http://www.drdale.com/lapse/snow101122canon.mov
The conditions were treacherous last night on the city hills...and it didn't take a lot of snow/ice to make the roads impassable. This is one of the most amazing videos I have seen on this topic and the music really works:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhZCyQ3emQg
Multiply this by all the incidents across the city and the state for the entire winter and it is clear that roadway ice is the most serious meteorological threat of all!
I can help myself..this is from an earlier Portland storm and is beyond belief (provided by natchrl8r):
http://www.youtube.com/user/SuperVid4u#p/a/u/2/YmVh56_lz7w
Perhaps what we need is a law making it ILLEGAL to drive on inclined streets in dangerous conditions.
Tonight the temperatures will head down to the lower teens and even single digits in the western side of the state. And tomorrow will be sunny, but cold.
Thursday will be the transition day to warmer temperatures...but will we get snow as the warm air comes in? Will examine that tomorrow.
And finally, the NWS has released the latest snow totals from the storm. It really hard on the north side of the Olympics:
..SNOWFALL TOTALS THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING...
SNOWFALL TOTALS LESS THAN 1 INCH WERE GENERALLY NOT LISTED.
COCORAHS OBSERVATIONS ARE TAKEN ONCE A DAY...GENERALLY BETWEEN
5 AND 8 AM.
SNOWFALL DEPTH OBSERVATION
(IN) (IN) TYPE
CLALLAM COUNTY
SEQUIM 5.4 SW 13.0 15 CO
ELWHA 1 ENE 11.0 SP
PORT ANGELES 2.5 SSW 9.7 14 CO
SEQUIM 5.5 NNW 8.7 CO
MOUNT PLEASANT 4 WNW 7.6 SP
N COVILLE (THRU 12PM) 7.0 SP
FORKS 6.9 WSW 1.0 2 CO
_______________________________________________
KING COUNTY
NORTH BEND 3 ESE 13.0 SP
NORTH BEND 2.8 SE 9.5 12 CO
ENUMCLAW 4 WNW 7.0 SP
RENTON 3.2 E 7.0 7 CO
NORTH BEND 5.4 ESE 6.3 11 CO
ISSAQUAH (EL 300 FT) 6.0 7 CO
AUBURN 8.2 SE 5.5 8 CO
LAKEKLAND NORTH 5.1 CO
COVINGTON 1.1 NE 5.0 CO
NEWPORT HILLS 1.9SSE 5.0 CO
RENTON 3.6 SSE 4.7 CO
KENT 1.7 SSE 4.5 CO
ISSAQUAH 3 SSW (EL 1375 FT) 4.5 NW
AUBURN 1 S 3.5 4 SP
SEATTLE 3.0 WNW 3.0 CO
SEATTLE 5.1 SE 3.2 CO
BELLEVUE 0.8 S 3.0 CO
SEATTLE-TACOMA AIRPORT 2.7 MT
SAMMAMISH 1.7 NNE 2.5 CO
KIRKLAND 0.8 SW 2.4 CO
ISSAQUAH 3.6 NW 2.3 CO
FEDERAL WAY 2.5 NNE 2.3 CO
KENMORE 2.0 NW
MADISON PARK ( SEATTLE ) 2.0 NW
NWS SEATTLE 2.0 MT
SHORELINE 1.7 NW 1.5 CO
_______________________________________________
SNOHOMISH COUNTY
MARYSVILLE 4 N 5.0 SP
LYNNWOOD 3.0
CLEARVIEW 0.8 SW 3.0 CO
STANWOOD 0.7 N 2.5 CO
LAKE STEVENS 0.9 NW 2.3 CO
BOTHELL 4.9 NNW 2.0 CO
EVERETT 3.6 S 2.0 CO
ARLINGTON 1.7 NNE 2.0 CO
MILL CREEK 2.0 NW
EDMONDS 2.0
BOTHELL 4.9 NNW 2.0 NW
MONROE 1.8
BRIER 0.8 NE 1.5 CO
