There has been some "hot" comments about meteorologists hyping the weather....please be patient...it is too soon to throw in the towel on this event...although there are clearly deficiencies in the model's solutions. The winds have not accelerated as much as forecast...yet the pressure different across the mountains is extraordinary...nearly as high as I have ever seen it...nearly 16 millibars across the Cascades (Seattle-Yakima pressure difference). The highest I have seen occurred on Dec 24, 1983 (17.1 mb) ..the great Enumclaw windstorm of the century when winds exceeded 120 mph in the foothills. Winds have increased aloft (see plot from the profiler here at Seattle Sand Point,heights in meters, time increases from right to left and is GMT--21/03 i
s 7 PM) and Sea-Tac is reporting gusts 26 kts and one of the individuals commenting to this blog reported 45 mph. At northbend, WA a NWS spotter reported sustained 35 mph, gusting to 45. But this event is not over yet. I think one thing all of you have learned from following the weather is that timing errors are not unusual...particularly ones of 3-6 hr.Regarding the snow, it is now picking up as the main warm frontal band comes through (see image)...then there will be a break and the snow will pick up with the cold front band. I have about an inch at my house now.
Thanks for the update. One lesson is clear: our terrain (mountains, ocean, etc) make forecasting precise weather challenging.
ReplyDeleteCliff, you do a wonderful job! Keep us posted!
We have about 9 inches of new snow. With 4-5 inches in the last 3-4 hours in Centralia
ReplyDeleteCliff/others,
ReplyDeleteWe are curious about the size of the flakes we are getting. It is almost like "corn snow" I wonder if this is due to a melt -freeze cycle or if this is just rain that has frozen and had little time to crystallize.
Could the current pressure differences you site mean we still might see fercocious winds tonight?
ReplyDeleteI am in Enumclaw, my parents remember the 1983 windstorm and are saying what is going on right now here is just like that windstorm, it's pretty bad here folks...
ReplyDeleteUp to the great white north (Sedro-Woolley), we are experiencing decent easterly wind that is blowing our 15" of snow around enough to create "blizzard-like" conditions. Drifts are engulfing cars, moving and not. Unknown how much snow is falling because there is so much falling.
ReplyDelete====================
I have to defend Cliff here, Chuck.
I come to this blog and NWS Discussions because THEY DON'T SENSATIONALIZE THESE STORMS. Cliff, explains why he predicts what he predicts. As a matter of fact, I recall him saying this "This will be a very major event...but I suspect sustained 35-45 mph and gusts to 60-70 mph will end up closer to the truth." He also mentioned temps were probably coming colder than thought too...
IF YOU DON'T LIKE, IT LEAVE.
===========================
Cliff, I come here for the "cold"-hard facts. Thanks for your time, and you deserve to sell your books for this work. You work hard at it.
Yomalt Cabin - Bainbridge Island:
ReplyDeleteWind-calm; 27 degrees; 2" snow since 2:30pm
we need your expertise to extend south for Eugene Cliff! Happy Solstice
ReplyDeleteThe wind is really picking up in West Seattle in the past 15 minutes or so. I am VERY grateful to be indoors, because the real storm appears to have arrived.
ReplyDeleteMaple Valley 9:00 PM Update: Some pretty good gusts blowing in right now. It can be calm and then roll in and then back off. Pretty good snow right now blowing off trees and roofs combined with what's coming out of the sky. I would say the gusts are picking up from earlier.
ReplyDeleteConditions here in Fairwood/Renton can only be described as "blizzardy" lol.. It's crazy out there! Heavy snow, heavy wind... I've never really seen anything like this.
ReplyDeleteIssaquah Plateau - Klahanie neighborhood - Winds increasing with good gusts - with snow continuing looks like white out conditions..glad I'm not driving!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the frequent updates Cliff!
9:07pm Lynnwood/Edmonds (1/2 mile from Sound)still relatively calm. Snowing steadily --small flakes. Winds -- moderate. Not too bad.
ReplyDeleteCliff.............been reading your blog for a few weeks now. Awesome.
ReplyDeleteDon't mind Charles. There always seems to be a cynical punk that tries to grab the spotlight on every blog.
Your predictions re: Tacoma are right on the money. First flakes started about 3 PM and have been continuous since. 2 inches + new with winds 5-10 mph.......
High Wind Warning cancelled for the east / foothills
ReplyDeleteI'm not seeing anything exceptional here in Sammamish... on the south side of Beaver Lake Park... winds in the 5-10 range, light blowing snow...
ReplyDeleteBut there are oatmeal chocolate chip cookies coming out of the oven. Now THAT is exceptional!
There has been some interesting nym shifting by a previous poster using a nick of Charles who is now camco. Did you get tired of people being irate about your attitude when the wind was late?
