January 2017 Observations and Model Discussion for the Pacific Northwest

[Kayla]

You are shoveling??    My wife has never shoveled once.   I could spend all night out there when its snowing.  

 

I LOVE to shovel! I wouldn't obsess so much over the models if I didn't get to shovel. And it's a great workout!

[EA_TTD]

Now 1/8 mile visibility Temp 30 DP 26 Wind East 30 G40. 

[TT-SEA]

What's happening down in Portland with the snowfall rates reminds me a little of February 2011 up here. That was probably one of my favorite days ever. I had been in California for a couple days and was watching the models terrified that I would miss out on the snow while I was down there. I got back the day before the storm and when I woke up at 6 a.m. it was just starting to snow. Over the next three hours it was snowing as hard as I had ever seen it and by the time the snow tapered off at 9 a.m. we had 8" on the ground. The best part was the storm was just getting started. I had a great time going throughout the county that day and just playing in what was the first good snow since December 2008. That night was when the real precipitation moved in. I was actually sledding near Mount Vernon as the radar began lighting up. If I thought it had been snowing hard that morning, it was nothing compared to that night. The snow rates were over 6" an hour. An accident shut down I-5 and the cars were completely buried before they could move again. In town totals ranged from 12-24" over a 3 to 4 hour period of snow. It was absolutely insane! When I returned home I discovered we had only received another 3", but at least I had experienced the storm a couple miles away. Also I couldn't complain about almost a foot of snow depth. I'm thinking about that moment now and smiling and I hope that this event provides as much enjoyment for the southern posters as February 2011 did for me. Enjoy!!!

 

 

That was incredible up there.   I remember watching it on the news.

[Tyler Mode]

3" now...Pictures are one hour apart.  Averaging around 2" an hour right now. 31.1 degrees.

[epiceast]

6 dry days total here in October and November.    

 

By the weekend there will have been 12 dry days in just January alone at the half way point.  

 

12 dry days in December as well... so better than 50% of the days since the start of meteorological winter.      

 

And snow and cold for most of that as well.     Very nice winter so far.

Can we make it dry at your house but snowy and not cold(at least above 0F) at my house? I'll take that compromise.

[Kayla]

Latest HRRR through 2pm tomorrow. And this is in addition to what is already on the ground!

 

Incredible.

 

[luvssnow_spokane]

After a miserable October and November... this has become one of favorite winters so far.

Yeah its been amazing by far the best winter here ever!!!   

[TT-SEA]

I LOVE to shovel! I wouldn't obsess so much over the models if I didn't get to shovel. And it's a great workout!

 

 

That is awesome!    

[Goducks09]

This isn't ending anytime soon... Many hours to come and through the morning.

 

 

Yeah, I just looked again and the yellow is back to our SW!

[FroYoBro]

I'm not sure if I am going crazy, but I think I just saw lightning. I guess it could have been a transformer, but it looked very high up. 

[epiceast]

And just as i made a post bitching about the cold, arctic front is rolling in here. I can hear a little wind, and the little flakes are going sideways outside now.

[MossMan]

What's happening down in Portland with the snowfall rates reminds me a little of February 2011 up here. That was probably one of my favorite days ever. I had been in California for a couple days and was watching the models terrified that I would miss out on the snow while I was down there. I got back the day before the storm and when I woke up at 6 a.m. it was just starting to snow. Over the next three hours it was snowing as hard as I had ever seen it and by the time the snow tapered off at 9 a.m. we had 8" on the ground. The best part was the storm was just getting started. I had a great time going throughout the county that day and just playing in what was the first good snow since December 2008. That night was when the real precipitation moved in. I was actually sledding near Mount Vernon as the radar began lighting up. If I thought it had been snowing hard that morning, it was nothing compared to that night. The snow rates were over 6" an hour. An accident shut down I-5 and the cars were completely buried before they could move again. In town totals ranged from 12-24" over a 3 to 4 hour period of snow. It was absolutely insane! When I returned home I discovered we had only received another 3", but at least I had experienced the storm a couple miles away. Also I couldn't complain about almost a foot of snow depth. I'm thinking about that moment now and smiling and I hope that this event provides as much enjoyment for the southern posters as February 2011 did for me. Enjoy!!!

And the Nov 2006 equivalent for me...such memorable times!!