_______________________________________________
PIERCE COUNTY
EATONVILLE (EL 800 FT) 13.0 17 SP
EATONVILLE 7.4 NNW 9.8 12 CO
PUYALLUP 5 E 6.5 SP
FREDERICKSON 5 SE 6.0 SP
PUYALLUP 2.1 NW 4.0 CO
SUMMIT 1.1 WSW 4.0 CO
PARKLAND 0.9 NE 3.9 CO
STEILACOOM 0.4 NW 2.5 CO
PUYALLUP 2.1 ESE 2.5 4 CO
TACOMA 3.1 NW 1.0
_______________________________________________
LEWIS COUNTY
ELBE 5 SSE (MINERAL) 10.0 SP
CINEBAR 1.7 SW 5.5 8 CO
ONALASKA 2.8 NE 5.1 8 CO
WINLOCK 0.5 W 4.7 CO
MOSSYROCK 3 ESE 4.0 SP
_______________________________________________
MASON COUNTY
SHELTON 5.2 NNW 6.5 CO
SHELTON 6.1 E 5.0 CO
POTLATCH 2 N (THRU 1230) 4.0 SP
SHELTON 2.8 ESE 2.9 5 CO
_______________________________________________
KITSAP COUNTY
KINGSTON 2.7 SSE 6.0 CO
INDIANOLA 0.9 NNW 4.8 CO
BREMERTON 5 SSW (GOLD MTN) 5.0 SP
SUQUAMISH 4.0 CO
KINGSTON 1.7 WNW 3.7 CO
BETHEL 5 SSE 2.8 SP
BREMERTON 2.8 NE 2.5 CO
_______________________________________________
ISLAND COUNTY
LANGELY 4.1 NW 2.8 CO
COUPEVILLE 0.5 WNW 2.1 CO
FREELAND 1 WSW 2.0 SP
_______________________________________________
THURSTON COUNTY
ROCHESTER 1.3 NNE 4.0 5 CO
YELM 6.3 S 3.9 6 CO
OLYMPIA 1.3 S 3.2 CO
OLYMPIA 3.1 SSE 2.2 3 CO
OLYMPIA 7.0 NNE 1.8 CO
_______________________________________________
JEFFERSON COUNTY
CHIMACUM 1.8 SW 4.5 CO
PORT HADLOCK 0.7 NW 4.5 CO
PORT TOWNSEND NW 1(THRU 1PM) 4.5 SP
PORT TOWNSEND 2.2 W 4.1 CO
CHIMACUM 5.1 S 4.0 CO
PORT TOWNSEND 4.6 S 3.0 CO
_______________________________________________
SKAGIT COUNTY
ANACORTES 4.9 S 2.4 CO
CONCRETE 4.9 ESE 1.6 4 CO
MOUNT VERNON 1.1 E 0.8 CO
_______________________________________________
SAN JUAN COUNTY
LOPEZ ISLAND 2.2 WSW 1.0 CO
FRIDAY HARBOR 2.8 S 1.0 CO
_______________________________________________
GRAYS HARBOR COUNTY
ELMA 0.5 W 1.0 2 CO
MT = AUGMENTED ASOS OBSERVATION
CO = COCORAHS
SP = SKYWARN SPOTTER
NW = NWS EMPLOYEE
$$
DAMICO/FELTON
WEATHER.GOV/SEATTLE
I can help myself..this is from an earlier Portland storm and is beyond belief (provided by natchrl8r):
http://www.youtube.com/user/SuperVid4u#p/a/u/2/YmVh56_lz7w
Perhaps what we need is a law making it ILLEGAL to drive on inclined streets in dangerous conditions.
Tonight the temperatures will head down to the lower teens and even single digits in the western side of the state. And tomorrow will be sunny, but cold.
Thursday will be the transition day to warmer temperatures...but will we get snow as the warm air comes in? Will examine that tomorrow.
And finally, the NWS has released the latest snow totals from the storm. It really hard on the north side of the Olympics:
..SNOWFALL TOTALS THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING...
SNOWFALL TOTALS LESS THAN 1 INCH WERE GENERALLY NOT LISTED.