ReplyDelete2-3 inches of snow at the top of Capitol Hill in Seattle and no wind (yet) - it's been slow and steady since 2:30pm.
ReplyDeleteHow do the temperatures of Puget Sound affect the variables you describe in this current situation?
ReplyDelete9:12 On top of Capitol Hill, the snow is steady and the flakes are small. It looks like about 1.5 inches of new snow. No wind yet... not even a breeze.
ReplyDeleteWest Hill of Auburn - just went for a walk. We have about 4 inches of new snow with gusts about 20mph. Tops of trees are really moving. Steady, small flakes of snow. And it is absolutely beautiful outside.
ReplyDeleteNews from Sammamish...slightly brisk winds appear to be picking up but still mild compared to what we were prepared for. No snowfall to speak of as of yet.
ReplyDelete9:30 PM Maple Valley Update: About the same as a half hour ago. It will be completely calm with the trees not really moving at all, and then a good gust blows in for 15-20 seconds and then calm again. The gusts are probably hitting 20-25 MPH. Blowing snow, but unsure how much is coming from the sky.
ReplyDeleteIts coming down steady here in Kingston, close to the sound. We have about 3 inches on top of a few inches from the last storm. Its breezy but not too windy yet.
ReplyDeleteI was in Poulsbo earlier today and the snow began around 3 pm and followed me home to Kingston.
We're on top of a 400 foot hill south of Sultan & have experienced no wind, just an inch of snow. Two years ago we went without power for nine days, so this time we won't mind if the models are slightly inflated, rather than just off by six hours :). Especially since somehow we never did get around to having the somewhat unstable double-trunked 60-foot tree 20 feet from our dining room removed.... (Yes, this is wishful thinking; we're not writing this event off yet....)
ReplyDeleteAll best!
There is a widespread power outage on Snoqualmie Ridge due to high winds. Here in Carnation we've gained about 2 inches of snow since 3pm and still snowing steadily. No wind here yet.
ReplyDeleteWho cancelled the high wind warning for the foothills? I haven't seen that anyhwere.
I am addicted to this blog! Keep up the good work Cliff. We have the corn snow here too in View Ridge Seattle and it has been coming down with a steady ferocity for the past hour.
ReplyDeleteShoreline, near Sears in North King County - it is blowing 25 mph & rising, snowing since about 5 pm. Snow accumulation 2-3" and VERY cold.
ReplyDeleteI'm on the west slope of West Seattle, and the wind has been howling hard for an hour and a half or so. It's been snowing hard (tiny little flakes but the air is full of them) since about 3:30pm, with current accumulations of new snow at least an inch, probably more...though it's hard to tell with the hard wind blowing everything around.
ReplyDeleteI'm amazed that some folks in Seattle haven't even had any wind! Microclimates are amazing.
Nice job Cliff...I wonder if the winds are going to wait until after the initial warm front passes and the snow tapers significantly. The pressure is too great to speculate otherwise. 1.3" in downtown Kirkland. Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteJust drove from Tacoma to Burien. 2-3 inches on I-5 but traffic was moving OK. There were some wind gusts at SeaTac blowing sideways snow and near white-out conditions. Winds seem to have died down a bit now and about 3-4 inches of new snow at the house.
ReplyDeletewind are getting bad up here in Buckley.
ReplyDeleteThe pressures between this front and the artic ridge are great, but something is keeping conditions relatively calm in Lynnwood/Edmonds.
ReplyDeleteAny thougts?
Any chance for some more of our unique and famous PNW "ThunderSnow?"
ReplyDeleteThanks for the frequent updates Cliff! Lots of snow over here on Lake Union.
ReplyDeleteNorth end of the Sammamish Plateau.... just came back from a half hour walk. Pretty neat walking in the wind and driving snow. Only saw 3 cars and no other persons out. Everyones Christmas decorations look great in real snow! By the time we got back home our tracks leaving were gone. Hard to tell how much new snow with all the wind. Highest wind gust so far has been from the east @ 22.4 MPH. Current temp 23.4 degrees with a falling barometer.
ReplyDeleteHow about sharing those cookies fjblau:)
Thanks for all your honest work Cliff. I truly enjoy weather and you make it even more fun!
3 miles south of Chehalis, and 200 feet higher, 5 inches of powder since about 3 PM when I swept off the bird feeder table. Almost NO wind the whole day. Oddly enough just swept off greenhouse and it looked like about 5 inches of snow since yesterday. It must settle pretty fast. If I swept porch off in 2 inch increments I'm thinking more than a foot. Rob
ReplyDeleteI'm on the east side of Bothell and other than some light snow and wind nothing is really happening. I checked the Komo TV website and they are beginning to downgrade the storm from SNOWMAGEDDON to a run of the mill winter storm. Judging the events of this week I'm starting to think the news channels are just trolling for more viewers...
