High winds in the Port Townsend area and West End coast are forecast starting tonight.

In addition, a gale warning has been issued as heavy winds blow up the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and a winter storm warning for up to 20 inches of snow was issued for the Olympic Mountains.

Here are National Weather Service warnings and advisories:

Wind warning:

254 PM PDT SUN MAR 11 2012

WAZ001-510-516-517-120615-

/O.UPG.KSEW.HW.A.0004.120312T0800Z-120312T2300Z/

/O.NEW.KSEW.HW.W.0006.120312T0800Z-120312T2000Z/

SAN JUAN COUNTY-<b<ADMIRALTY INLET AREA-NORTH COAST-CENTRAL COAST-

254 PM PDT SUN MAR 11 2012

…HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 1 PM PDT MONDAY…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SEATTLE HAS ISSUED A HIGH WIND

WARNING…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 1 PM PDT MONDAY. THE

HIGH WIND WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

* SOME AFFECTED LOCATIONS…HOQUIAM AND FORKS ON THE COAST…

PORT TOWNSEND…WHIDBEY ISLAND AND THE SAN JUAN ISLANDS IN THE

INTERIOR LOWLANDS.

* TIMING…A STRONG FRONT WILL MAKE LANDFALL LATE TONIGHT AND

MONDAY MORNING.

* WIND…SOUTHEAST WINDS 30 TO 45 MPH ARE LIKELY WITH LOCAL GUSTS

TO 65 MPH AS THE FRONT MAKES LANDFALL LATER TONIGHT AND MONDAY

MORNING.

* IMPACTS…STRONG WINDS CAN TOPPLE TREES AND CAUSE POWER

OUTAGES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A HIGH WIND WARNING MEANS THAT A HAZARDOUS WIND EVENT IS IMMINENT

OR OCCURRING.

Strait of Juan de Fuca gale warning:

540 PM PDT SUN MAR 11 2012

INLAND WATERS OF WESTERN WASHINGTON AND THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL

WASHINGTON COASTAL WATERS INCLUDING THE OLYMPIC COAST NATIONAL

MARINE SANCTUARY

UPDATED GALE WARNING REPLACES SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY THIS EVENING FOR

THE COASTAL WATERS AND WEST ENTRANCE TO THE STRAIT. SYNOPSIS AND

GRAYS HARBOR BAR FORECAST REVISED.

PZZ131-120545-

CENTRAL U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-

300 PM PDT SUN MAR 11 2012

…SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM PDT THIS EVENING…

…GALE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY

AFTERNOON…

.TONIGHT…SW WIND 15 TO 25 KT…BECOMING E LATE IN THE EVENING.

WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. RAIN.

.MON…SE WIND 25 TO 35 KT. WIND WAVES 4 TO 6 FT. RAIN.

.MON NIGHT…W WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT. SHOWERS.

.TUE…SE WIND 10 KT…BECOMING W LATE IN THE MORNING. WIND WAVES 1

FT.

.TUE NIGHT…SW WIND 10 TO 15 KT LATE…BECOMING LIGHT. WIND WAVES 2

FT OR LESS.

.WED…E WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT.

.WED NIGHT…SE WIND 10 TO 15 KT…BECOMING E 15 TO 25 KT LATE IN

THE EVENING. WIND WAVES 1 OR 2 FT…BUILDING TO 2 TO 4 FT.

.THU…E WIND 15 TO 25 KT. WIND WAVES 2 TO 4 FT.

.THU NIGHT…SE WIND 10 TO 15 KT…BECOMING NE LATE IN THE EVENING.

WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS.

.FRI…W WIND 10 TO 15 KT…BECOMING VARIABLE 10 KT LATE IN THE

MORNING. WIND WAVES 2 FT OR LESS.

A GALE WARNING MEANS WINDS OF 34 TO 47 KNOTS ARE IMMINENT OR

OCCURRING. OPERATING A VESSEL IN GALE CONDITIONS REQUIRES

EXPERIENCE AND PROPERLY EQUIPPED VESSELS. IT IS HIGHLY

RECOMMENDED THAT MARINERS WITHOUT THE PROPER EXPERIENCE SEEK SAFE

HARBOR PRIOR TO THE ONSET OF GALE CONDITIONS.

A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY MEANS THAT WIND SPEEDS OF 21 TO 33 KNOTS

ARE EXPECTED TO PRODUCE HAZARDOUS WAVE CONDITIONS TO SMALL CRAFT.

INEXPERIENCED MARINERS…ESPECIALLY THOSE OPERATING SMALLER

VESSELS SHOULD AVOID NAVIGATING IN THESE CONDITIONS.