COCORAHS OBSERVATIONS ARE TAKEN ONCE A DAY...GENERALLY BETWEEN
5 AND 8 AM.
SNOWFALL DEPTH OBSERVATION
(IN) (IN) TYPE
CLALLAM COUNTY
SEQUIM 5.4 SW 13.0 15 CO
ELWHA 1 ENE 11.0 SP
PORT ANGELES 2.5 SSW 9.7 14 CO
SEQUIM 5.5 NNW 8.7 CO
MOUNT PLEASANT 4 WNW 7.6 SP
N COVILLE (THRU 12PM) 7.0 SP
FORKS 6.9 WSW 1.0 2 CO
_______________________________________________
KING COUNTY
NORTH BEND 3 ESE 13.0 SP
NORTH BEND 2.8 SE 9.5 12 CO
ENUMCLAW 4 WNW 7.0 SP
RENTON 3.2 E 7.0 7 CO
NORTH BEND 5.4 ESE 6.3 11 CO
ISSAQUAH (EL 300 FT) 6.0 7 CO
AUBURN 8.2 SE 5.5 8 CO
LAKEKLAND NORTH 5.1 CO
COVINGTON 1.1 NE 5.0 CO
NEWPORT HILLS 1.9SSE 5.0 CO
RENTON 3.6 SSE 4.7 CO
KENT 1.7 SSE 4.5 CO
ISSAQUAH 3 SSW (EL 1375 FT) 4.5 NW
AUBURN 1 S 3.5 4 SP
SEATTLE 3.0 WNW 3.0 CO
SEATTLE 5.1 SE 3.2 CO
BELLEVUE 0.8 S 3.0 CO
SEATTLE-TACOMA AIRPORT 2.7 MT
SAMMAMISH 1.7 NNE 2.5 CO
KIRKLAND 0.8 SW 2.4 CO
ISSAQUAH 3.6 NW 2.3 CO
FEDERAL WAY 2.5 NNE 2.3 CO
KENMORE 2.0 NW
MADISON PARK ( SEATTLE ) 2.0 NW
NWS SEATTLE 2.0 MT
SHORELINE 1.7 NW 1.5 CO
_______________________________________________
SNOHOMISH COUNTY
MARYSVILLE 4 N 5.0 SP
LYNNWOOD 3.0
CLEARVIEW 0.8 SW 3.0 CO
STANWOOD 0.7 N 2.5 CO
LAKE STEVENS 0.9 NW 2.3 CO
BOTHELL 4.9 NNW 2.0 CO
EVERETT 3.6 S 2.0 CO
ARLINGTON 1.7 NNE 2.0 CO
MILL CREEK 2.0 NW
EDMONDS 2.0
BOTHELL 4.9 NNW 2.0 NW
MONROE 1.8
BRIER 0.8 NE 1.5 CO
_______________________________________________
PIERCE COUNTY
EATONVILLE (EL 800 FT) 13.0 17 SP
EATONVILLE 7.4 NNW 9.8 12 CO
PUYALLUP 5 E 6.5 SP
FREDERICKSON 5 SE 6.0 SP
PUYALLUP 2.1 NW 4.0 CO
SUMMIT 1.1 WSW 4.0 CO
PARKLAND 0.9 NE 3.9 CO
STEILACOOM 0.4 NW 2.5 CO
PUYALLUP 2.1 ESE 2.5 4 CO
TACOMA 3.1 NW 1.0
_______________________________________________
LEWIS COUNTY
ELBE 5 SSE (MINERAL) 10.0 SP
CINEBAR 1.7 SW 5.5 8 CO
ONALASKA 2.8 NE 5.1 8 CO
WINLOCK 0.5 W 4.7 CO
MOSSYROCK 3 ESE 4.0 SP
_______________________________________________
MASON COUNTY
SHELTON 5.2 NNW 6.5 CO
SHELTON 6.1 E 5.0 CO
POTLATCH 2 N (THRU 1230) 4.0 SP
SHELTON 2.8 ESE 2.9 5 CO
_______________________________________________
KITSAP COUNTY
KINGSTON 2.7 SSE 6.0 CO
INDIANOLA 0.9 NNW 4.8 CO
BREMERTON 5 SSW (GOLD MTN) 5.0 SP
SUQUAMISH 4.0 CO
KINGSTON 1.7 WNW 3.7 CO
BETHEL 5 SSE 2.8 SP
BREMERTON 2.8 NE 2.5 CO
_______________________________________________
ISLAND COUNTY
LANGELY 4.1 NW 2.8 CO
COUPEVILLE 0.5 WNW 2.1 CO
FREELAND 1 WSW 2.0 SP
_______________________________________________
THURSTON COUNTY
ROCHESTER 1.3 NNE 4.0 5 CO
YELM 6.3 S 3.9 6 CO
OLYMPIA 1.3 S 3.2 CO
OLYMPIA 3.1 SSE 2.2 3 CO
OLYMPIA 7.0 NNE 1.8 CO
_______________________________________________
JEFFERSON COUNTY
CHIMACUM 1.8 SW 4.5 CO
PORT HADLOCK 0.7 NW 4.5 CO
PORT TOWNSEND NW 1(THRU 1PM) 4.5 SP
PORT TOWNSEND 2.2 W 4.1 CO
CHIMACUM 5.1 S 4.0 CO
PORT TOWNSEND 4.6 S 3.0 CO
_______________________________________________
SKAGIT COUNTY
ANACORTES 4.9 S 2.4 CO
CONCRETE 4.9 ESE 1.6 4 CO
MOUNT VERNON 1.1 E 0.8 CO
_______________________________________________
SAN JUAN COUNTY
LOPEZ ISLAND 2.2 WSW 1.0 CO
