December 2016 Observations and Model Discussion for the Pacific Northwest

[MR.SNOWMIZER]

Just looked at my vantage pro. The highest temp i have had here in 15 days is 37. Very impressive.

[snow_wizard]

Interesting that analogs from 1988-89 have been showing up consistently for a few days now. Also Jan 2007 just before the goodies hit that month.

[MR.SNOWMIZER]

Is tonight's snow mostly Seattle north?

These things dropping in from the north kick up a nice southerly flow. Hoping we don't scour out the cold too quickly in the swamp.

Its a weak gradient today and the air coming in from the south for now aint to warm yet.

[Parksvillewx]

Old time pattern.

 

It used to happen much more often.

 

It did. It's funny, I was talking to a friend yesterday about "the good old days" when we were young and waking up a few mornings every winter with a solid 4" of snow overnight and still heavily snowing. I can't even remember when that happened last since Dec 2008.

[Front Ranger]

Old time pattern.

 

It used to happen much more often.

 

Up north, this period has been impressive for any era. BLI is running about -7 for the month now, and is working on what would be their 9th sub-freezing high of the month. More days than they've seen in the 40s this month.

 

And of course, same story but even colder in BC.

[snow_wizard]

Just looked at my vantage pro. The highest temp i have had here in 15 days is 37. Very impressive.

This has been pretty impressive for cold even in this area. 10 highs below 40 already and we still have a lot of December to go through. Nice to have winter feel like winter for a change. As I've said a million times everyone will have snow eventually this winter.

[snow_wizard]

Up north, this period has been impressive for any era. BLI is running about -7 for the month now, and is working on what would be their 9th sub-freezing high of the month. More days than they've seen in the 40s this month.

 

And of course, same story but even colder in BC.

For sure. The interesting thing is lower BC has been more profoundly effected by the January cold drought (in relation to normal) than anywhere else. They used to get nailed up there during that month on a reasonably consistent basis.

[MossMan]

Went in and did a little snow removal work at my side job...ended up with the 1" but it's amazing how just one inch can make for very slick roads! Was all compact snow and ice with the very cold surfaces all around the area. Up to 32 degrees now. No melting yet.

[MR.SNOWMIZER]

This has been pretty impressive for cold even in this area. 10 highs below 40 already and we still have a lot of December to go through. Nice to have winter feel like winter for a change. As I've said a million times everyone will have snow eventually this winter.

The lake by my house is completely froze over. First time since 2010 i think.

[snow_wizard]

Its a weak gradient today and the air coming in from the south for now aint to warm yet.

Another thing that's a bit unusual about this is the surface gradient will have less easterly component than we usually have in a transition event.

[snow_wizard]

The lake by my house is completely froze over. First time since 2010 i think.

Nice. I find this so much more enjoyable than endless gloom, constant dripping, and mud. I will never get why so many people gush about how "great" our normal winter climate is. Self delusion is my verdict.

[MossMan]

Early this morning when the snow first started...such a lovely morning it was!

[snow_wizard]

I'm sitting here in near disbelief the torchy nightmare of the past few years is over. So nice to see the cold!

[MossMan]

The lake by my house is completely froze over. First time since 2010 i think.

The lakes are primed now...Lake Goodwin has begun to freeze around the docks and Lake Loma (much smaller lake) also in my area was completely iced over yesterday.

[luminen]

Nice. I find this so much more enjoyable than endless gloom, constant dripping, and mud. I will never get why so many people gush about how "great" our normal winter climate is. Self delusion is my verdict.

 

The people who say that either come from climates like Phoenix, Los Angeles, Miami or Syracuse, Chicago, NYC. I can understand coming from a warmer climate, especially a dry one, but the people coming from the east coast think their winters are so brutally cold, it's laughable.  

[The Swamp]

I'm going to follow this closely. Could be widespread accumulation by Monday morning.

[luminen]

I'm sitting here in near disbelief the torchy nightmare of the past few years is over. So nice to see the cold!

 

I wonder what this means for the coming spring and summer months...

[MR.SNOWMIZER]

I'm going to follow this closely. Could be widespread accumulation by Monday morning.

looks very possible and might catch many by surprise.

[Parksvillewx]

I'd be happy waking up to this Christmas AM. One can dream..

 

[Skagit Weather]

I've never been so happy to see 1/2" of snow! It was absolutely glorious and now I feel much happier. It's 33F and starting to melt a little right now, but still pretty outside.

[TT-SEA]

I'd be happy waking up to this Christmas AM. One can dream..

 

christmasamsnow.gif

 

 

Me too... would be a quick transition for many in the Seattle and Tacoma areas but would be awesome for my location and north of Seattle.    Very much like 12/8 and 12/9 event.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

The Salem area will have 5 full days of snow cover, sadly a very uncommon event in recent years. 2014,2008,2004 yeah that's about it in the past 20 years

[MR.SNOWMIZER]

Been a emotional day.. First time in 27 years i went and picked a Christmas tree without my woman but me and my son made the best of it and had a good time. Its been a real test as a father dealing with all this. Dont want to sound like a wimp but life is so short. All who have a wife or significant other go give them a hug and spend every second with them like its the last!!

