Update :Metro earlier Tweeted: “If you’re just checking in, you’re facing a wet morning with horrible traffic everywhere. You can’t leave early enough.”

A wind advisory is in effect this morning through 7 p.m 8 p.m. Expect winds gusting to 45 mph in some places.

The National Weather Service’s Seattle office issued the advisory early this morning. It also forecasts a 100 percent chance of rain (just look outside).

The screen shot at right, from Cliff Mass’s weather blog, shows the incoming storm.

The advisory:

WIND…SOUTHERLY WINDS 20 TO 30 MPH WITH LOCAL GUSTS AROUND 45 MPH…BECOMING SOUTHWEST TO WEST IN THE AFTERNOON.

* IMPACTS…DOWNED TREE LIMBS AND LOCAL POWER OUTAGES ARE POSSIBLE.

* TIMING…WINDS WILL INCREASE TODAY…WITH THE WINDIEST PERIOD PROBABLY DURING THE AFTERNOON…THEN EASE THIS EVENING.

Also this, from the forecast discussion: “THE AREAS MORE LIKELY TO GET THE SORT OF GUSTS THAT MIGHT TAKE DOWN SOME LIMBS WOULD BE FROM ABOUT SEATTLE SOUTH AND ON THE COAST.”

Don’t expect anything approaching Saturday’s storm, though Mass notes: “I would not take that Westport or Neah Bay fishing trip today.

He also uses takes the opportunity to write “poisonous tail of the bent-back occlusion” - a phrase he’s used before.

“I love that phrase.”

Update Thursday 9 a.m.: Our news partner The Seattle Times has a report on last night’s school board meeting. It starts:

Angry parents, residents and activists unloaded a host of grievances at the Seattle School Board meeting Wednesday where the district’s official school boundaries plan was formally introduced.

There is also more discussion on the Maple Leaf Parents Facebook page. One post says that school board member “Sherry Carr will come to Sacajawea Elementary next Thursday, Nov. 14th, at 6:30 p.m., in the library. She considers Sacajawea a priority since we are in the pivot point of changes that take effect next year.”

We’ve gotten a lot of comments on our last two posts on proposed changes in Seattle Public School boundaries, focused on where elementary and junior high kids should go to school, and whether it’s safe to send them there.

Neighbors have been leafleted. Surveys taken. A Maple Leaf Parents Facebook group, just launched a couple of weeks ago, now has 182 members and both discussions of the boundaries, which many argue split Maple Leaf into three pieces, and plans for action.

One of the plans is to attend Wednesday’s school board meeting en masse, possibly carrying signs and dressed in similar colors to stand out as a block.

To follow the discussions, go to the group’s Facebook site, or read our previous posts and comments here and here. There is definitely more than one point of view represented.

Public comment at Wednesday’s board meeting begins at 5 p.m. at 2445 3rd Ave. S. The agenda is here. (Click on Nov. 6 regular board meeting to download a PDF.)

This morning there was a note inside the treat jar at Maple Leaf’s Dog Oasis.

We find notes in there periodically. Usually “thank you” missives from passing canines.

This one was different.

It was Clue No. 7 in a neighborhood scavenger hunt.

We followed it to the newly opened Maple Leaf Reservoir Park, where we found five young scavengers examining an earlier clue by a park bench.

We watched as they set off down 12th Avenue Northeast for the Dog Oasis, and we set off to see if our guess about the next clue was correct.

It was (see below).

Clue No. 8 read: “I want to fly.”

Where do you think that one led?

(And, anybody know more about this scavenger hunt?)

Today’s storm - see post below - has so far produced at least two reports of stray dogs.

Kristen emails:

I came across this beautiful Golden Retriever named Hansel (based on the tags). Called the number and it went direct to voicemail. Found on the east side of 15th Avenue Northeast and Northeast 92nd Street.

None of the neighbors recognized him. Sound like he may have been running for at least a day.

Would you mind posting in the blog? I’ve attached a picture.

In addition, the note below was posted at the Maple Leaf Dog Oasis.

We think Lucy may be back home, though.

Kristen notes: “The windstorm seems to be blowing a lot of gates open,”

Just before sunset Friday night, and today.

Seattle City light now says it expects to have 75 percent of customers restored by 8 p.m.

Update 5 p.m.Seattle City light now says it expects to have 75 percent of customers restored by 8 p.m.

12:15 p.m. A downed tree has closed 15th Avenue Northeast at Northeast 100th Street.

11:30 a.m. 10:15 a.m. Seattle City Light now has around 18,000 36,000 customers without power in this morning’s windstorm, with about 3,000 3,800 of them in the Maple Leaf/Wedgwood area. See current map here.

The Seattle Times reports the north Seattle outages are expected to continue until 4 p.m.

More is on the way. From the National Weather Service Seattle office:

.NOW…WINDS WILL EXPERIENCE A SUDDEN SHIFT AND INCREASE QUICKLY OUT OF THE WEST BETWEEN NOW AND 1130 AM…AS A STRONG SURGE OF WIND SPREADS DOWN THE STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA. LOOKS FOR WINDS TO SUDDENLY INCREASE IN SPEED TO NEAR 40 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 65 MPH.

STRONGEST WINDS WILL OCCUR IN LOCATIONS THAT HAVE AN OPEN EXPOSURE TO THE STRAIT. WINDS THIS STRONG WILL BE CAPABLE OF CAUSING LOCAL POWER OUTAGES AND BLOWING DOWN A FEW TREES. A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM PDT THIS EVENING.

———————————-

South fence at the upper reservoir park.

A gusty morning has already led to at least one area of Maple Leaf that has lost power, on 97th between Roosevelt and 15th.

It’s not marked yet on Seattle City Light’s outage map, so please let us know who else is in the dark out there! See comments below.

(Winds to 34 mph so far this a.m. at Maple Leaf Life South.)

A splendid Halloween, followed by a bright sunset on the first day of November.

Things will be different in the morning.

From the National Weather Service in Seattle:

Saturday looks to be wet and stormy for Western Washington. Strong winds beginning Saturday morning could blow down branches and trees, and cause power outages in some areas before dying down Saturday evening. The Coast will be pounded by large waves, which will make for dangerous surf conditions through early Sunday. And snow levels will plummet Saturday, with 6+ inches of snow for the passes and a foot or more at the higher elevations possible by mid-day Sunday.

A splendid Halloween, followed by a bright sunset on the first day of November.

Things will be different in the morning.

From the National Weather Service in Seattle:

Saturday looks to be wet and stormy for Western Washington. Strong winds beginning Saturday morning could blow down branches and trees, and cause power outages in some areas before dying down Saturday evening. The Coast will be pounded by large waves, which will make for dangerous surf conditions through early Sunday. And snow levels will plummet Saturday, with 6+ inches of snow for the passes and a foot or more at the higher elevations possible by mid-day Sunday.

The final Halloween count here:

* 152 kids

* 18 adults in costume

* 13 dogs

A new record!

(Photo courtesy Marcus R. Donner)