FRIDAY HARBOR 2.8 S 1.0 CO
_______________________________________________
GRAYS HARBOR COUNTY
ELMA 0.5 W 1.0 2 CO
MT = AUGMENTED ASOS OBSERVATION
CO = COCORAHS
SP = SKYWARN SPOTTER
NW = NWS EMPLOYEE
$$
DAMICO/FELTON
WEATHER.GOV/SEATTLE
Unbelievable video and why I did NOT bus commute this morning, and probably won't tomorrow. Let's see, I could commute 2 hours each way, or start working at home 30 minutes and early and later...
ReplyDeleteBut what about Wednesday and Thursday? Are we out of the woods? Will it be a snow to rain, or just a snow to...SNOW scenario for Thanksgiving?
Cliff, any ideas on what could transpire as we get into Wednesday evening and into turkeyday?
ReplyDeleteI'm at 550 ft of elevation in Sammamish and we have 3 inches as of today at 4:30pm. I wonder where the Sammamish measurements are taken. It's highly variable out here.
ReplyDeleteKind of wild in Port Angeles, last night as well. Rate of snowfall in the afternoon was 1.5 inches per hour. Much rather deal with snow than black ice, however!
ReplyDeleteCould you explain (decrypt) the snowfall total listing a bit more?
ReplyDeleteFor example:
SEQUIM 5.4 SW 13.0 15 CO
OK.. "Co" is how the reading was taken, but does Sequim have 5, 13 or 15 inches of snow?
Given the compass "SW", one of the numbers might be a wind direction.
thanks
Two things:
ReplyDelete1. I thought Metro was taking accordion buses out of service when they switched to snow routes? Yesterday and today I saw several accordion buses in service, and it was an accordion bus jack-knifing that caused I5 backups last night.
2. The one plow I saw out actually plowing didn't have his plow fully deployed. There was half an inch between the plow and the pavement (the right corner was low enough to hit the snow, but that was it)? Incompetence? Equipment malfunction? Or a return to the "snow-packing" of 2008 rather than actually plowing?
Jim Forman has hit the big time again with an appearance on NBC nightly news with Brian Williams talking about "The Storm".
ReplyDeleteThe last time he achieved such grateness was when the city bus went off the bridge a few years ago.
Thanks for the link to the video. My stomach was in a knot for 5 minutes!
ReplyDeleteOut here on the Key Peninsula (west Pierce county), the big story is trees on power lines, trees on roofs, trees on cars, etc. The north wind played havoc with big old trees that haven't seen big gusts from that direction for years. Folks near us will be out of power for days. Without power, their water pipes will be vulnerable, too.
Hopefully, a "good" event like this, this early in the season, should encourage more folks to prepare for such events.
Here is a video that is the best advertisement for plowing and sanding and/or staying home I have seen yet!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmVh56_lz7w&feature=player_embedded
Cliff, the video from natchrl8r is actually of Portland in 2008. It's good viewing, but it's NOT Seattle.
