January 04, 2009

Snow is here

As predicted, the snow is here. But right now it looks like it will hold in for several more hours..roughly 10 PM..which means several more inches. One of the most valuable tools in these situations is the profiler at Sand Point in Seattle. The latest graphic is attached. Temperatures have cooled aloft (this is virtual temperature in centigrade, subtract one degree approximately to give the regular temp). 1C--which mean freezing-- was at roughly 300 m and dropping...that is why snow is falling to sea level now. SW winds are increasing aloft in the figure...and that will bring warm air down eventually...but it is going to take several hours to do so.
Take a look at the latest obs (see attached)...cool temps everywhere..even at coastal stations. (Note if you click on the graphics they will expand for easier viewing) Finally, the latest computer forecasts suggest the snow holding to around 10 PM.
The bottom line is that snow could well range from 1-4 inches, perhaps more in favored higher locations. Kitsap will get more.
Very strong SE winds are over SE Washington and near Destruction Is on the coast. As described in my book, this pattern of strong winds is due to the influence of the Olympics.

86 comments:

  1. Still snowing in South Tacoma. 1/2 to 3/4 inch accumulated. Little wind.
    Temp down to 34.2

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  2. Big flakes and approx. 1" accumulated snow on the ridge east of the Fred Meyer in Lake City.

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  3. We have 4 inches already here in North Kitsap (Poulsbo)at about 350' above sea level. I keep telling my kids it will likely be gone by morning, but I'm beginning to doubt that.

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  4. Duvall, 420' elevation (King-48) 1" on ground, street covered, snowing moderately, 31.3 degrees, dew point 30, SE wind 3-7 mph

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  5. 2 inches here in Madrona, with more falling. No buses seen on 34 Ave. since it started, and driving up Union was very dicey. It's 7:30pm now.

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  6. 1 3/4 inches over on 22nd Ave NE in the U District

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  7. 2 inches here in lynnwood near Meadowdale High. Temp 32.4

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  8. About 3½inches wet snow at 60ft elevation on Agate Pass just south of Old Man House Park. Still snowing...

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  9. About 2 1/2 inches here on Mercer Island. Calm. Unexpected but very pretty.

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  10. Given that the snow is expected to continue till around 10pm, will we get the rain afterwards????

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  11. Snowing hard on South Whidbey Island. About two inches on the ground, very wet and sloppy.

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  12. We have had snow in Potlatch since 3PM. Currently have 3 1/2 inches. Waterfront temperature on Hood Canal is 32F

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  13. More than 2 inches in Mountlake Terrace now. It is still accumulating fast. Will it really be gone by morning?
    It's 7:45pm

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  14. Some time between 7:15pm, when it was 31.4 and snowing, and about 7:40pm, when my son came in from work, it started to rain (at 33.4F).

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  15. 7:45 PM now, and ~3" in the Northgate area since 5 PM.

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  16. Why does it appear to be warmer to the North (Skagit/Whatcom) right now 7:33pm and colder to the south? Currently 36 at both Bellingham and Burlington airports, yet 32-33 in Seattle?

    Anybody?

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  17. Skyway has about 2 inches and it's still coming down as snow. I'm cheered to know that other Seattle areas are getting this as well. Just so long as it all melts by tomorrow...

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  18. 2-1/2-inches of wet stuff on the west side of Green Lake in north Seattle. I haven't made it to the K&K yet, but my ETA is 8pm.

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  19. When will the rain come? Please let there be school tomorrow!

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  20. Any chance of no Seattle Schools tomorrow :D?

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  21. About 3" just west of Montesano--230' elevation.

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  22. We have in the realm of 2 inches in Sammamish. And I was just thinking, no way is this going to stop at 7:00...glad you updated things for 10:00.

    According to a neighbor's weather instruments via Wunderground, our temp is below freezing.

    The snow is excellent. Form it into a ball, roll it like a bowling ball and it grows as far as it rolls!

    (But please....make it stop!)

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  23. Vaughn Bay, Pierce County
    elev. 20'
    temp. 34 deg F and steady
    Snow has turned to rain and the wind is picking up.

    I'm getting into the hot tub to watch it all melt!