ReplyDeletewind is blowing hard here in West Seattle. Lots of snow.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all your hard work Cliff.
22-degrees outside, corn-meal snow and probably a steady 10mph with gusts of 20 or so (guessing) here in Kirkland, near Houghton.
ReplyDeleteEnumclaw is dangerously windy....wow just waiting for the power to go out
ReplyDeleteBothell--It's been snowing steadily since 4:30 and we must have about an inch and a half, maybe more. The nice thing is that there is NO wind (thank you, thank you.) Tiny snow is falling straight down.
ReplyDeleteYou're doing a great job, Cliff.
It has been a steady snow here in Ballard/Crown Hill since about 4 PM. It was slow to start but has been picking up. No wind at all so far but at least 3 inches of new snow. We used to live in Michigan so I love a good snow storm :)
ReplyDeleteSoneomne asked. Here it is:
ReplyDeleteWWUS76 KSEW 210459
NPWSEW
URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
859 PM PST SAT DEC 20 2008
WAZ505-210600-
/O.CAN.KSEW.HW.W.0008.000000T0000Z-081221T2100Z/
EAST PUGET SOUND LOWLANDS-
859 PM PST SAT DEC 20 2008
...HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE EAST PUGET SOUND LOWLANDS IS CANCELLED...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SEATTLE HAS CANCELLED THE HIGH WIND WARNING. A WINTER STORM WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE EAST PUGET SOUND LOWLANDS. PLEASE REFER TO THE WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE...WWUS46...FOR MORE DETAILS
We had a gust of 55 mph at 9:28 here at the top of Genesee Hill in West Seattle.
ReplyDeleteHere in Lynnwood City Center, Cliff's forecast is right on. Not too much air movement, still cold (low 20's), and we've got about 3 inches of new snow on top of the existing ice, with snow falling steadily.
ReplyDeleteBack in New England, where I grew up, small flakes meant that the snow was going to continue to fall for a long time, and you could expect a large accumulation. Of course, back there, this sort of weather starts in October and continues until hurricane season starts, so we all grow up obsessively watching weather forecasts.
I just found this blog yesterday, and it's great! Thank you, Cliff, for working so hard to keep us up-to-date!
Ballard is magical. A carpet of gentle white powder...
ReplyDeleteOlalla: I'm guessing 4-5 inches new snow; it's snowed steadily since it started 3ish. Cheap thermometer on the front porch pillar says 26. Little to no wind, still. (fingers crossed)
ReplyDelete- Pete
down here in pdx we have strong wind and blowing snow... tho it is tapering off into what looks like ice .
ReplyDeletecliff, nws keeps saying we should shift to rain sleet - any thoughts, or will we stay cold enough to keep snow?
10:00 PM Maple Valley Update: Winds have been diminishing somewhat for the last half hour. Still have gusts but not as frequent or as strong. Still snowing, but has let up a little, or so it seems. Interesting that another blogger reports Enumclaw is having such a hard time because Enumclaw and Maple Valley are only about 10 miles apart. That's western Washington weather for you.
ReplyDeleteOn west side of Orcas Island: 2" since 7PM, calm.
ReplyDeleteThank you farygica, now I can sleep tonight without worrying about waking to a tree on my house. Mazel tov.
ReplyDeletePoulsbo/Bangor area, 800 ft. asl, 6 inches and steadily, heavily snowing. Small, light flakes, 21 degrees. Some wine, cheesy christmas movies, chocolate chip cookies, etc.
ReplyDeleteYeomalt Cabin - Bainbridge Island:
ReplyDeleteWind - calm; 27 degrees; 2"+ snow since 2:30pm
No wind in Sultan. Eerily still and silent. Breathing easier.
ReplyDeleteNo wind so far here in Olympia (East side of town). Some snow, probably 2-3 inches since 2pm, but very little in the last half-hour...
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping the storm picks up--I have a plane to catch tomorrow that I don't want to be on.
Hi Cliff,
ReplyDeleteThis is my first day on the site, I am really enjoying the interactive weather reporting.
Here two miles north of the end of runway 2 @ Seatac it is 20 degress F, with 10-20 mph winds and 2-3" new snow. I'm not sure what the gusts arfe but the wind is blowing
David in Blvd park
we have attempted here to settle in and enjoy this weather...what are we going to do about it anyway? We'll pray for those without our blessings.
ReplyDeleteIt's Christmas-y, cozy, and rare.
Goodnight, all.
