Wind advisory in effect for parts of Whatcom, Skagit counties

A Wind Advisory is in effect for parts of western Whatcom and Skagit counties as well as the Admiralty Inlet area and San Juan County.

Some locations include Bellingham, Mount Vernon, Port Townsend, Friday Harbor and Oak Harbor.

Wind will be sustained from 15-30 mph with gusts in the 40-50 mph range.  The strongest wind will happen Tuesday morning. The advisory expires at noon.

At the coast, a Wind Advisory will be in effect for the same speeds until 4 p.m.

Power outages caused by falling trees and limbs are possible.

Greater Seattle-area forecast

The rest of the area will have breezy conditions with sustained wind in the 15-25 mph with gusts in the 30-40 mph range.  The rain will taper to showers a bit Tuesday afternoon but a Convergence Zone is more than likely over the typical spots, so there will likely be rain for a lot of the day in Seattle.

• StormTracker Doppler Radar Livestream
• 5-Day forecast

Mountain forecast 

In the mountains, a Winter Storm Warning is in effect for the north Cascades while a Winter Weather Advisory is in effect elsewhere above 3,500 feet.

Snoqualmie Pass will likely see a rain/snow mix, but higher passes and elevations will pick up 6-12 inches of snow through the morning but up to three feet for Mount Baker.

By afternoon, winds will be a bit lighter and showers more infrequent.  Highs will be in the upper 40s.

Ferries could be affected

Meanwhile, Washington State Ferries is reminding passengers that in the event of severe weather, the ferry system will take precautions that will affect the sailing schedule.

Here are some of the possible service disruptions customers may experience in bad weather:

• Anacortes/San Juan Islands: Customers can expect delays on this route while the ferries move at slower speeds and take alternate storm routes.
• Mukilteo/Clinton: Sailings between Mukilteo and Clinton may experience choppy waters and a bumpy ride.
• Port Townsend/Coupeville: Service on the Port Townsend/Coupeville route may be suspended in the event of strong southwesterly winds.
• Central Puget Sound/South Sound routes: These routes are not likely to experience many impacts from the storm, though it's possible that heavy traffic will delay service.
• In addition, in inclement weather boats may be "shortloaded" -- not loaded to full capacity—to stabilize the vessels and keep more weight on the boat's stern.
  

Cox Media Group