Olympia’s in for a wet, windy start to the weekend

Forecasters predict the Olympia area is in for a wet, windy start to the weekend as a series of fronts move in. And once those are through, don’t expect sunshine: No dry days are predicted in the immediate future.

A warm front moving in Thursday afternoon is predicted to bring rain and winds of 10-20 miles per hour, according to Gary Schneider, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

After a bit of a break between fronts on Friday, a cold front is expected to move in from off-shore in the late afternoon or evening. Forecasters predict that front will bring rain through Saturday morning, along with higher winds of 15-25 miles per hour.

A wind advisory has been issued for the coast, San Juans, Western Whatcom and Skagit counties, and the Admiralty Inlet area from Thursday night to Friday afternoon, according to a National Weather Service brief. As of mid-day Thursday, meteorologist Schneider said damaging winds were not predicted for the Olympia area.

After the steady rain moves out, showers are expected Saturday and more rain is in the forecast for Sunday and Monday.

In the 48-hour period from Thursday to Saturday, the Olympia area can expect between three-quarters of an inch and 1-1/2 inches of rain, Schneider said.

High temperatures are expected to remain in the mid 40s to lower 50s, and lows will be in the low 40s to upper 30s.

Schneider called the current pattern for the area “a parade of storms” and said the storms predicted for Thursday through Saturday morning are “pretty strong” but not abnormal for this time of year.