Lake stevens update. Winds picked up, about 25 to 30 now, maybe higher gusts. We now have snow drifts, it's very white outside everywhere. Haven't heard back from my roommate who were driving back here from lacey a couple hours ago.
ReplyDeleteWe are JUST starting to hear the wind howl here, snow is accumulating everywhere due to the snow drifts. FYI, I'm on the southeast side of lake stevens, slightly over 300ft.
I'm REALLY interested in learning about why the winds are not stronger with such a large gradient between east/west. Delayed winds? I'm still expecting more out of this storm. I'll be up late to watch. No power flickers here yet.
It's been snowing steadily here in Des Moines since about 2:00 or 2:30 and the winds have been blustery all evening. When we look outside, it looks like it's snowing sideways -- from the east. Hard to say exactly how much snow we've gotten because the wind is blowing it around so much. But it looks like quite a bit. Several inches?
ReplyDeleteThanks for this awesome blog, Cliff! We are addicted at our house!
----
On an unrelated note, the charles/camco split personality situation in here is hilarious.
Just took a walk in upper Fremont. There's a steady, gentle snow. Looks like about 2-3" on top of the ice. Aurora Ave, which was almost clear earlier today, now has a solid coating of packed snow. Very light winds.
ReplyDeleteIn Shoreline this hour: cold, windy, several inches of snow. Snow is still falling and drifting. Shoreline Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/ronaldbog
ReplyDeleteHere in Kitsap, 5 miles south of Kingston (Indianola area, 2 miles from the Sound and at several hundred feet of elevation):
ReplyDeleteDry, powdery snow in small flakes since 2:30 this afternoon. 2 inches between 2:30 and 8 pm, at which point the rate increased pretty dramatically, and between 8 and 10 pm we've added another 2 inches for 4 total today.
No wind at all; it is dead calm outside, and has been all day.
Cliff, nice work. I listen to you on KUOW every Friday, and this blog is great!
NE Seattle. Steady heavy snow fall. light wind.
ReplyDeleteDowntown Issaquah - no wind yet; still snowing - about 4" of new snow since about 4pm this afternoon.
ReplyDeleteMaple Valley 10:15 PM: Winds are definitely quieting down here. Still getting gusts, but not as strong or as frequent. Seems like the worst of it was between about 8 and 9:30. Watching KONG right now and Jeff Renner will be forecasting in a few minutes.
ReplyDeleteI'm just northwest of Enumclaw and remember 1983 very well. The winds peeled roofs off like oranges. Where I am right now (in the woods, not out in the open) breezy. The wind is blowing over the tops of trees. (so far). In 1983 the wind came through the trees and sounded like a train running through. Trees snapped off at ground level. This so far is not as bad and I'm very thankful!!
ReplyDeleteRenton, Rolling Hills neighborhood just off Puget Drive; 370' elevation; snowing hard with stronger winds in the last 30 minutes. Maybe 3" of new snow today since about 3 p.m.
ReplyDeleteBlack Lake area of Olympia, about 5 new inches of snow. Drove 3 miles in it tonight back home. Snow was very powdery. I hear we may get another round tomorrow afternoon
ReplyDeleteJust under 4" here in Madrona/Madison Valley (just east of capital hill) since 3pm. No wind to speak of yet.
ReplyDelete2 blks SE of State Capitol: snow stopped about 5 min ago (hopefully temporary). fog? or snow a few blocks away. flat calm.
ReplyDeleteVery steady snow falling here on Mercer Island for hours. It's fairly calm with no wind. Absolutely beautiful deep white.
ReplyDeleteGreat blog! Appreciate the no-hype approach!
Just took the garbage and recycling out and can report this from a high point (164th & Spruce) in Lynnwood: dry snow falling at an acute angle from the east, 2" since 8PM, so 4-5 so far today at our house, 20-21 degress F currently. Light wind from the east, but the big cedar I look too as my weather sock isn't moving much at all.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great blog, Cliff - I listen to you regularly on KUOW and have been attending your updates eagerly. I received 2 books on clouds last Christmas; we'll have to see what Santa's Little Helper has in store this year!
And let's be thankful for the beauty around us (and for once, dry, billowing, crunchy snow in the Lynnwood!)
I'm off to some decaf drowned in eggnog and a little rum - goodnight!
-DW
I have been listening to your forecasts for some time and enjoy your explanations about how our weather works. I'm new to the blog and find it quite enjoyable. Regardless of how well or poorly predictions of this storm turn out to be, I am curious in the extreme to see your analysis for how such an extreme pressure difference could exist without air movement seeking to equalize it.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
we have a foot here in chehalis just by the new library
ReplyDeleteGreat storm, Cliff! The snow is beautiful, and I'm glad you slowed the winds down along the foothills...being without heat and electricity is a painful thing. You are indeed one of the finest weather choreographers.
