Monday, Nov. 21:

… Wind Advisory remains in effect until noon PST Tuesday…

* some affected locations… Stanwood… Everett… Seattle…  Renton… Bellevue… Bremerton… and Tacoma.

* Wind… increasing from the south at 20 to 30 mph with gusts as high as 50 mph overnight… then decreasing Tuesday morning.

* Timing… the strongest winds are expected to occur between 10 PM tonight and 7 am PST Tuesday.

* Impacts… winds this strong can topple trees and cause local power outages.

Precautionary/preparedness actions…

A Wind Advisory is issued when sustained winds of 30 to 39 mph or gusts of 45 to 57 mph are likely. Winds this strong can snap small tree branches… topple small or shallow rooted trees… and cause local power outages.

And if that’s not enough, a Flood Watch was also issued for Tuesday morning through Wednesday night:

… Flood Watch in effect from Tuesday morning through late Wednesday night…

The National Weather Service in Seattle has expanded the

* Flood Watch to include a portion of western Washington…  including the following counties… King… Lewis… Pierce…  Snohomish… Thurston.

* From Tuesday morning through late Wednesday night

* rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches tonight and Tuesday as the snow level rises to around 6000 feet… then another 1 to 3 inches of rain Tuesday night and Wednesday as the snow level gradually falls to around 3000 feet.

* Rivers facing the greatest threat of flooding include the Newaukum… Chehalis… Puyallup river near Orting… Snoqualmie…  and stillaguamish.

* If flooding does occur… it will probably be relatively minor.

Precautionary/preparedness actions…

A Flood Watch means conditions are favorable for flooding but flooding is not imminent or occurring. Monitor the latest forecasts from the National Weather Service and be ready to act quickly if flooding is observed or a warning is issued.

And here’s the latest forecast:

Late Afternoon: Rain. High near 49. Breezy, with a south wind around 22 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Tonight: Rain. Low around 44. Breezy, with a south wind between 21 and 28 mph, with gusts as high as 41 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Tuesday: Rain. The rain could be heavy at times. High near 53. Windy, with a south wind 29 to 32 mph decreasing to between 6 and 9 mph. Winds could gust as high as 48 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.

Tuesday Night: Rain. The rain could be heavy at times. Low around 41. South southwest wind between 6 and 9 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

Wednesday: Showers. High near 46. South wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

Wednesday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 36.

Thanksgiving Day: Rain likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 46. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Thursday Night: Rain likely. Cloudy, with a low around 37.

On Sunday, Dec. 12, 2010, Miller Creek flooded and closed Shorebrook Drive near The Cove in Normandy Park. Part of the overflow rushed through the front yard of this house. Photo by Scott Schaefer.

The National Weather Service has issued a ‘Hydrologic Outlook‘ statement Monday morning (Nov. 21) warning residents of western Washington of lots of rain, and of course the potential for flooding.

If you live near a creek in the Burien area, you may want to keep your eye on it.

Also, if you have a rake and are able to, may we recommend that you put a slicker on and walk around clearing nearby storm drains.

Here’s the Hydrologic Outlook:

HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA 452 AM PST MON NOV 21 2011

…Periods of heavy rain over the Cascades tonight and continuing into Wednesday could cause flooding…

A strong frontal system is forecast to remain over western Washington tonight into Wednesday morning. This system has the potential to bring very heavy rains to the Olympics and to a lesser extent the Washington Cascades.

Current forecasts have the front dropping south later Tuesday before hanging up over the central and southern Washington Cascades Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. This opens up the possibility of some the rivers in southwest Washington reaching flood stage on Wednesday.

People living along the rivers in southwest Washington should pay attention to the latest updates over the next couple of days.

Here’s the forecast for this week:

Today: Showers. High near 48. South wind between 15 and 18 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.

Tonight: Rain. Low around 45. South wind between 15 and 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%.

Tuesday: Rain. The rain could be heavy at times. High near 54. Breezy, with a south wind 25 to 28 mph decreasing to between 5 and 8 mph. Winds could gust as high as 41 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%.

Tuesday Night: Rain. The rain could be heavy at times. Low around 45. South wind between 5 and 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

Wednesday: Showers. High near 48. South wind between 3 and 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%.

Wednesday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 39.

Thanksgiving Day: Rain likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 45. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Thursday Night: Rain likely. Cloudy, with a low around 38.

Friday: A chance of showers. Cloudy, with a high near 46.

Friday Night: Rain likely. Cloudy, with a low around 40.

