As predicted, a very strong Pacific cold front moved through the region yesterday, bringing substantial precipitation, including heavy snow in the Cascades. Several mountain observing sites have received over a foot of new snow.
At Crystal Mountain Ski Area, the upper reaches were in white-out conditions this morning:
And the mid-elevations of Alpental in Snoqualmie Pass were a winter wonderland.
The National Weather Service has a Winter Storm Warning for the Cascades and a Frost Warning for the lower slopes:
The visible satellite imagery shows very cold, unstable air approaching the Washington coast (see below)
The white and dark areas offshore show strong cumulus/convective activity resulting from very cold air moving over warm water. This creates a large temperature change in the vertical, which produces convection: small-scale upward and downward motions in the atmosphere.
Upward motion produces clouds and rain, and downward motion creates a clear area.
All of this was nearly perfectly predicted by our models.
Precipitation amounts with the front and trailing showers have been impressive, with the totals through 10AM shown below.
Wow...over three inches in some locations!
As a result, there will be plenty of water to fill the Yakima Reservoir system as well as to produce high flows in the entire Yakima river system (see forecast below)
Furthermore, the substantial snowfall will help maintain river flows later in the season.
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UPDATE! Snoqualmie Pass has been closed due to heavy snow!
Announcement
I will hold a special online Zoom session at 10 AM on Saturday for Patreon supporters. Will answer questions and talk more about the recent Sound tornado and about drought issues.
This is excellent news for our summer water supply.
ReplyDeleteThunder and lots of graupel in Bellevue. Meanwhile set you clock for the worsening drought alert from Seattle Times and the climate nutters.
ReplyDeletelooking at the NWCC imap. shows as example, west side of crest, Howard Hansen dam is....266% of the POR median!! wow. ( and thats a 4/14 reading)
ReplyDeleteMSN weather predicts "heavy thunderstorms will roll through" Western Washington today. I hope they are right... but I bet they will be wrong. Such phenomena usually don't deliver around here. We'll see.
ReplyDeleteWell done, Convergence Zone! I have no dobut the people of the Yakima Valley will be pleased to hear that the resorviors they depend on will be filled and meet their needs this year.
ReplyDeletethis morning Hydromet teacup diagram shows 95% full, and rising.
DeleteMt Baker Snow Report - April 14, 2026 - 5 inches of new snow (updated 1:48pm); forecasts are calling for 12 - 18 inches of new snow this week! https://www.mtbaker.us/snow-report/
ReplyDeleteThere appears to be a big difference between Stevens and Snoqualmie Pass. Stevens doesn't seem to have any new snow. Snoqualmie Pass has so much snow it is shut down (as of 6:00 pm). It also looks like there is a strong rain shadow; not much snow to the east.
ReplyDeleteI made a mad dash to take out the garbage a little earlier and it was hailing here in T-Town. Nothing major, but small did fall as I made the quick dash to the cans and back to the house.
ReplyDeleteDidn't feel like we hit upper 40's today, but that's what the Weather Channel was forecasting.
Anyway, typical for this area in April.
4 inches of hail on Bainbridge! Wild weather
ReplyDeleteWaves of rain, hail, graupel, and occasionally real snow (clumps of dendrites) in Glacier all day yesterday. Wild spring weather (but not all that unusual at all, for spring here).
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing accurate weather information. Always interesting and much appreciated!
ReplyDelete