ReplyDeletePerhaps this is due to his humility, but many of the readers of this blog don't realize that Professor Mass doesn't just predict our weather; he actually *creates* it. That's right, folks. Northwesterners get this special Christmas gift from the Department of Atmospheric Sciences.
You see, the UW has been working hard to suppress this big secret, but the storm is the result of some bigwigs over at University of Washington Press who decided that a big, complex "severe weather event" would be just the thing to increase Christmas book sales. Coinciding the event with Winter Solstice was just the icing on the cake, if you will.
Keep up the good work, and I hope you sell lots of books!
Southwest Bainbridge Island
ReplyDelete10:30 PM 5 inches of snow 3 since 9:00 PM . No wind
2 blks SE of State Capitol: very light snow now. Clearly the "fog" was surrounding snow. Beautiful...
ReplyDeleteMaple Valley 10:40 PM update: Wow! Jeff Renner just said that Enumclaw got a 75 MPH gust. We didn't have that--I don't think--in Maple Valley. Right now we're still getting gusts, but nothing major with some light blowing snow. Gusts are probably in the 20-25 MPH range. Probably 3 inches total new snow since mid-afternoon.
ReplyDeleteIn Sunset Hill, Ballard, it's been snowing steadily since about 3:30PM and at least a couple inches have accumulated thus far as of 10:40PM...
ReplyDelete10:30P ice crystal like powder beginning to drift here in Port Townsend. Swirls of wispy snow blowing across roads. Windy.
ReplyDeletefeeling fortunate here in Concrete where we have 20+ inches on the ground with zero additional today or tonight. Winds calm (a few gusts this afternoon, no higher than 15mph) temp 12•F
ReplyDeleteCliff, do high winds aloft mean that the windstorm part of this event is ocuring over our heads? If so why?
ReplyDeleteNorth Bend still has power - for now. Winds have picked up in the last 25 minutes. Hard to tell snowfall as wind is blowing around the light snow - a few inches in some areas, but I can still see some of the bare driveway I shoveled yesterday.
ReplyDelete3-4 inches of snow in magnolia - no wind to speak of, and for that i'm grateful.
ReplyDeletethis is my first day here, thx to a local dailykos diary, and i love it! thx cliff, nice to be in the company of someone who knows and loves the weather :)
Here in Hillman City/Columbia City in Seattle's Rainier Valley, I'd say 5 inches of new snow is on the ground and it's still falling steadily. No wind.
ReplyDeleteLakewood/Steilacoom/backside of North Ft. Lewis
ReplyDeletePerfectly quiet, no air moving; just brought dogs in from last romp in backyard. About 4" since 4pm, maybe a little more. Outside temp 27. Picture perfect, but hard to drive in coming up low hill to house earlier (5 pm)
We've accumulated several inches of snow, and the power just flickered a couple times, even though winds seem to have calmed a bit.
ReplyDeleteOh, in Kirkland.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like people are experiencing very different things. Two people from Sultan said it wasn't blowing too much, yet I live in Sultan and would say the east winds have been howling like mad for the last 6 hours. The only reason I can see that I still have electricity is the PUD did a lot of proactive tree trimming earlier this year.
ReplyDeletefreezing rain in Enumclaw, walking outside, everything was covered in ice...
ReplyDeleteThanks for the new update, Cliff. Almost 11 PM here on Bainbridge, the snowfall is now looking like flakes instead of tiny ice crystals. We've had at least 5" today!
ReplyDeleteNo wind to speak of, at least down near the house. Can't see the big trees.
Barely a breeze here at Pt. Robinson on Vashon-Maury Island. Snow just stopped after dropping about 3 inches since 3:30PM.
ReplyDeleteNear Fauntleroy ferry terminal in West Seattle, the temp is 26.4 (up a degree from a couple of hours ago), barometer still falling. Lots of tiny, beautiful snowflakes falling steadily here since about 2:30. Hard to measure new snow vs. old, but I'm guessing there to be about 3" thus far. We are on the lee side of the ridge, so not much wind, a few mph and less than at 9 or so. I love reading the reports from around the region!
ReplyDeleteSnowing and breezy in Lake Forest Park - the snow is a mix of real flakes and powdered sugar blowing in different directions. Swirly and beautiful. We've had at least a couple of inches since 8:00 pm. Beautiful night, I could hear the Christmas carols from the boats on the lake, a treat every year. If it's going to be windy, it will be windy in LFP. Love the blog, love Cliff. Thanks for the no-drama forecasts.
ReplyDeleteJeez, y'all, anyone busting on a forecaster for getting the forecast wrong might as well bust on a horsetrack better for picking the wrong horse sometimes. Weather forecasting is HARD, and forecasting here is way harder than almost anywhere else!
