White Center Now: The blog about White Center

Three-plus hours of snow now, and the National Weather Service says it may not entirely let up before midday Sunday (a “winter weather advisory” is now in effect through noon). Check the “live” traffic camera on our right-hand sidebar for the latest look at the roads; here’s the latest forecast – note tomorrow’s high is predicted as “near 30.” Brrrr!

The latest “forecast discussion” from the National Weather Service, published minutes ago (just before 10 am), is backing away from snow possibilities (except “slushy” on “higher hills”) around here. Read it here. And still keep getting ready for those low temps starting later in the weekend and continuing on into next week – that’s where the true trouble could lurk.

(Crossposted from partner site West Seattle Blog, because this is important safety info for our whole area.) Now that the end of the week is within sight, it’s time to take the forecasts REALLY seriously. Not only is cold weather, with possible snow, still predicted, the National Weather Service says it’s will get windy first – here’s an excerpt from the newest citywide forecast:

FRIDAY…WINDY. RAIN. HIGHS IN THE UPPER 30S TO MID 40S. SOUTH WIND 10 TO 20 MPH SHIFTING TO THE NORTHWEST 20 TO 30 MPH IN THE AFTERNOON.

FRIDAY NIGHT…RAIN AND SNOW. LOWS IN THE MID 30S.

SATURDAY…CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SNOW SHOWERS. HIGHS IN THE 30S.

SATURDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SNOW SHOWERS. LOWS IN THE 20S.

SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY…PARTLY CLOUDY. HIGHS IN THE LOWER 30S. LOWS IN THE 20S

Safety information for “cold and icy weather” is also available at the Regional Public Information Network website; read it here.

Leaving Pho 54 after late-afternoon soup, my son and I couldn’t help but stop to admire the juxtaposition of the sign across 16th SW and the spectacular sunset. “Available,” it was, and we’re the luckier for it.

We’re watching the approaching storm for White Center as well as West Seattle – one of the newest developments is a wind advisory that’ll take effect in the metro area at 10 pm tonight; read about it here.

I know this is rather old news, and the rain has really cleaned up the air in the past few days,  but I went and read up on it this evening after seeing all the black soot that washed off the front of my store.   Most of this study has to do with South Park and Georgetown, but given our proximity, I doubt the pollution knows to stay in that area.

My favorite line from the PI article is; “At Capital Industries, a Georgetown metal fabricator closer to homes than the airfield, the computer model predicts a rate of 600 cancer cases for every million people exposed. “. I don’t like those odds. I mean 600 per million is small, except that is 600 people that are going to die for no good reason.

First link is a PDF of the actual report the second is an article in the PI.

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/374066_badair08.html?from=wtnews

http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/HAC/pha/Duwamish_Valley/Duwamish_Valley_%20HC%207-14-2008.pdf

Evergreen Pool is likely to be one of the most popular places in the area today, tomorrow, and Saturday (here’s the pool schedule – there’s a $2 public swim 7-8 pm tonight – and here’s a map), with temperatures expected into the 90s. Breathing may be a challenge for those with asthma and other conditions; the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency has just posted a Smog Watch for the entire metro area (all of King County and three other counties). Stay safe! P.S. We checked with fellow WCN Team member FullTilt re: what’s new at their ice-cream/pinball shop (9629 16th SW) – latest flavors: “Horchata flavored ice cream, as well as The Memphis King, peanut butter, banana, and chocolate covered bacon” – open till 10 pm tonight.