A RAPIDLY INTENSIFYING SURFACE LOW WILL RACE TOWARD NORTHERN

VANCOUVER ISLAND DURING THE DAY MONDAY. THIS LOW MAY DEEPEN TO

960 MB BEFORE REACHING THE WATERS OFF NORTHERN VANCOUVER ISLAND.

THE ASSOCIATED FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL BRING THE POTENTIAL FOR STORM

FORCE WINDS TO THE COASTAL WATERS AND WEST ENTRANCE TO THE U.S.

STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA AND GALE FORCE WINDS ELSEWHERE. EXPECT

SEAS TO BECOME CHAOTIC ON THE COASTAL WATERS…RESULTING IN

HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS FOR MARITIME INTERESTS.

Olympic Mountains

OLYMPICS-

321 PM PDT SUN MAR 11 2012

…WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 4 PM PDT MONDAY…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SEATTLE HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM

WARNING FOR SNOW AND WIND WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 4 PM

PDT MONDAY. THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

* SOME AFFECTED LOCATIONS…HURRICANE RIDGE.

* TIMING…LATE TONIGHT AND MONDAY.

* ACCUMULATIONS…15 TO 20 INCHES OF SNOW IS EXPECTED FRONT THIS

STRONG FRONT WITH WINDY CONDITIONS. SNOW WILL FALL ON THE

FOOTHILLS AS WELL MONDAY MORNING…WITH SEVERAL INCHES POSSIBLE

AT LOW ELEVATIONS.

* MAIN IMPACT…PERIODS OF SNOW AND WINDY CONDITIONS WILL MAKE FOR

WINTER DRIVING CONDITIONS.

PEOPLE PLANNING TO TRAVEL IN THE MOUNTAINS TONIGHT AND SUNDAY

SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR WINTER WEATHER AND POSSIBLY DIFFICULT

DRIVING CONDITIONS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

PEOPLE PLANNING TO TRAVEL IN THE MOUNTAINS LATER TONIGHT AND

MONDAY SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR WINTER WEATHER AND POSSIBLY

DIFFICULT DRIVING CONDITIONS.

A WINTER STORM WARNING IS ISSUED WHEN 18 INCHES OR MORE IS LIKELY

DURING A 24 HOUR PERIOD OR STRONG WINDS WITH SNOW ARE EXPECTED.

300 PM PST SUN MAR 11 2012

…AVALANCHE WARNING SUNDAY WASHINGTON CASCADES NEAR AND WEST OF THE

CREST NORTH OF STEVENS PASS…

…AVALANCHE WARNING MONDAY OLYMPICS…WASHINGTON CASCADES NEAR AND

WEST OF THE CREST…MT HOOD AREA…

THE LAST STORM DEPOSITED NEARLY 3 FEET OF SNOW THE PAST 2 DAYS IN

THE BAKER AREA AND AN AVALANCHE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THAT

AREA ON SUNDAY.

A VERY STRONG FRONT FROM THE RAPIDLY DEEPENING LOW

SHOULD CROSS THE OLYMPICS AND CASCADES ON MONDAY CAUSING STRONG

WINDS, HEAVY SNOW AND A SLIGHT WARMING TREND. THESE TRENDS SHOULD BE

EXPECTED TO BE PLENTY TO BUILD NEW LARGER AREAS OF DEEPER STORM SLAB

LAYERS ON LEE SLOPES IN MOST AREAS ESPECIALLY NEAR AND WEST OF THE

CREST. SO AN AVALANCHE WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE

OLYMICS…CASCADES NEAR AND WEST OF THE CREST…AND THE MT HOOD AREA

FOR MONDAY.

THIS STATEMENT WILL BE UPDATED AS CONDITIONS WARRANT. PLEASE VISIT

WWW.NWAC.US FOR FURTHER DETAILS.

BACKCOUNTRY TRAVELERS SHOULD BE AWARE THAT ELEVATION AND

GEOGRAPHIC DISTINCTIONS ARE APPROXIMATE AND THAT A TRANSITION

ZONE BETWEEN DANGERS EXISTS. REMEMBER THERE ARE AVALANCHE SAFE

AREAS IN THE MOUNTAINS DURING ALL LEVELS OF AVALANCHE DANGER.

NWAC WEATHER DATA AND FORECASTS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE BY CALLING

206-526-6677 FOR WASHINGTON, 503-808-2400 FOR THE MT HOOD AREA,

OR BY VISITING OUR WEB SITE AT www.nwac.us .