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  24. It is 8:10 pm and we just measured 4 1/2 inches in Port Orchard. Will there be late start tomorrow for SK schools?

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  25. Wow. 45 knots at out the coast. Time to go windsurfing!

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  26. 3-4 inches of snow in south Mukilteo. We're at about 460 feet here.

    Big, fluffy flakes, like some angels are having a big pillow fight upstairs. ;)

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  27. 4 inches on Olalla/Port Orchard, still snowing.

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  28. Sammamish -- keep it coming. Much prefer the snow to the gray skies and endless rain. I can take walks in the snow and not get wet!

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  29. no snow now in east olympia, but the winds have picked up dramatically. we're getting gusts to 20mph, with a constant wind of 4-6mph. looks like the snow has past us.

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  30. Snowing steadily and heavily for the last three hours in Lake Forest Park. I have three inches of thick, wet snow in my yard (again) and it is accumulating on the road below so not a good sign for tomorrow. It's 38 degrees and has been getting colder gradually through the afternoon. 500' above sea level - unbelievable and still, beautiful. I love how quiet it gets when it snows and how bright it is outside.

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  31. About 1/2" here now east of North Bend. (Exit 34 off I-90.)

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  32. Snowing in Mt Baker (SE Seattle) for about 2 hours now. maybe 1.5 inches. Very slippery when walking the dog at 7:45. Pray for rain...my kids need to go to school tomorrow!

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  33. Sunset Hill Elev. 80'
    Started to snow today at 3p.m. when temp was 35. Accumulated 2" and temp is 33.

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  34. Coming down heavier now east of North Bend. This has gotta stop. I NEED my kids to go to school tomorrow!

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  35. About 2 to 3 inches in north Edmonds. Elevation: 380 feet / Temp.: 32.8 degrees F. Still falling. Will it melt before the morning commute? Film at eleven.

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  36. The plows are out in Mountlake Terrace now. There is a couple inches on the ground now and it's still coming down hard. I'm starting to get nervous that it isn't gonna turn to rain. It's still about 31 degrees out now.

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  37. Duvall, 420' elevation - 3" on ground, still snowing from moderate to heavy. 31.6 degrees, wind has died down.

    http://www.wunderground.com/weatherstation/WXDailyHistory.asp?ID=KWADUVAL5

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  38. @8:40pm, Bainbridge: 5" accum. at approx. 200 above sea level and still coming!

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  39. 2" - 3" and about 30 degrees at High Point in West Seattle - at about 500 feet. And still coming down.

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  40. It will transition over to rain. Westport and Ocean shores report temps in the mid 40's. It will switch over while we are all sleeping and we will wake to a slushy/sloppy mess.

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  41. 3 inches in Magnolia now...32.5 degrees. Bus 24 is stuck on 28th. Snow is slowing down as we speak. (8:45 pm)

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  42. 2-3" in West Seattle.

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  43. Capitol Hill--Seattle

    8:50--Heavy wet snow. 3+ inches. I'm shocked and thrilled!

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  44. 8:53 in Loyal Heights Ballard, 29 degrees and about 3.2 inches on the ground and possibly slowing down now. School? Please?

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  45. 8:59pm

    Four inches in Lynnwood/Edmonds!

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  46. At 2:50 it was snowing at the I5/I90 interchange in Sea. So we didn't go to Issaq/N Bend as planned!

    Then snowing on W Sea/Admiral at 3:15 and rain over the W Sea Bridge. Not sticking at that point.

    Back in E. Lake Union at 4 and it started to snow shortly after. It is so strange, I can "hear" the snow. It is wet and not the noiseless snowfall of Dec. We have over an inch at this point.

    I love all the education on your site Cliff! Can't wait until my mom finishes your book I gave her for Christmas & sends it back for my turn to read.

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  47. We have 5"+ on the ground in Kingston, and it continues to snow heavily. I just stepped outside and heard a tree cracking in the distance. Likely to be quite a few trees and limbs coming down, as this snow is wet and heavy.

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  48. We've got 3 inches near Jackson Park Golf Course. Big, wet flakes; but still coming down pretty heavy.

