Coastal Snow

So close and yet so far....

The latest visible satellite photo says it all....the low center is spinning offshore of our coast, too far to bring precipitation into the Puget Sound and Northwest WA lowlands. As a result it is sunny over much of the WA interior but precipitating and even snowing along the coast. Here is Forks:


Or Cosmopolis, WA:
Not a huge snowstorm, of course. This weekend will be sunny and dry over the entire region, but cooler than normal.

By the way, the models were telling this tale of coastal snow...here is the 24-h snowfall ending 4 PM this afternoon from the UW WRF model:


You would not believe what the models are going for....AGAIN...for the middle and latter portion of next week. A major arctic air outbreak with lots of snow in the mountains and even some lowland snow. But don't get excited yet. This has been the year of cold/snow disappointments, particularly for a La Nina year.

Reminder:..I will be giving a dinner-time talk at Ivar's Mukilteo Landing Restaurant at 7 PM on Wednesday Feb 23rd. The subject: the strong westerly wind surges that push down the Strait with winds approaching hurricane strength. One destroyed the restaurant in 2003. Another half-destroyed the WS Ferry Elwha in 1990. Anyway, the restaurant was rebuilt with a weather theme and they just put up a cam and weather station. If interested, you should make a reservation (see information on the right side of this blog).

Newsflash: For this gathering the bartender has come up with an exciting new drink: the STRAIT SURGE. This may be the first meteorological phenomenon with its own drink. History will be made.

Newsflash2: A local bard and songster will sing a specially commissioned ballad on the great 2003 storm on Wednesday evening.

The destruction of the Mukileto Landing Restaurant will be the theme of this talk.