January 2016 in the PNW

[TT-SEA]

That melted quick.  Looks about the same as my front yard. 

 

The top 8 inches was fresh snow.   

 

Upper 40s and low 50s with a good breeze can melt snow very quickly.    

[Guest Winterdog]

Nice and warm 43F today but down to 31F now.

[ShawniganLake]

The top 8 inches was fresh snow.   

 

Upper 40s and low 50s with a good breeze can melt snow very quickly.    

Yea, the fresh stuff here melted pretty quick last night and today.  Basically back to that 1" frozen base from the 27th snowfall. 

[Gradient Keeper]

00z WRF not real impressive, but I see 925mb temps -2c to -3c just east of Troutdale. -12c or so northeast Washington. Just need a bit colder air and things might be interesting Saturday for PDX. Just a little colder....I guess we will just have to see exactly how much cold air makes it into eastern Washington/Columbia Basin and the offshore gradients. Grasping at straws sucks.

[Phil]

-NAM and STJ increase??

Yup, and a potentially stormy period for you guys later in the month via GOA troughing.

[Timmy]

My lawn! Its been almost 3 weeks. 50 degrees here.

 

From a peak of almost 14 inches on the ground just 2 days ago to this now...

 

http://s23.postimg.org/5o776dnsr/2016_01_06_12_53_30.jpg

Still solid snow cover here, about 4-5 inches. Tonight is the warmest it has been any evening in the last 10 days or so. 37f.

[MossMan]

The snow was falling off the trees like crazy this afternoon at the top of the pass with temps in the mid 30's. Seeing that always makes me sad. Arrived at Pasco this morning around 8am and it was a skating rink from the light freezing rain.

[TT-SEA]

Still solid snow cover here, about 4-5 inches. Tonight is the warmest it has been any evening in the last 10 days or so. 37f.

 

 

Shade and sun has made a much bigger difference in the last two days.    A good part of our backyard that is at least partially shaded this time of year and also slopes away from the sun still has probably 8 inches... while direct sun areas are close to bare.    Last week the sun made very little difference because it was so cold. 

[MossMan]

At my second stop of the day for work after leaving Pasco, this is in Ellensburg. Some crazy icicles from the snow slowly sliding off that roof!

[crf450ish]

At my second stop of the day for work after leaving Pasco, this is in Ellensburg. Some crazy icicles from the snow slowly sliding off that roof!

There's a pile of snow on either side of my shop about 6 foot deep. 30X40 shop with 17" of snow on the roof.... All of it fell off today. Snow is falling off the house too and I'm glad because there was ice dams all over. Gutters are torn to piss (idk why the heck someone put gutters on a place here). Oh well, I plan on getting some corrugated 12" pvc pipe and making my own temp gutters that I can remove in the winter...

[liquidsnow]

So with winter officially over...how does spring look like? I want lots of warm and dry days. No fog or frost and wet grass bullshit.

[MossMan]

So with winter officially over...how does spring look like? I want lots of warm and dry days. No fog or frost and wet grass bullshit.

Winter is taking a break, it will return starting March 15th and last thru July 5th. That is when we will have a -4PNA with awesome retrogression to 150!

[liquidsnow]

Well...son of...

[ShawniganLake]

Down to 31F here.  Looking like tomorrow morning will be my 25th consecutive freeze.  Last day with a low above 32F was a 36 on December 13th.

[Jesse]

At my second stop of the day for work after leaving Pasco, this is in Ellensburg. Some crazy icicles from the snow slowly sliding off that roof!

Impressive for Spring time!

[Abbotsford_wx]

Down to 31F here.  Looking like tomorrow morning will be my 25th consecutive freeze.  Last day with a low above 32F was a 36 on December 13th.

 

That's an interesting stat... you've certainly had a good stretch over there.

 

I've had 14 freezes in the last 25 days. Most of the other days were near misses, except for 39 on Dec 14th and 20th, and 36 on Dec 15th.

[ShawniganLake]

That's an interesting stat... you've certainly had a good stretch over there.

 

I've had 14 freezes in the last 25 days. Most of the other days were near misses, except for 39 on Dec 14th and 20th, and 36 on Dec 15th.

There have been many 32f lows that could have gone either way. A bit fortunate we didn't have a 33 in there somewhere.

