SEATTLE -- An unusual early May storm blowing in from the Pacific will pound Western Washington with heavy rains and winds gusting in some areas to 55 mph, forecasters in the KIRO 7 Weather Center said.

A wind advisory is in effect from Monday at midnight until 11 a.m. on Tuesday, the National Weather Service said, warning of winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 45 mph in the interior and up to 55 mph in the western Strait of Juan de Fuca.

VIDEO: Wash. Coast Prepares For Strong Winds

"The strongest winds are expected to be on the coast, the western Strait, including Clallam Bay, and into the north interior from Everett northward toward Bellingham," said KIRO 7 Chief Meteorologist Rebecca Stevenson.

The storm -- more like ones common in the fall and winter -- began hitting the coast Monday afternoon, causing alarm at Westport, said reporter Chris Legeros.

"A lot of action happening today, it's really chaotic right now," said Ben Staley, at the marina.

Charter boat operators added extra lines so their vessels won't hit the docks. One skipper said he won't be going anywhere for a few days. John Banasky said the storm couldn't come at a worse time because halibut season is opening. "We had a halibut trip for tomorrow but they've been cancelled," Banasky said, adding that he won't collect $210 dollars from each of the 10 customers who were scheduled to go fishing with him.

Rain will be heavy, said Stevenson, with 1 to 3 inches in the southwest interior, the Olympics and the coast.

"The rain has been locally heavy in spots like the coast, the Olympic Mountains and the southwest interior," she said.

Forecasters said the winds could snap small tree branches, topple small or shallow-rooted trees and cause local power outages.

"Most of the leafy trees are fully dressed now, and able to catch those wind gusts that could hit the mid-40 mph range," VanCise wrote in his weather blog. "Look for those trees to bend, and perhaps break, knocking out power to some in the highest wind areas."