.

[crf450ish]

Looking like this is going to be huge minimum this time. We're going to find out pretty soon just how good that is / isn't for us.

I guarantee you there is a correlation between spotless sun and colder climate on earth. 

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Baker City, OR hit -20 this morning. Coldest they've been since they hit -20 during December 2013. 

[crf450ish]

Been a while since we've seen a long stretch of consistently coll winter weather.

Your sense of humor is awesome. 

[MR.SNOWMIZER]

Baker City, OR hit -20 this morning. Coldest they've been since they hit -20 during December 2013.Wow

 

[TT-SEA]

Good day to enjoy the snow before it finally melts... been a great run. 

 

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Been a emotional day.. First time in 27 years i went and picked a Christmas tree without my woman but me and my son made the best of it and had a good time. Its been a real test as a father dealing with all this. Dont want to sound like a wimp but life is so short. All who have a wife or significant other go give them a hug and spend every second with them like its the last!!

.

 

Best wishes during this season. It's been almost 10 years since my mom passed. I have never really talked to my father about it, which may sound weird but that is kind of how our family is. But I think he is at peace knowing he gave those 25 years all he had and focusing on all those good memories. 

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Good day to enjoy the snow before it finally melts... been a great run. 

 

 

Are your kids into weather?

[TT-SEA]

Are your kids into weather?

 

My daughter too young to really understand it all... she loves winter though.   And summer... she loves swimming off the boat.   She takes to water like a duck.

 

One son does not want to know the details... just wants to know what will happen.   My other son watches the models all the time... will stay up most of the night watching it snow... and watches the radar hitting refresh over and over when something interesting is happening.   He has to make sure all the inside lights are off when turning on the yard lights to be able to fully see how hard its snowing!  

[luminen]

Snow coming down hard and steady now. This month has far exceeded my expectations for the PNW as a whole.  

[GHweatherChris]

Definitely feels like a possible wet bulb cooling surprise could happen when the precip starts moving in before we warm up entirely.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

My daughter too young to really understand it all... she loves winter though.   And summer... she loves swimming off the boat.   She takes to water like a duck.

 

One son does not want to know the details... just wants to know what will happen.   My other son watches the models all the time... will stay up most of the night watching it snow... and watches the radar hitting refresh over and over when something interesting is happening.   He has to make sure all the inside lights are off when turning on the yard lights to be able to fully see how hard its snowing!  

 

Sounds like me as a kid. 

[Deweydog]

My daughter too young to really understand it all... she loves winter though. And summer... she loves swimming off the boat. She takes to water like a duck.

 

One son does not want to know the details... just wants to know what will happen. My other son watches the models all the time... will stay up most of the night watching it snow... and watches the radar hitting refresh over and over when something interesting is happening. He has to make sure all the inside lights are off when turning on the yard lights to be able to fully see how hard its snowing!

Sounds like the one is definitely down with the sickness.

[TT-SEA]

Sounds like the one is definitely down with the sickness.

 

 

Absolutely.  

[MR.SNOWMIZER]

Sounds like the one is definitely down with the sickness.

all i had as a kid was the weather radio. Mom got me a new one every Christmas!! I remember how mad i was when they switched to the computer voice lol.

[MossMan]

all i had as a kid was the weather radio. Mom got me a new one every Christmas!! I remember how mad i was when they switched to the computer voice lol.

I would record my weather radio onto my cassette player/recorder when they would issue winter storm warnings so I could listen them saying it over and over. I would also VHS record the local news during big events...which I still have except for the Dec. 1990 events. Let my uncle borrow it back in the mid 1990's and he lost it...still mad at him about that, haha! I was a nutjob fanatic as a kid about the weather...still somewhat of a nutjob now actually.

[MR.SNOWMIZER]

I would record my weather radio onto my cassette player/recorder when they would issue winter storm warnings so I could listen them saying it over and over. I would also VHS record the local news during big events...which I still have except for the Dec. 1990 events. Let my uncle borrow it back in the mid 1990's and he lost it...still mad at him about that, haha! I was a nutjob fanatic as a kid about the weather...still somewhat of a nutjob now actually.

Got one better. I used a voice recorder and made my own warning with ridiculous headlines and fear. I acually made it sound real. I held the radio near my pocket but really it was off and the voice recorder was playing. Never forget the look on my moms face when my recording warned of sub zero temps with 85 mph winds and 6 ft drifts. Haha

[snow_wizard]

Got one better. I used a voice recorder and made my own warning with ridiculous headlines and fear. I acually made it sound real. I held the radio near my pocket but really it was off and the voice recorder was playing. Never forget the look on my moms face when my recording warned of sub zero temps with 85 mph winds and 6 ft drifts. Haha

That's worse than I was.