ReplyDeleteKirkland, calmer now than before -- we were getting up to maybe 20mph gusts around 9 pm, but now it's very still. Snow falling steadily -- extremely fine snow, finer than in any storm last week.
I am VERY HAPPY I won't have to use the generator I managed to scrounge today -- whoops -- WOW -- maybe spoke too soon -- big gust just came through, making a muffled roar... could be the big wind wave at last? Dunno, going to try to get back to sleep now :-)
It's been gusting pretty dramatically up here on our hill in Snohomish, east of town. The lights went out for a bit, and have been flickering for a while since then. Wow--there went a big one! Hope the horses are hiding behind the barn.... The snow is tiny dust, blowing all around in circles. Pretty, but the wind is fierce!
ReplyDeleteSeveral people are out cross country skiing around Greenlake at 10:30 tonight. The lake is partially frozen and covered in patches of slushy snow. There's about five inches on the ground around the lake. Beautiful!
ReplyDeleteLooking at the radar, it looks like it's stopped snowing SW of a line through Bremerton and Renton. It will probably stop w/in a half hour here in Poulsbo. Hopefully the cold front band Cliff mentioned will bring more! I'm guessing about 5-6" of new snow since about 2 pm today.
ReplyDeleteI live in Seward Park and we've gotten 2 - 3 inches. It started at 3 p.m. and hasn't let up. I check your blog 2x a day, Thanks!
ReplyDeleteLake Hills, Bellevue is calm, no snow falling right now although a little fell earlier this evening. Quiet and calm so far.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Cliff. Yours is the only weather report that doesn't whip me into a frantic froth.
Cliff
ReplyDeleteFirst time reply.
Noticed earlier today on the 4km UW IR at about 11AM that the front seemed to blow apart around the northern OR-WA border. In later images a strong westerly push of air seemed to center on that area. Did that have anything to do with the diminished east winds through the passes?
Around 9:30 my dog and I played a few minutes of snow soccer while walking around our Columbia City block--snow was still falling and everything was wonderfully calm and quiet. Now the snow has tapered and I see bursts of snow blown off the roof by occasional gusts. Best wishes to everyone for a warm and safe night. Thanks Cliff for all the great work!
ReplyDeleteabout 6 inches of new snow here in se olympia since 3pm-- and it is still coming down
ReplyDeleteanyone know anything about snow totals in shelton?
The winds are wobbling our xmas tree lights about 1/2" outside our window on Cedar Ponds Road south of Sultan. Quite a contrast from the dramatic wind video they showed on channel 4 news from downtown Sultan a few minutes ago (& the person who commented the winds were crazy in Sultan). I guess the winds are down in the bottom of the valley and we're above the winds. I guess, who knows? Microclimates...
ReplyDeletethe storm is a sham.
ReplyDeleteSo is that it? The radar shows the storm as having past Olympia... Is another wave expected, or has the worst of it passed?
ReplyDeleteBattle Point, Bainbridge Island ...11:40 p.m., calm, 6" of new snow in forested micro-climate, snow is now tapering off, 28 degrees.
ReplyDeleteSteady, small crystals since about 2PM for a total today of 8 inches W of Olympia near Steamboat Island. Temperature steady all evening at 26.9.
ReplyDeleteDaughter reported knee high snow a few miles north of Elma at 9PM.
Just about midnight Saturday. I am just north of Bellingham. Snow started here about 8 PM and has been coming down steady since- very fine flakes. Wind has picked up, gusting starting (I am hearing sing through the trees), but nothing too crazy...yet. Snow is swirling and drifting. We started with about 3-5" already on the ground from earlier storm. From the back deck (protected from wind)I am guessing we have gotten 2" more so far tonight.
ReplyDeleteFrom the satellite image it looks like we might be in a lull - see the thick band rolling in?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.komonews.com/weather/satellite
Power just blinked here in Sammamish..
ReplyDeleteJust after midnight and the winds are picking up on CapHill. Gusting stronger and more frequently. Tree tops are moving Even here we've been having power flickers for the past 30 to 45 minutes.
ReplyDeleteAlmost 1 AM ... West Bellevue ... air is still very calm ... in big storms wind usually rushes off lake. I think I'll still shut down the computer and unplug it, just in case the wind is really late.
ReplyDeleteEast Bellevue (Phantom Lake) checking in... hasn't been very windy at all here but snow was steady for a while and has just started up again. Looks like we have about 4" of new snow where we cleared it off earlier today.
ReplyDeleteTemp 27.0 at a sensor too close to the house
Barometer 29.44 (down from 29.77 about five hours ago)
Raise your hand if you bought a generator in the past 48 hours because you were afraid of this storm? (Raises hand.) Maybe it's our fault the wind's not too bad? I can't afford to buy a generator every time huge wind threatens but I'm glad this storm has been milder than predicted so far!