[TT-SEA]

There have been many 32f lows that could have gone either way. A bit fortunate we didn't have a 33 in there somewhere.

 

That is so lucky.   And it will work in your favor when we are paid out at the end of the winter based on number of lows of 32 or lower.  

[MossMan]

https://www.facebook.com/NWSSeattle/posts/1032630096797396:0

Need to get around to finishing that D**n flux capacitor.

[ShawniganLake]

That is so lucky.   And it will work in your favor when we are paid out at the end of the winter based on number of lows of 32 or lower.  

27.6F here this morning.  25 consecutive is a notable streak, I like noteworthy weather. 

[crf450ish]

I know the winter weather is less than stellar when the forum is dead...

[Weather101]

That is so lucky. And it will work in your favor when we are paid out at the end of the winter based on number of lows of 32 or lower.

Do Raccoons like cold weather?

[Weather101]

27.6F here this morning. 25 consecutive is a notable streak, I like noteworthy weather.

Wow. Your area compared to the Greater Vancouver region is just so different this winter for terms of cold and snow.

[TT-SEA]

27.6F here this morning.  25 consecutive is a notable streak, I like noteworthy weather. 

 

 

I see what you mean.     Streaks are fun to track.  

[stuffradio]

I see what you mean.     Streaks are fun to track.  

I like tracking steaks too.

[luvssnow_spokane]

12z Alert!!        - starting hour 300.... I KNOW... to far out to care. But here is some eye candy!

 

 

[MossMan]

12z Alert!! - starting hour 300.... I KNOW... to far out to care. But here is some eye candy!

 

Screen Shot 2016-01-07 at 9.11.54 AM.png

BAM!! Lets keep the trend going!

[Phil]

Impossible! There's a +PNA!

 

#AOisnotoverrated

[stuffradio]

12z Alert!!        - starting hour 300.... I KNOW... to far out to care. But here is some eye candy!

 

Screen Shot 2016-01-07 at 9.11.54 AM.png

We just need it to go slightly west, then have a low spin off of Vancouver Island, track over my area, then go south all the way into Oregon and spread snowy goodness to everyone down there also!

[Weather101]

We just need it to go slightly west, then have a low spin off of Vancouver Island, track over my area, then go south all the way into Oregon and spread snowy goodness to everyone down there also!

I can walk on water.

[MossMan]

We just need it to go slightly west, then have a low spin off of Vancouver Island, track over my area, then go south all the way into Oregon and spread snowy goodness to everyone down there also!

That is a lot of cold air just north of us on that run.

[MossMan]

I can walk on water.

Me too...when its in the frozen state due to a major arctic outbreak at the end of the month!

[luvssnow_spokane]

We just need it to go slightly west, then have a low spin off of Vancouver Island, track over my area, then go south all the way into Oregon and spread snowy goodness to everyone down there also!

Totally...

 

But according to Phil it will never happen. He is probably right and this is most likely and outlier.  Almost did not post it but could not help myself as it looked like a carrot that was to good to resist... And I am weak and desperate. 

 

[Phil]

I never said that. Read the first page of this thread.

[WS Snow]

Went to dinner with my brother the other night and we reminisced about Seattle winters growing up. Does anyone remember calling the old NWS number (206) 526-6087 and hearing the old British guy say "turning unseasonably cold at the end of the week" or "getting colder throughout the day with snow developing" as an arctic front nailed us.

 

That seemed like a LONG time ago...

[Phil]

For s**ts and giggles, here's the 11-15 day 12z GFS. Not my forecast, but goes to show how strong polar blocking can overwhelm an unfavorable underlying NPAC component, as it did as recently as November 2014. #AOisnotoverrated

 

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Overrunning at 384 hours!

[Front Ranger]

Impossible! There's a +PNA!

 

#AOisnotoverrated

Monster -AO unfolding. Like many other times, it doesn't look like it will do the West much good. Facts matter.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Improvement in the ensembles. Really the mean doesn't stray far from climo. 

[Phil]

Monster -AO unfolding. Like many other times, it doesn't look like it will do the West much good. Facts matter.

Yeah, let's just forget about December 2009 and November 2014, both of which were reliant on the -NAM under an unfavorable NPAC meridional component.

 

I'd recommend expanding your horizons away from the North Pacific. No doubt it's an important component to the pattern, but from my point of view, you're placing way too much emphasis on it.