PORT ANGELES — Strong winds across the North Olympic Peninsula are resulting in ferry schedule changes and potential closures of the Hood Canal bridge.
The strongest winds are forecast to hit the Peninsula later this afternoon and abate late tonight or early Wednesday morning, National Weather Service meteorologist Anna Lindeman said.
Neah Bay likely will see the highest wind gusts of about 60 to 65 mph starting about 3 p.m., with the strongest winds occurring between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m., Lindeman said.
“There is a chance they could see a stray wind gust or two above 65 mph,” she added.
Sustained winds in Neah Bay during the peak period will probably be between 40 and 45 mph, Lindeman said.
Port Angeles and Sequim both will likely be sheltered from the strongest winds due to the wind’s east to southeast direction, Lindeman said.
Sustained winds in these areas will be between 30 to 40 mph, starting around 5 p.m. and peaking by 11 p.m. Gusts will be “up to 50 mph, maybe even 55 mph,” Lindeman said.
Port Townsend likely will have sustained winds of about 30 to 35 mph, with gusts between 55 and 60 mph.
Winds at Port Townsend “might hang on a little bit longer” than the rest of the Peninsula, and it will likely be “fairly breezy” into mid-Wednesday morning, Lindeman said.
Due to the predicted high winds, the Black Ball Ferry between Port Angeles and Victoria has modified its sailing schedule for today. The MV Coho depart Port Angeles at 1 p.m. and depart Victoria at 3 p.m. All other sailings are scheduled for normal operation.
The Hood Canal bridge might experience closures due to wind conditions.
State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) employee David Garcia said bridge closures depend on a lot of factors, including wind direction and speed, but “generally anything above 40 mph we highly consider closing the bridge.”
To learn about bridge closures, WSDOT recommends checking the bridge’s status on the WSDOT website.
