Seattle weather: Calmer, drier conditions for Friday

Winds behind a cold front Thursday afternoon brought downed tree branches, power outages and even a run-away barge. Winds overall were not the strongest compared to what we see in the Pacific Northwest during the fall and winter seasons, but it was the first of the season – and that's what created problems. 

There were several factors that led to the widespread impacts for the Pacific Northwest on Thursday. The combination of gusty winds and the heavy rain throughout the morning created more probability for downed trees as the soil became extremely saturated. Trees this time of year are also holding on to more leaves, catching more in the wind and some trees have weakened over the dry months. This all leads to more likelihood for branches to break, trees to fall over and problems to occur. 

Some of the strongest wind gusts around the region were around 40-60mph, but most spots saw gusts in the 30-40mph range. 

Here is a look at the rainfall totals since this morning. 

Winds and skies will calm down and take a break on Friday, with mostly dry skies. Highs will remain mild in the upper 50s and low 60s. 

Heavier rain returns late Friday through Saturday, which will also bring gusty winds (~30 mph) and a chance of afternoon thunderstorms.

Showers will continue through the weekend with more rain and mild temperatures into next week.