Saturday: Rain likely. Cloudy, with a high near 54.

Saturday Night: Rain likely. Cloudy, with a low around 41.

Sunday: Rain likely. Cloudy, with a high near 46.

Long special statement short:

• Depending on your elevation and the wacky regional conditions, there could be some snow.
• It won’t stay around long though so there’s no need to freak out.
• And as the weather peeps themselves state: “there remains some uncertainty concerning the track of this system…”

Here’s the statement in its entirety:

1142 AM PST THU NOV 17 2011

…A mix of rain and snow showers possible across the lowlands of western Washington late tonight through Saturday. Accumulation is possible at some locations late tonight into early Friday morning and again early Saturday morning…

A cold upper trough moving southward along the British Columbia coast will settle over western Washington by early Friday morning. This trough will produce showers and bring very cold air aloft into the area. Temperatures near the surface will be cold enough for a mix of snow with rain showers across most areas through Saturday. However…higher hill tops and areas with persistent or heavy showers could see light accumulations of snow.

While most areas will not see any accumulation of snow… Model guidance continues to indicate the possibility of a convergence zone developing somewhere north of Seattle late tonight into early Friday morning. If this develops and persists long enough…accumulations of an inch or two could be possible anywhere from Seattle to Mount Vernon.

Another system passing to the south of the area early Saturday morning will bring an additional threat of lowland snow mainly to the south sound and southwest interior. There remains some uncertainty concerning the track of this system…which affects the potential for accumulating snow. There is enough potential for snow accumulation over parts of the southern inland areas that it warrants mention.

Colder temperatures are expected across western Washington through the weekend with widespread low temperatures falling into the low 30s tonight and into the mid 20s to around 30 degrees Saturday morning. As a result wet roadways may ice up tonight and will likely ice up Saturday morning…producing potentially hazardous driving conditions. Cold morning temperatures will occur again on Sunday morning with moderating temperatures during the afternoon.

Here’s the latest forecast for the next few days:

Tonight: Rain showers likely before 4am, then rain and snow showers likely. Snow level 1100 feet. Cloudy, with a low around 34. South wind between 7 and 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

Friday: Rain and snow showers likely before 10am, then a chance of rain showers. Snow level 700 feet. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 40. South wind around 7 mph becoming east. Chance of precipitation is 70%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

Friday Night: A chance of rain showers. Snow level 800 feet. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 31. North northeast wind around 6 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Saturday: A chance of rain and snow showers before 4pm, then a chance of rain showers. Snow level 400 feet. Partly sunny, with a high near 39. Northwest wind around 6 mph becoming south southeast. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Saturday Night: A chance of rain showers before 10pm, then a chance of rain and snow showers. Snow level 700 feet. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 28. South southeast wind around 7 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

Sunday: A chance of rain and snow showers before 10am, then a chance of rain showers. Snow level rising to 1200 feet. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 42. Chance of precipitation is 30%. Little or no snow accumulation expected.

Sunday Night: A 50 percent chance of rain. Cloudy, with a low around 35.

People For Puget Sound invites residents to a free, family-friendly ‘Rain Water’ tour on Saturday, July 30, beginning at the lower parking area of Seahurst Park, 2400 SW 140th St., from 10 a.m. to Noon.

The tour will be led by knowledgeable experts who will show how to reduce and eliminate the flow of toxic pollution into Puget Sound.

When it rains, pollution like oil, grease, pesticides and pet waste washes off streets, parking lots and other hard surfaces into local waterways and Puget Sound, harming the health of birds, fish, whales and people.

From their website:

The Burien Rain Water Tour discusses watershed and polluted basics and provides and introduction to Low Impact Developments suitable for city parks and personal homes alike. Experts on Low Impact Development, members of the Environmental Science Center and community members will join the tour and provide insight on the polluted runoff system and low impact development within Burien. The tour begins at the lower parking lot of Seahurst Park with an introduction to polluted runoff and the impacts it has on us as everyday citizens. From there we will proceed through the park to the Burien Raingarden Cluster to hear from homeowners about the process of implementing a raingarden. We will then walk back to our starting location with the tour concluded after a Q&A session with the tour speakers and the representatives present from People For Puget Sound and the Environmental Science Center.

To reserve your place, contact Maddie Foutch at MFoutch@u.washington.edu.

These interactive tours are scheduled to take place in neighborhoods throughout Puget Sound region. For more information and a schedule, go to: http://pugetsound.org/programs/education/runoff/pollution.