Plenty of wind in north Sammamish. Lost the skylight from my roof. Just finished taping up a big hole where the ceiling used to be.
ReplyDeleteHard to tell how much new snow since there was still about 4-5 inches left from earlier. Everything's sure blowing around pretty good though.
NE Seattle. No wind to speak of. Steady small flakes. I'd say about 6" since 4:00 this afternoon. Lovely and I'm so glad the winds are calm so far.
ReplyDeleteRenton just south of Valley General Hospital close to 167. Some wind 5 to 8 mph but can hear the wind chimes, approx 3" of light powdery snow since 5 pm (although hard to tell because it did drift against the cars and off the roofs) -- still have power and it is really pretty outside -- power is on and it's toasty inside
ReplyDeleteUp to 30 degrees near Magnuson Park in Seattle right now. The icicle fell off the street lamp. Still snowing.
ReplyDeleteIt's really windy in Redmond along north Lake Sammamish. I can't tell if it's snowing or the wind is just pushing around what we have already.
ReplyDeleteThe snow mist just turned to rain mist.
ReplyDeleteStrong wind gusts here in West Olympia. Woke me up, yawn!
ReplyDeleteSure is pretty though!
Good excuse for not buying that many presents this year!
OK, now I'm confused. I went outside earlier and the snow had definitely developed a crust on top, reinforcing my conclusion that the mist was falling as rain. I just went outside again there is a light dusting of snow where I had previously cleared the walk. But when I stretch out my sleeve what is hitting it is definitely rain. Anyway, I'm thinking if this keeps up we will see some weight on the power lines.
ReplyDeleteIt's 29 degrees here in downtown Tacoma with a "wintry mix of precipitation" falling. It looks like snow, rain, and ice rain.
ReplyDeleteThe icicles that were on the street lamps when I went to bed last night, are disappearing. I can see the freeways from my place and traffic is moving at the speed limit or close to. Not sure if the road surfaces are that safe, of if there are just a lot of stupid drivers out.............
The crust of ice on top of the snow looks to be ruining the bicycle riding. I'll probably give it a shot in Woodlawn Park after "sunrise". At about 3am I swept a couple of feet of my rear step landing so I could get a good measurement of the depth of snow. (5-1/4-inches on the west side of Green Lake in north Seattle) That area that I swept is now glazed with ice. The crust on top of the snow is almost 1/4-inch thick, and the freezing rain is still misting down. On KOMO's Winter Mosaic Radar Loop shows what should be a swath of more freezing rain coming to Seattle from Hoquiam via south Kitsap. I think I will wait until late morning to shovel the walks.
ReplyDeleteWe have almost 10 inches on the ground here on Vashon Island. The latest snowfall started about 2:30pm yesterday and was very small flakes. It is still lightly snowing.
ReplyDeleteWonder why the UW Probcast has a 41 degree high prediction for today???
ReplyDeleteMaybe their forecast machine is frozen...
West side of Sunset Hill - we have 6 inches of snow. Wind last night blew E, but were not strong. The West Point weather station didn't record high winds either. The snow has a crunch layer on it and I can hear, but not see, very fine precip falling. The suet feeding birds returned at around 7:30 this a.m. I just put the hummingbird feeder outside, but have not heard them yet....quick update before hitting send - the hummingbird is feeding. 29 degrees and calm now.
ReplyDeleteCapitol Hill at 8am--Okay, I am an addict, I admit it. After being glued to the blog and comments last night, it was my first stop this morning at 7am, hoping for an update. My husband insisted that I stop being a couch observer and get out there and "participate" in the weather. It doesn't look to me like we have the icy layer others are reporting, so we are going to attempt to take our mountain bikes on a spin to Volunteer Park. I'll let you know how it goes. -Maly
ReplyDeleteWell, sadly Sammamish was pretty much a bust. We had wind (but nothing worse than what we had the storm before this previous one), no snow, and I woke up this morning to a bit of freezing rain coating everything. So all in all, just a bunch of "blech."
ReplyDeleteHow is it Redmond, a mere 7 miles down the road, got 5" while we got nothing?
Here in Woodinville it hard to tell how much more we got, but I'll say 4-6" more. The wind blew things around pretty good. Must've rained lightly cause there is a light crust on top of the snow. 26 degrees at 8am.