ReplyDeleteIt does make it clear, though... snow + ice + hills = do not drive
Bellevue is dangerous enough even though it's not very hilly here.
SO... how's your crystal ball? Are my guests going to be able to get from Sammamish to Bellevue near Crossroads for the feast at 4 pm? Dessert at 7?
Thanks!
Cliff, that third video of a previous storm was taken in Portland, OR years ago, not Seattle.
ReplyDeleteIt made the Internet rounds in 2007. Here is a more full news report.
I see the UW is open for Wednesday. The comments on that site show many unhappy people. I just hope Peter made it to work at Meadowbrook and back (he has moved out).
We shall see if the community college is open. Older boy will just take the bus, we'll see about daughter going to her Running Start class.
We have two new neighbors who both work at the UW. One is from North Carolina and they are loving the snow... though I did tell the little girl to have a grownup to watch for cars as she went down the street (and told her she was welcome to go down our driveway!). The other one is from Colorado, and has discovered the difference between dry blowing snow and snow that has been driven on within a few degrees of freezing (our street is an ice rink).
Any thoughts on why UW has not suspended operations for tomorrow? As we can see from the videos, it is not safe to be on the streets.
ReplyDeletehttp://newsfeed.time.com/2010/11/23/the-great-november-seattle-snowstorm-a-city-shuts-down/
ReplyDelete"Seattle got 2.5 inches of snow.
Yes, apparently that's all it takes.
The record-setting snowfall — the previous record of 1.5 inches was set more than 30 years ago, in 1977 — has crippled the city that rarely sees much of the white stuff."
Please tell me this record is false, because it doesn't sound true.
Oops, I was fooled by facebook. The vid still goes to show what can happen under the right (or wrong!) conditions. Be careful on Thanksgiving morning when a little fresh snow may hide and lubricate the ice.
ReplyDeleteWhoah, that was Time Magazine propagating the absurdity that Seattle's new record snowfall is 2.5 inches, and the previous was 1.5?? Where the hell did they get that? The record snow events for Seattle are more like 2.5 *feet* or more (1916, 1950.) I recall the New Years 1996-97 event ended up being something like 30 inches on the ground before it turned over to rain.
ReplyDeleteAnd to say the city "rarely sees much of the white stuff" kind of depends on your definition of "rarely." Historically, most winters at some point, sometimes several times.
autostaretx--yeah, it is confusing, but
ReplyDeleteSEQUIM 5.4 SW 13.0 15 CO
is 13" new snow, 15" on ground,
and the 5.4 SW means the observation was taken 5.4 miles
southwest of the town center.
I'm 90% sure of that--when one
number is missing, or a NW employee lives NW of a town, who
can say, ha! Meteorolgists struggle with plain language sometimes, heh.
Just curious about the forecast for today and tomorrow (Thanksgiving). It just started snowing (lightly) here in Indianola (Kitsap) where we're still without power...
ReplyDeleteI have put together a short study on the extraordinary weather in southwestern BC and Washingon State on Monday - http://www.enviro-bc.ca/2010/11/23/unusual-day/
ReplyDeleteLet me know what you think.
Danreed -- perhaps they meant 2.5 was the record snowfall for the *day* (the previous record for that day in history being 1.5)?
ReplyDeleteI am also very interested about this upcoming moderation...whether it will mean snow/icy conditions before it begins to rain!
I can't believe all of the people squacking about making it illegal to drive on hills and such...it is already ILLEGAL TO LOSE CONTROL OF YOUR VEHICLE. There are many of us out there who are not retarded and:
ReplyDeleteA. Plan our routes correctly
B. Have appropriate experience driving in slick conditions
C. Own the proper equipment and have practiced with that equipment.
D. Really more on C- proper equipment doesn't just mean something the car dealership sold you some POS SUV claiming "you can get around in the snow just fine!". PROTIP: The number of wheels driven doesn't mean squat without the right tires and the skill to drive the vehicle in those conditions.
E. I'm really rehashing this but TIRES ARE THE NUMBER 1 MOST IMPORTANT THING ON YOUR CAR. Period. In any conditions.
Seattlites and KC METRO in particular please pull your head out of your collective ass and recognize you can't drive. That means CLASSTIME and PRACTICE. Not buying a ****ing SUV.