Seahurst Park is located at 2400 SW 140th, and guests should meet in the lower parking lot at 10 a.m.

The wet weather didn’t keep the die-hard festival fans away and most events proceeded as planned. There was still plenty to enjoy and frequent dry periods in between the cloud bursts.

The schedule of events continues on Sunday.

BTB photog Michael Brunk was at the festival on Saturday and captured the following images. You can click individual images to view them larger.

It’s all part of a plan to update the city’s Drainage Master Plan (yes, apparently there really is such a thing…), and here’s the full press release:

Does your street flood regularly during rainstorms? Do you have other storm water drainage problems on your property on in your neighborhood, or any issue related to water quality, wetlands, or critical areas?

The City of Burien would like to hear from you. The City is currently updating its Drainage Master Plan and needs to be informed of any storm drainage problem areas in Burien.

Please fill out the drainage questionnaire found online at www.burienwa.gov/drainage or report the problem at Burien City Hall, 400 S.W. 152nd St., Suite 300.

The Drainage Master Plan will guide the City’s drainage-related programs and capital projects in future years. The objective of the Master Plan is to provide a surface water management framework that will help the City achieve the following goals:

• Protect steep slopes, streams, wetlands and shorelines from erosion and sedimentation.
• Protect the quality of surface water and groundwater.
• Provide recharge of groundwater.
• Ensure natural control mechanisms

Sea-Tac Airport broke a rainfall record for Sunday (May 15), with .81 of an inch falling before 6 p.m., beating the .56 record from 2001.

For the first half of May, the total rainfall amount at the airport is 1.79 – already higher than normal rainfall totals for the entire month of 1.78 – and we still have half a month left!

Olympia is just .03 inches shy of their record, and a few places have already eclipsed their normal rainfall amounts for the entire month of May.

Did someone say that we’re actually in Spring right now?

But UW Meteorologist Cliff Mass says on his blog:

But want some good news?

Most of the models are now indicating a major improvement towards the end of next week and next weekend….we are talking warm and getting into the 70s! Dry. Suitable for raking out the moss in your grass.

Here’s the forecast for the rest of this week from the National Weather Service (things are looking better starting around Thursday):

Tonight: Showers likely. Cloudy, with a low around 48. South southwest wind around 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Monday: Showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 56. Southwest wind between 10 and 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Monday Night: A 50 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 43. Southwest wind between 3 and 9 mph.

Tuesday: A 30 percent chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 57. Calm wind becoming west northwest between 4 and 7 mph.

Tuesday Night: A 30 percent chance of showers before 11pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 45. North northeast wind between 7 and 10 mph.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 60.

Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 44.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 66.

Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 47.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 67.

Friday Night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 46.

Saturday: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 62.

Saturday Night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 47.

Sunday: A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 61.

UPDATE 3/8/11: We just received word that this workshop is has been “sold out.” While they’re not taking any more attendees, they are creating a waiting list, so if you’re interested, please contact Stacey Gianas at (206) 292-9875 or sg@stewardshippartners.org.

PREVIOUSLY: If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to design and build your own rain garden, you’re in luck – there will be a workshop from 6pm – 8pm on Tuesday, March 15th at the Shorewood Room of the Burien Community Center.

At this workshop, you will:

Learn how to design and build a rain garden. Rain gardens function like a native forest to absorb polluted runoff in a cost-effective, low-maintenance, and beautiful way. They reduce flood damage, erosion, mold problems, and increase property values. Whether you have a green thumb or a brown thumb, there are free resources available:

Free Classroom Workshops
All classes are from  6-8pm on weeknights. At the workshop, you’ll receive a rain garden manual and additional materials. There will be opportunities to gain further hands-on experience by helping create rain gardens later in the summer. Advance registration is appreciated. Want a workshop in your town? Suggest a venue!

Free Rain Garden Installations
Stewardship Partners is also looking for six to eight homeowners who would like rain gardens installed in their neighborhood. Several neighborhoods have already taken advantage of this exciting grant program with beautiful results, including homeowners without gardening experience. Click here for a map and photos.

Contact Us
To nominate your neighborhood or register for a workshop, contact Stacey Gianas at (206) 292-9875 or sg@stewardshippartners.org.

Visit our website and Facebook page for more information.

David adds:

This was near 12100 East Marginal Way, just north of Metro Transit’s south base (see map below). When the river started rising it caught the corner of the boat and little by little it got pulled under. This boat was moored via tether off of private land.

The Duwamish is fed by the Green River, which this week reached a Phase 3 Flood Stage, according to the USGS.
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