ReplyDeleteYEOMALT CABIN - BAINBRIDGE ISLAND:
ReplyDeleteWind - calm; 32degrees; 6" snow since 2:30pm yesterday has thin crust
What a morning! Incredible scenes around the garden, really beautiful. Gray skies, 35 degrees in Lake Forest Park. It's feeling colder. We have almost seven inches of snow, which means almost four inches of new. Better to be prepared for the worst than surprised by the worst. The birds are going to have to dig deep for the seeds I threw out for them yesterday.
ReplyDeleteNot much happening in Freeland on Whidbey--maybe a couple of inches of snow. Very surprised (and glad) that we didn't get hit by the wind--we're usually pummeled here! Looking at the maps, it appears we are in the snow-shadow--or some other phenomena. It's so interesting to read all these reports from other places! I'm especially grateful to hear about N. Seattle (Shoreline), as I have to commute there for work! So thanks for the site!
ReplyDelete(And I must note that it's odd to see some people speaking so emotionally about weather predictions--why so personal and blaming? This is confusing to me? Why disparage someone for doing his best to make sense of the insensible weather we have? Can we just discuss this without the personal attacks?)
Newcastle - South Bellevue, 560' hilltop; 3.5 inches new overnight, plus crust from freezing rain. Noticed no significant winds all night.
ReplyDeletegreat to find this site! Although, as usual, some find internet sites a place to drool out their own inadequacies MOST are wonderful. Woke up to almost exactly 12" [just a 1/2 under on a cold bench] new here on Hood Canal near Seabeck and it started raining but is again snowing!
ReplyDeleteI am in Edmonds, about 8 blocks from the sound and it began snowing at 3:30 yesterday. It is still snowing this morning and the snow is above the threshhold of the door. We had some gusty winds last night, nothing too bad.
ReplyDeleteAnyone know how it went and is in North Bend and the hills just south of there? We are considering driving out to check on friends' home...
ReplyDelete9am Capitol Hill-- Mountain biking was a bust. No big surprise. I was wrong, we do have that little icy layer but it is dusted over with snow. We have about 6 inches total, with an icy / crispy layer that's 1/16 to 1/8 of an inch thick. Only saw 1 car, a few pedestrians and some VERY happy (but chilly) dogs. -Maly
ReplyDeleteEast Woodinville, elevation 500 feet - about 2-3 inches of new snow (brought it back up to about a foot), 28 degrees, no precipitation or crust on the snow or anything like that. Kind of breezy, basically from the southeast.
ReplyDeleteDowntown Issaquah 9.00 am
ReplyDeleteabout 5" snow with an icy crust. Calm, no snow.
Lake Stevens at 9am. About 4 to 5 inches of new snow, still breezy with gusts at times.
ReplyDeleteThe 4 to 5 inches of new snow is on top of a very thick sheet of ice...which is on top of the already compacted 4 to 5 inches of snow we previously had.
Also, we have some decent snow drifts. It's extremely beautiful up here!
I completely forgot to mention, it's still snow here in lake stevens, light to moderate, the wind is keeping it light though.
ReplyDeleteLast night, our strongest winds 'sounded' like they came in around 1am.
West Seattle 9am Highland Park region.
ReplyDelete22º F.
not snowing.
light 2mph wind.
5-7" ± 3" new snow.
12" drifts from windblow.
3/16" ice crust over fluffy powder.
No visible ice formation on electrical lines.
Roads fine. Probably have icelayer. Needs Sand.
Near the top of Cougar Mountain between Bellevue and Issaquah, we only had about 4 more inches of snow. The only sign of wind from last night is leaves scattered over the snow -- no branches down that I can see. (And our power is still on so I can type thies :-)
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate reading everyone's comments, makes it clear there is no such thing as 'the' weather around here.
I do wish the dorks who like to complain about someone providing a service like this would grow up.
Here in Pacific (just south of Auburn) we have about 6-1/2" of snow.. I think 4" is from yesterday. No precipitation right now. Went for a long walk at 7:15 am.. about a mile to the Starbucks which was closed & then on over to the Albertsons to the instore Starbucks. Nobody else was out walking & only a couple cars passed me. It was absolutely beautiful. My walk took me past the White River which is partially frozen over & filled with fast moving pieces of ice that look like lily pads. Walking through the park was an adventure - the snow has a light crunchy layer & with each step I sunk about 6 inches... It was like a half hour on a stairmaster. Just heard that Auburn has asked everybody to stay off the roads so the hills must be pretty icy.
ReplyDeletePoulsbo/Suquamish: Just went for a long walk with the dog. Fine mist of snow falling rapidly, I estimate about 8" of snow on the ground here. The major roads near our house (Columbia, Lincoln) look to be a-okay. The temperatures aren't cold enough to freeze them into ice...kind of like driving on thick mud. Saw a number of trucks/SUVs travelling at about 10/mph below normal speeds. Also saw one sedan w/ chains tooling around.
ReplyDelete