May 27, 2011

The Memorial Weekend Forecast

Since I can't provide the weekend forecast on KUOW today, I thought I would do it here on the blog.

The bottom line. We are in a cool, cloudy pattern, but with no big storms. Relatively cool and lots of clouds, with the best weather expected on Sunday.

OK, lets get into the details. Today we have cool, unstable air over us with lots of showers. Here is the latest radar image--quite a few showers moving through, some with moderate rain (green colors). As the surface warms the air will become more unstable...with more showers. Highs only in the upper 50s. Sorry....you will need a jacket and umbrella today.


The latest infrared satellite below shows a field of offshore showers ready to move in here. You don't need to be much of a meteorologist to know what this means.


Tomorrow an upper level trough will move south of us (see figure), with the jet stream (where the lines are close together) moving into California.

They will get cool, wet weather--very unusual this time of the year. We will be cool, mostly cloudy with a few showers, particularly in the mountains. But less precipitation than today. The lowland will only get to perhaps 60F. More showers in the Washington Cascades and to the south from Portland, south. Here is the probability of precipitation from probcast for Saturday--you get the message (yellows and red are high probabilities)

On Sunday a WEAK ridge will move over the area...and I mean a weak one (see upper level map below). Precipitation should fade further, with the western Washington lowlands being dry, partially sunny conditions dominating near sea level, and a few light sprinkles in the mountains.
The lowlands could warm into the lower to mid 60s over the western lowlands and the passes might climb into the 50s. The jet stream is heading into SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, with precipitation being widespread over the golden state.


Monday will be a day of deterioration as a new trough moves in--clouds and increasing chances of rain later in the day. The first part may be ok.

So my advice....want some outdoor fun or want to enjoy Folklife? Do it on Sunday if you want the best conditions.

KUOW Petition

If you would like me back on KUOW, please sign the following petition that will be delivered to KUOW (click here). I am hoping that KUOW Public Radio folks will consider the requests of their listeners to bring the weather segment back.

Recent articles the last few days on this controversy:

PI writer Joel Connelly
Geek Wire had a story.

Your Picture Can Be on the 2012 Washington Weather Calendar!

KCPQ TV and the Student Chapter of the American Meteorological Society are working on a Washington Weather Calendar and they need good weather pictures...maybe yours! Local photographers can submit photos NOW for possible inclusion on this calendar. Go to the Q13 FOX website where you will find the place to submit your photo. It must be of high quality and high resolution, and can be a weather/nature/landscape photo of anywhere in Washington State.

The 2012 Weather Calendar will also contain lots of weather and climate information for Washington State, as well as short weather and climate facts that the students are writing and compiling. The Student Chapter of the AMS will receive proceeds from calendar sales to fund their projects and research and/or a partial scholarship to the U.W. Atmospheric Sciences Department. KCPQ will not get any of the proceeds. The calendar will cost $13.99 and will be available in the fall.

Questions: Contact M.J. McDermott at Q13 FOX. Email: mj@q13fox.com

14 comments:

  1. Just signed the petition. I'm a long time follower of your blog, not only for the weather but actually for your complete and candid view on math educaiton and other issues. This censorship is totally unacceptable for public radios. I won't support them anymore if they don't change.
    Steve Scher's mentioning of 'balance' view is a total joke. When he talked about Tibet issues, he invited a flock of formal Tibet Monks/elites and slave owners and never invited anyone from current Tibet and China.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I signed the petition as well. Even if you don't get back on the air on KUOW, I encourage you to record your own podcast and send it out. I'd still listen.

    ReplyDelete
  3. what about this link from kuow themselves?

    http://kuow.org/program.php?id=23531

    ReplyDelete
  4. I just listened in to the KUOW segment by Deborah Wang on 'The Conversation'. I was expecting a healthy discussion/debate, perhaps open phone lines, public comments etc. Unfortunately what I heard was a defense of KUOW's decision.

    I've turned off KUOW, and am looking forward to listening to your fascinating discussions elsewhere!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Cliff -- we met last weekend at the TBA picnic. And I have an answer for why the BPA and wind farms are in conflict with each other! If you're interested you can catch me at chrisfont9[at]yahoo.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks for posting the weekend outlook here. I miss having it on KUOW. I just signed the petition. Hopefully you'll be back on air soon!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I actually prefer reading the printed forecast you gave - which came with informative maps - to what you did on KUOW. A picture really can be worth a thousand words!

    ReplyDelete
  8. As I recall last half of June 1973 was very similar.

    http://www.farmersalmanac.com/weather-history/98122/1973/06/25/

    I had a paper route that year so I was out in it every day.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Where are your comments (and pictures) about today's radar installation? KOMO and other news outlets talking about it all day.

    ReplyDelete
  10. So KOUW found somebody that "doesn't know the specifics of this case" as their only expert to comment. See yourself in their transcript. Interesting journalism. We should really trust them now!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I was really miffed when I first got wind of this. I signed the petition, posted in the Seattle Times reader comments, etc.

    When I heard KUOW's program today on the controversy, I began to reconsider. On the one hand, KUOW has a right to ask that you keep to the agreement you negotiated: doing weather science, not just "forecasting".

    HOWEVER, if the main reason they yanked you is not because you were off-topic, but because the Dept of Ed complained about your comments on math ed and the Seattle Times didn't like it that you corrected their inaccurate reporting about UW admissions,then KUOW is not being honest, transparent OR fair.

    The example of Rick Steves being allowed to soapbox about pot legalization is an apt counter to KUOW's claim that they need to be "fair" to all viewpoints.

    I hope you get some other broadcast forum soon; your KUOW replacement wasn't "appointment radio" programming.

    ReplyDelete
  12. MaryAnn,
    That piece was really deceptive in many ways. But one I thing is really clear...I followed my agreement to KUOW exactly..I never talked about Math Education..not once. ....cliff

    ReplyDelete
  13. I really like the youtube blog! It's great to see the visuals as you explain.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Cliff, We've just read your article in the Stranger magazine....and could not believe what's happened! We love your blog and your KUOW segments. We can't believe KUOW's small-mindedness and have withdrawn further support to that station.
    Your comments are a breath of fresh air to our week! We are 100% behind you. Thank you for all your time volunteered and all your wonderful insights - on any topic!

    ReplyDelete

Please make sure your comments are civil. Name calling and personal attacks are not appropriate.

Another Northwest Bomb Cyclone with Localized Strong Winds

  Don't tell the media folks, but another midlatitude cyclone will be "bombing" off our coast today, with some local impacts. ...