February Weather in the Pacific Northwest

[snow_wizard]

Awesome, I think you guys up there hit the jackpot. 

 

Portland always does lately.  Nothing new there.

[Guest Dome Buster]

This flow is amazing right now here in happy valley. Mark Nelsen even mentioned this is flowing SW to give us over here some prolonged snow. Loving it.

[HighlandExperience]

Saturday morning looks good for W. WA.

I’m sure it won’t happen

[FroYoBro]

PDX is at 34 and reporting light snow. Might pick up something measurable there. 

[Jesse]

Portland always does lately. Nothing new there.

Most of the Portland metro is snow free right now. This is pretty localized. Think mossman.

[Perturbed Member]

Portland always does lately.  Nothing new there.

 

I got no measurable snow today and I'm out of precip. I think most of PDX metro got nothing. I'm too far west to get anything out of this slow moving precip. 

[Blizzard777]

North wind finally easing and temp has dropped to 31

Sad we didn’t get the snow to stick around and accumulate but have to say

I really enjoyed the wind today especially down on the sound!

 

Looks like SE Portland getting some nice snow tonight and my brother in Demarcus is reporting everything white at his house.

I’m tired and going to bed

[TigerWoodsLibido]

Portland always does lately. Nothing new there.

PDX and, hell, most of the valley had nothing. We don't always get the goods.

[FroYoBro]

DJ Droppin must be getting in on some nice snow. 

[wxmet]

I've been trying to play along that I'm hopeful about the subsequent possible snow events, but I'm in the mood now to just be real about it.  In general Seattle does terrible with lows that slide down the coast.  We need them to make landfall over SW WA to really have any chance at anything good.  Another rule of thumb I've noticed is Seattle doesn't do well when the Western trough plunges very far south like this one is doing.  This pattern simply doesn't allow systems to move inland anywhere near a favorable location for us.  NW OR is closer to the coast and the systems are in the process of moving closer to the coast as they move south.  The one we should have scored with was today's system.

 

The big question is why are so many cold waves coming without getting decent snowfall here.  If you look at past decades it was much less common for the Puget Sound region to fail like this.  At this point I'm just going to live with it and count the days until I can move to a better area.  It's as simple as that.

Not considering the longwave pattern, it is already difficult for Seattle to get snowfall as it is between two mountain ranges which severely restricts the flow necessary to get precipitation into the region during cold events. Couple that with the proximity to water which creates marginal situations with temperature. The 500mb shortwave and associated low weakened as it got closer to the coast with the dynamics shifting to the system over the midwest. In previous years, cold air was already in place as the systems were moving on shore.

[FroYoBro]

Wow, this thing is still rotating. It might actually give me a little bit of snow over here. 

[Phil]

[Tyler Mode]

2" now at my place in BG.  Not bad for going into sunset with no snow on the ground.  32 degrees.

 

East wind has picked up now at Crown Point...offshore flow is getting going finally, I know it's not going to last etc, but it's a sign of the cold air's progress at least.

 

http://wxweb.meteostar.com/meteogram/link_pdiff.shtml?choice=KTTD+KDLS

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Snow has re-developed here.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

GEM is sort of close to GFS in the mid range. Just not as cool/good.

[Guest Dome Buster]

It is a winter wonderland here. Ultimate deformation band and it is not moving one bit. Love this area. Unbelievable!!

[Guest Dome Buster]

Dome is busted!!

[FroYoBro]

It got here! Feels like an arctic front with snow blowing and offshore winds ramping up. 

[Guest Dome Buster]

It got here! Feels like an arctic front with snow blowing and offshore winds ramping up.

It's fun to know the temp will drop overnight. This snow isn't going anywhere. And mark Nelsen is loving snow chances midweek. A February miracle.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

North winds have reached Salem now.

 

PDX and EUG both at 33 with light snow on the hour.

[TigerWoodsLibido]

Down to freezing! Northerly flow! Moisture has ended though Clearing skies.

[umadbro]

The valley could end up with a wide spread 1-2" by morning if this deformation holds together while slowly sliding south,

[yugo]

Snowing moderately here in sw gresham off and on for a couple of hours-I'm ~ 300ft about 1.5 on my deck.

[Jesse]

Snow has tapered off now. Have about 1.25”. Very pretty.

[FroYoBro]

Finally hit the freezing mark here. Looks like the band is beginning to weaken. I just want to pick up my 1/4 of an inch first. 

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Pretty awesome to see so much of the metro score!

[snow_wizard]

Not considering the longwave pattern, it is already difficult for Seattle to get snowfall as it is between two mountain ranges which severely restricts the flow necessary to get precipitation into the region during cold events. Couple that with the proximity to water which creates marginal situations with temperature. The 500mb shortwave and associated low weakened as it got closer to the coast with the dynamics shifting to the system over the midwest. In previous years, cold air was already in place as the systems were moving on shore.

 

All I know is they used to get snow easily.  Same exact terrain and everything.  It was cold for weeks last winter and we never got anything until the February event and that was with cold not in place.  Historically Seattle gets at least as much snow as Portland.

[Tyler Mode]

PDX now with an ENE wind.

 

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/mesowest/getobext.php?sid=KPDX&table=1&banner=off

[snow_wizard]

For the first time I can ever remember I could care less how cold it gets tonight with this cold air mass as long as it freezes.  I feel like my a$$ has been kicked this winter.  At least this late cold will kill off some of the bugs.  I am just bone tired.

[ShawniganLake]

What a strange outflow. I have never seen Bellingham warmer than here with strong outflow. I am at 29.2 they are around 30. I would expect them to be on the low 20's with my 29. Never seen it.

Maybe to do with the later season timing. But the Fraser canyon just isn’t that cold at the surface. 26/27F this afternoon in Lillooet. Moderate that airmass a few degrees as it pushes south and you end up with 30 or so at Bellingham.

[Perturbed Member]

Wow that band looking like its about to make it all the way west to me. Will be very impressed if it survives. 

[FroYoBro]

Wow that band looking like its about to make it all the way west to me. Will be very impressed if it survives. 

It is starting to split up a bit from the dry offshore winds developing. 

[Deweydog]

Ironically, the snow might keep temps up a bit tonight.

[Front Ranger]

Maybe to do with the later season timing. But the Fraser canyon just isn’t that cold at the surface. 26/27F this afternoon in Lillooet. Moderate that airmass a few degrees as it pushes south and you end up with 30 or so at Bellingham.

 

That being said, temps are already below 0 tonight in parts of central interior BC.

[Guest Dome Buster]

It is starting to split up a bit from the dry offshore winds developing.

Not breaking up much here. I must be in the sweet spot. Still dumping.

[Frontal Snowsquall]

I'm pretty impressed that this precip is still hanging around and looks pretty healthy. That wrap around looks like it just might even make it into some parts of the western metro.

I just checked the radar, looks like the wrap around snowband is about to hit Hillsboro. Maybe you can get a quick inch.

[Frontal Snowsquall]

I've talked to my wife extensively about my need to move and hopefully some of things we need to have play out will happen to make it possible sooner than later. January through April is just too depressing for me most years. No matter what the move will happen.

What areas have you thought about moving to?

[Frontal Snowsquall]

Snow stopped here in Gresham 500 feet, was fun while it lasted. Finished with about 2.5". Hopefully more on the way Tuesday night!

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Well looks like this last band dropped another 1/2". Up to 5.4" on the day. 

[Lisa0527]

Any thoughts on the latest Euro run?