A rainbow is seen from the air, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017, north of Seattle near Woodinville. Sun breaks and rain were the rule of the day for the Seattle area, while snow and ice gripped cities further north.
A rainbow is seen from the air, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017, north of…
Downed trees blocked all but the express lane of northbound Interstate 5 just south of the Spokane Street exit Thursday night as strong winds continued to blow across the Seattle area.
The State Patrol reported the closure of the three right-hand lanes of I-5, just the latest weather-related incident on a day that found cross-state mountain passes closed, the Hood Canal Bridge closed for almost seven hours and mudslides fouling pavement across the region.
Picture of the tree on NB 5. HOV lane will be the only lane open for approx 3 more hours due to hillside. pic.twitter.com/TledsybQLq
The National Weather Service said more than an inch and a half of rain fell in Seattle on Thursday, making it the wettest February day here in 21 years.
With the 1.63" today Seattle now at 5.46" for February. That is almost 2" above the normal for the entire month which is 3.50". #wawx
Transportation snafus across the region got serious in the afternoon when winds picked up in the immediate aftermath of passage of a warm front that dropped more than an inch and a half of rain in Seattle after midnight.
The Hood Canal Bridge was closed just after 1:30 p.m. and didn’t open again until almost 8:30 p.m. as officials kept the drawspan open to relieve pressure from pounding waves.
Hood Canal Bridge open to vehicles on SR 104 at 8:25 PM
Friday won’t be any better as far as winds go, forecasters said, as southerly winds of at least 20 mph, with gusts possible to 50 mph, will cover a broad area from Lewis County to the San Juan Islands and the coast from Aberdeen to Neah Bay. Those winds will be accompanied by a few rain showers.
And things could always be worse: The Northeast spent much of Thursday digging out from a foot or more of snow that represented its worst storm of the season.
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