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  49. About 3 inches here, NE Shoreline, about 500' elevation.

    It's beautiful, but I AM SO SICK OF THE SNOW. I moved out here from Connecticut for a REASON. Cliff, make it stop! Please! *grin*

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  50. almost 4in in Bvue at 750 ft. Yeah!

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  51. temp in Upper Fremont (3 blocks south of Woodland Park Zoo) is 32.9 F and we have 3 1/2" inches of snow and still falling fast. Great snow balls!

    There will be rain and school, thank goodness! But it is lovely.

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  52. Measured 3 inches in Wedgwood at 9pm - AND saw a SNOW PLOW on 35th Ave NE!! (after the bus went by)

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  53. 5.0 inched on our picnic table here Haller Lake, just south of 145th.

    My kids are hoping for no school tomorrow. I have to admit, I wouldn't mind just one more day of snow ...

    Ironically, we're just cleaning up after Christmas Eve Party, which was postponed until today for weather reasons. Boy howdy, did people beat a fast path to the door when they saw those flakes were sticking, yet again!

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  54. A bit over 2" in West Seattle, and still DUMPING down at 9:30pm. It's 32*. I somehow think we may get more snow and less rain than originally thought...

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  55. Between 5 and 6.5" depending where I measure it here at 440ft in Port Ludlow, Oly Peninsula (same latitude as Mukilteo, more or less. Been snowing since 3:45, high winds. Boy was I not expecting this!!

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  56. Vaughn Bay, Pierce County
    elev. 20'
    temp. 34 deg F and steady
    Rain has turned to rain/snow mix and it's breezy.preessi

    For those wanting school delay info you can get it for most public schools at:
    http://www.schoolreport.org/

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  57. No wind, 2" of new snow and still falling, "Cascade concrete", 32.6F in East Bellevue, 210' elevation.

    Please, PLEASE melt by morning. I will officially go insane if the kids get another day off school!!!!!

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  58. heart of Mountlake Terrace, close to 4" of perfect snowman/-ball snow, and the flakes are still coming down (though much smaller now).
    i wonder what will happen by noon -- will the snow on the ground prove no match for the expected warmer air, or...? it's just been so stubborn up here.

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  59. Snowing a lot atop Union Hill in Redmond, WA at about 590-600' supposedly.

    Cliff, any chance that the snow won't stop for areas about 500' tonight?

    I saw Walter Kelly's forecast, and it said in the morning for Redmond, that it was going to be 32*. And we are always colder.

    Whats happening?

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  60. three inches on Queen Anne in Seattle and still coming down hard, but definitely wet stuff. Metro shuttle bus is running with chains on top of the hill, so transportation still available for those without other means. So that is good. It is beautiful.

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  61. South Mill Creek area around 3-in's at this point. I was so happy to be able to drive again safely. Sigh. Isn't it suppose to rain later and melt?

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  62. snow has basically stopped in Ballard, slowly being replaced by Rain.

    Oh and Cliff -- have meteorologists ever read Tufte? The first chart you sent out was basically indecipherable to this reasonably educated engineer...

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  63. South Hill Puyallup:
    Mostly rain with a very thin layer of slush on the car.

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  64. Duvall - 420' 31.8 degrees, Dewpoint 30.5 Snowing heavily (3/4" - 1" size snowflakes). 4" on the ground.

    Rain, rain, where art thou?

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  65. still snowing lightly near Hwy 9 & Maltby Rd

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  66. Olalla: I lost internet access about 8:30...usually means high water content in the snow. When I went out to clear the dish I could hear the raindrops rattling down onto my plastic raincoat hood. I've had access continuously since then. There's been continuous precipitation since 3:30 or so, and we have around six inches of that stuff.

    - Pete

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  67. Still snowing with about 3" so far in Wallingford. Beautiful!

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  68. Still snowing over here in Pinehurst, about 4 inches so far.

    I just love watching the snow/rain move on the radar : http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/businesstraveler/map/interactive/98101

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  69. 3-4 inches in s. cap hill/Seattle U area and still snowing big wet globs alternating with dryer snow.

