December 2015 in the Pacific Northwest

[SilverFallsAndrew]

The Quartz Creek webcam at 1100' west of Portland is showing rain and 35 degrees. 

[SilverFallsAndrew]

I've almost always found the RPM to be trash. It claimed a few inches of snow for PDX Christmas or Christmas eve too. I've found the RPM snow map to be unreliable on many occasions.

 

Its 12z snow graphic is not working today. 

[ShawniganLake]

I've almost always found the RPM to be trash. It claimed a few inches of snow for PDX Christmas or Christmas eve too. I've found the RPM snow map to be unreliable on many occasions.

So youre saying its as useful as the WRF, NAM, and those Euro snow maps from weatherbell that we look at. 

[SilverFallsAndrew]

The Quartz Creek webcam at 1100' west of Portland is showing rain and 35 degrees. 

 

Most of the other coast range cams are in the 600-800' range and they are showing bare pavement with temps in the 33-35 range. The Sunset rest cam at 1440' is down right now unfortunately. 

[Timmy]

The Quartz Creek webcam at 1100' west of Portland is showing rain and 35 degrees. 

that location sucks for snow always, its on the windward side of the coast range.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

that location sucks for snow always, its on the windward side of the coast range.

 

That's good to know. I know the NWS said the snow level would be higher on that side of the coast range. 

[Jesse]

Most of the other coast range cams are in the 600-800' range and they are showing bare pavement with temps in the 33-35 range. The Sunset rest cam at 1440' is down right now unfortunately. 

 

The only other one I know of is Murphy Hill on Highway 18 west of Grande Ronde, and that's pretty far south.

[Snowman5678]

39 here with a dp of 29. With wet bulb we would get down to 34.8. dp was lower last night than what it was this morning. Fun day of cold rain probably!

[Timmy]

That's good to know. I know the NWS said the snow level would be higher on that side of the coast range. 

When i lived in town in scappoose i remember having snow fall on many occasions while rain fell there.

[TT-SEA]

Temp going up here as precip approaches... 35 now.   

 

Dewpoint is still 27.

[Timmy]

Andrew. looks like precip near you is about to start intensifying along the cascades due to orographic lift.

[Jesse]

41 degree rain in Astoria.

 

#coldonshorefloweventsthatbringsnowtowintershillaretheonlyonesworthtracking

[Gradient Keeper]

Definitely snow for PDX metro on the 12z WRF for Tuesday night-Wednesday. 925mb temps 0c or colder, much colder east wind sufficiently thickening the cold layer much better than anything we're seeing today, low just west of PDX. Guaranteed 100% chance of sticking snow.

[Timmy]

Temp going up here as precip approaches... 35 now.   

 

Dewpoint is still 27.

i bet you see snow as long as you get some decent precip rates.

[bainbridgekid]

This cam at about 500 feet just West of Olympia will be a good one to watch.

 

It's looked wet all morning but looks like it might have just started snowing there.

 

http://images.wsdot.wa.gov/rweather/rockcandymtn_medium.jpg

[Perturbed Member]

So youre saying its as useful as the WRF, NAM, and those Euro snow maps from weatherbell that we look at. 

 

It's worse than those. I've seen the RPM snow maps show significant accumulations when there was basically zero real chance of anything happening. At least the WRF and Euro showing snow usually indicates that it might be close.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

41 degree rain in Astoria.

 

#coldonshorefloweventsthatbringsnowtowintershillaretheonlyonesworthtracking

 

Pretty much. 32 here right now with cloudy skies and calm winds...

[Perturbed Member]

Light snow here. Pretty wet snow but it is good to see that it is starting as snow even with the very light echos over me. 35F here. 

 

EDIT: Looks like some light rain mixed in too. I'm at about 230ft? Lets see what happens once the heavier stuff pushes in.

[Timmy]

Moderate snow here, temp still falling 

[MR.SNOWMIZER]

Snowing hard here and 32. Everything is white. Looks like we are close to a inch.

[FroYoBro]

Light snow here. Pretty wet snow but it is good to see that it is starting as snow even with the very light echos over me. 35F here. 

 

EDIT: Looks like some light rain mixed in too. I'm at about 230ft? Lets see what happens once the heavier stuff pushes in.

 

Where in Portland are you? 

[Perturbed Member]

Where in Portland are you? 

 

Hillsboro, a bit east of the Hillsboro airport.

[Timmy]

accumulating snow at timber junction, about 500' 

[Jesse]

Getting pretty excited with all of the snow reports to my north and west. Should just be a matter of time here.

[Timmy]

now I have definitely the heaviest snow falling here since feb 2014

[Jesse]

Where in Portland are you? 

 

Is anything coming out of the sky at your place? There are echos over this area but we have nothing falling here yet.

[MR.SNOWMIZER]

Getting pretty excited with all of the snow reports to my north and west. Should just be a matter of time here.

whats your elevation?

[MossMan]

Snowing hard here and 32. Everything is white. Looks like we are close to a inch.

Awesome!! Was your temp higher before the snow started?

[MR.SNOWMIZER]

Just dumping here now.

[Jesse]

whats your elevation?

 

About 650'.

[MR.SNOWMIZER]

Awesome!! Was your temp higher before the snow started?

yes it was 34. It did start with some rain but turned over to snow in 5 minutes. This is looking like a decent little snow event now. Plenty of precip on the way.

[MR.SNOWMIZER]

About 650'.

Same as here. Just down the road at 500 ft it not sticking. Amazing what even just 150 ft can do.

[Perturbed Member]

Nothing falling now, this band sure is taking its time to move eastward. 

[FroYoBro]

Is anything coming out of the sky at your place? There are echos over this area but we have nothing falling here yet.

No. The echos haven't reached my place yet based on the wunderground radar. 

[SilverFallsAndrew]

I see it is snowing at Staley Jct on Hwy 26. 200' 

[FroYoBro]

Is anyone looking at the radar? 

[TT-SEA]

Dry air evident over the Seattle area.   Solid precip on the radar and still dry roads over most of the area.  

http://s10.postimg.org/v3dy470zd/ATX_0.png

 

This down by Federal Way... where the radar has shown precip for the last 20 minutes....

 

http://s30.postimg.org/j14k0u99d/005vc14379.jpg

[TT-SEA]

34.6 here with a dewpoint of 27.

 

Snow on the ground is still hard as a rock and frozen solid.    Hard to imagine rain falling right now but I will find out soon.

[Gradient Keeper]

I see it is snowing at Staley Jct on Hwy 26. 200' 

Encouraging

[Jesse]

It's interesting tracking an event like this from the perspective of a west-sider with some elevation. First big event of our temporary stay up here. We will be in east Vancouver by March.