[luterra]

Wind at N. Bend, OR (Coos Bay) just switched to north...Low going further south than expected?

Low has moved inland, lowest pressures now over Roseburg and Eugene.

 

http://www.tropicaltidbits.com/analysis/models/hrrr/2017011102/hrrr_mslp_wind_nwus_5.png

[Goducks09]

I'm too excited to sleep.  Haha.  I'm like a kid again.

[GHweatherChris]

OK Chris. I see you how you are really are too.

I am ok with that, I have no agenda!

[TT-SEA]

Yeah its been amazing by far the best winter here ever!!!   

 

 

The number of sunny days with snow on the ground has been impressive here.  Many times it does not work out that way.    And Portland is about to get a bunch of those now.  

 

We have also had a good number of cloudy, cold days with snow on the ground... which is almost as good.    There has been no south wind here in January yet and none in sight for another 5 or 6 days.   That is downright amazing.  

[Heavy Snow]

It feels like I'm at Meadows right now. It's a surreal feeling getting heavy snow at night. Everybody having a great time sledding and playing in the snow! I'm not sleeping tonight!

[epiceast]

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/total_forecast/getprod.php?wfo=pqr&pil=LSR&sid=PQR&version=2

So did anybody else get their annual snowfall in 3 hours?

[MossMan]

[Kayla]

I'm too excited to sleep.  Haha.  I'm like a kid again.

 

No way I'm sleeping tonight, haha!

[Jesse]

No way I'm sleeping tonight, haha!

Same here! This is unbelievable. Already over three inches here and no end in sight.

[Jesse]

Some of the heaviest snow I've ever seen in the western lowlands tonight.

[TT-SEA]

Same here! This is unbelievable. Already over three inches here and no end in sight.

 

 

00Z ECMWF still has significant precip down there through 10 a.m. tomorrow.

[Kayla]

4" snow depth just reported at PDX.

[MR.SNOWMIZER]

Already a report of 7 inches around Portland. This is going to be one of there best snows in a long time.

[MossMan]

Some of the heaviest snow I've ever seen in the western lowlands tonight.

So does this mean you will be ok with the hot humid summer nights coming this year? Wasn't that the deal?

[Bryant]

So does this mean you will be ok with the hot humid summer nights coming this year? Wasn't that the deal?

It means they'll be okay with southerly flow and rain while the low tracks over Washington later this winter

[TT-SEA]

"January 2017" just became a thing on this forum like "December 2008".

[Goducks09]

Watching the news...hearing reporters and ODOT people saying that people are crazy for being out on the roads.  They can't believe it!!!  Makes me really mad though since there are a lot of people that don't have a choice but to commute and/or get around town so they can go home or go to work.  Pretty ignorant.

[James Jones]

Some of the heaviest snow I've ever seen in the western lowlands tonight.

 

I think this is THE heaviest snow I've ever seen in the metro area. I can't remember anything in my lifetime that matched this.

[bainbridgekid]

NWS Spotter just reported 1.5" of snow in Eatonville about 30 miles ESE of Olympia.

[epiceast]

NWS Spotter just reported 1.5" of snow in Eatonville about 30 miles ESE of Olympia.

LET'S GO SWAMP!

[Deweydog]

Incredible.

[TT-SEA]

NWS Spotter just reported 1.5" of snow in Eatonville about 30 miles ESE of Olympia.

 

Wow.

 

00Z ECMWF does show snow from Pierce County southward into tomorrow morning.

[Jesse]

So does this mean you will be ok with the hot humid summer nights coming this year? Wasn't that the deal?

That was for 10 straight days in the 20s. So no go for now.

[MossMan]

I finally looked at the regional radar...Portland is ground zero with zero end in sight...have a fun night down there!

[Jesse]

I think this is THE heaviest snow I've ever seen in the metro area. I can't remember anything in my lifetime that matched this.

You are probably right. It is just insane out there. Feels like Buffalo, NY.

[TT-SEA]

Wow...

 

 

[Front Ranger]

"January 2017" just became a thing on this forum like "December 2008".

 

Indeed. Will be talked about for many years. The kind of event that can elevate an entire winter at least one tier.

[Goducks09]

You are probably right. It is just insane out there. Feels like Buffalo, NY.

 

Love it.