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  70. Greenlake/Greenwood at 10:30 PM: About 3 inches here and very much on the roads. No offense to Cliff and other meteorologists around here, but I'm skeptical about any forecasts that have to do with snow. I'm wondering if it really will warm up overnight. I'm hoping to wake to bare wet pavement tomorrow AM. Prove my skepticism wrong.
    The charm of snow has well worn off for me!

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  71. @John - the profiler charts are about the hardest to read of all the charts Cliff posts, but I think if you spend a bit more time you'll start to understand what it's telling you and appreciate how much information is there and how concisely it's presented.

    From what I've been able to determine, the vertical axis is altitude, and the horizontal is time, with most recent at the left (ie if it were coming off a printer it would be scrolling to the right). Blue symbols are the vector of wind direction and speed at the various altitudes. Red lines are temperature boundaries; so when you see a vertical red line it indicates that temp is changing at all altitudes, and when you see a horizontal red line it indicates hotter or cooler air at a higher altitude.

    I think Tufte would approve of most of these charts! Remember that they're not really meant for the general public; like medical X-rays, they're meant to convey a lot of information efficiently to someone who knows how to read them. But I'm not a meteorologist and I got at least this far.

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  72. 5" and no power in west seattle

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  73. In Wedgwood (NE 75th St & 44th Ave. NE, elev. 327 ft. according to Google Earth) approx. 4" of very wet snow, still falling pretty hard. Looks like it'll be a fun first day of the quarter for UW.

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  74. I'm watching the radar and it appears that the rain may not be coming to my neighborhood tonight. It may dry out by midnight and then I have little hope that the snow will melt enough to make for a nice commute to work. I'm going to bed and hope that I'm wrong and wake to clear roads. Happy dreaming folks! Night Night.

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  75. Drove up from Portland this evening, the snow zone ended at Woodland. Then the roads were bare with heavy rain and wind, the worst I have driven in years. More slush at the tops of the 1-5 summits and then more wind and rain. Tumwater was all slushy snow when I arrived. I thought I saw snow lightning 3 times but it could of been transformer exploding.

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  76. Central Bainbridge Island, near the highway, and at least 3" now (on the deck). Heavy stuff, and I can hear the occasional branch cracking. At least one power outage closer to downtown.

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  77. 1" in Kirkland (11:02)

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  78. lauretta says...Snowing hard in Packwood, Wa. about 6 inches of new
    snow this evening on top of the 2 and 1/2 feet we already have. Elevation
    1066 feet

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  79. Foothills south of Sultan (400' elevation): 3" accumulation; still snowing but very lightly; 32 degrees; no wind. Avidly awaiting rain/warming. The Subaru will probably be able to get out in the morning, but I feel less sure of the Toyotas prospects :). (Must traverse steep hills off Ben Howard, and the deep slush last week was very very difficult until some local good Samaritans cleared some of the local byways....)

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  80. 11pm 8 mi. NW of Hood Canal Bridge, 500' El. Snow started 3:45pm, stopped 9:45pm; 4" accumulation. No rain yet.

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  81. Oyster Bay (sea level) nw Thurston County -
    An inch plus of slick snow turning to rain between ten and eleven PM.

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  82. 3 1/4" snow here in Bothell-98011- (415', 39F) Snow stopped at around 10:45pm. No rain yet. Car's already getting stuck on our little hill. Bring on the rain! No slushy mess please-

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  83. 3-1/4-inches of wet snow on the west side of Green Lake in north Seattle. I saw snow plows going south on 99 (Aurora Ave) several times, for no reason. I saw no improvement after they passed. They should hit the arterials through the neighborhoods. The 358 bus went on a snow route, skipping the Linden Avenue "bypass". Linden needs to be plowed. Aurora is fine. I haven't seen any evidence of icing in the neighborhood or on the arterials. I hope the city doesn't salt.

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  84. North Bend - Temp. 30 deg with wind out of the South at 5 - 22 mph. 5 inches of snow and snowing heavily.

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  85. It's now more rain than snow in Sammamish, but we already have a pretty good coat of compact snow on the roadways. It will be interesting to see if this turns to slush or ice.

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  86. it was a bloody blizzard here last night (chehalis).

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