September 03, 2009

The Weekend of Wet

Cancel your hike on Saturday. Get a good book (hint...a suggestion is on the upper right of this page). Don't water your garden tomorrow. The weekend of wetness is coming. And the end of any serious threat of wildfires over the Northwest.


But not tomorrow. A weak front is approaching right now (see image) and could bring some light rain to the coast, but only some sprinkles will hit over the interior.

But wait until Saturday, when a moderate front..with plenty of moisture... will reach us.
The rain from the front will approach the coast in the early morning hours and the western lowlands between 7 and 9 AM. The three hour rainfall ending 11 AM is shown below. The front will move through during the day, bringing rain to the Cascades and even some showers to the east of the crest. Take a look at the 24-h rainfall ending 5 PM below. Perhaps a 1/4 to 1/2 inch over the lowlands. Not a good day for a hike in the Olympics. You could get away with a hike on the lower eastern Cascade slopes if you go early.
But wait. The fun doesn't stop there. The front moves through Saturday evening, followed by a short break in the action. Then an upper trough moves in bringing more showers to the region on Sunday. Take a look at the precipitation for the 24-h ending 5 PM on Sunday below. Plenty of rain over the entire state..with particularly heavy rain on the SW side of the Olympics...roughly two more inches. And eastern Washington gets enough to wet things down.
And did I mention the winds? A surface low will accompany Sunday's trough...bringing windy conditions over the ocean and along the coast (see graphic). And 25-35 kt southeasterly winds will develop over NW Washington.
Time to find your rain jackets that have been buried in your closet. You will need it. And one more thing...watch the driving. It has been fairly dry and there is lots of oil on the road. Add water and it will be slippery.
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13 comments:

  1. SteveSeptember 4, 2009 at 6:56 AM

    I always enjoy the first fall "storm." This is when I start dreaming of skiing.

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  2. UnknownSeptember 4, 2009 at 7:33 AM

    I wonder if we've ever had a dryer May-September?

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  3. kruseoneSeptember 4, 2009 at 7:38 AM

    Thank you, Cliff! No rock climbing... on this side of the mountains anyways.... and, well, apparently on the other side, too... this weekend!

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  4. mainstreeterSeptember 4, 2009 at 8:37 AM

    On This Day, September 04, In 1988, Stampede Pass, Washington Hit An All Time High Temperature Record Of 91 Degrees.

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  5. UnknownSeptember 4, 2009 at 10:26 AM

    Yay, I love you rain! I love you wind! Sorry to those who wanted one last weekend of summer. I am sure you will get plenty of bright days before Fall is fully upon us, but this news makes my day!

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  6. gshallSeptember 4, 2009 at 10:51 AM

    We're on the west side of San Juan Island, and you met us when you were here last week. Do you want us to measure hours of sunshine Sat. and Sun. to see if your sunniest-place theory gets more data? And by the way, as a pilot, I have always called this the San Juan Island sucker hole.

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  7. Diary of a cat householdSeptember 4, 2009 at 11:04 AM

    good i am getting 2 new books from amazon today.too bad this kind of rain can't hit the wildfire in LA

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  8. Team AlaskaSeptember 4, 2009 at 12:04 PM

    Is that a collective sigh of relief I sense from all the anadromous fish milling at the mouths of their natal streams~

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  9. Big White BallSeptember 4, 2009 at 12:27 PM

    I bet Weather Is My Life will dance a jig this weekend! Stay safe on the roads, everyone.

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  10. UnknownSeptember 4, 2009 at 5:44 PM

    I've hear there is a chance of snow on the highest mountains. Any truth to this?

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  11. mainstreeterSeptember 5, 2009 at 12:08 AM

    THIS WEATHER PATTERN WILL HAVE THE GREATEST IMPACT ON THE
    MOUNTAIN BACKCOUNTRY...AND PEOPLE PLANNING TRIPS THERE SHOULD BE
    PREPARED FOR POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS COLD AND WET WEATHER.

    THE SNOW LEVEL WILL FALL TO AROUND 6000 FEET BY SUNDAY...AND ONE
    TO TWO FEET OF NEW SNOW IS EXPECTED TO FALL ABOVE THE SNOW LEVEL.

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  12. athosSeptember 5, 2009 at 9:25 AM

    Hey, where is the rain everyone talked about. Pretty boring rain storm here in Sammamish. :)

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  13. Weather Is My LifeSeptember 8, 2009 at 11:13 PM

    Guess what? I didn't cancel my hike on Saturday and it was WONDERFUL!!!

    I don't melt in the rain like most people, I guess. :)

    ReplyDelete

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