March Weather in the Pacific Northwest

[SilverFallsAndrew]

NWS calling for an additional 2-6" of snow tonight in extending the WWA.

[TT-SEA]

HRRR shows the band of precip that moves through very early tomorrow morning before dawn up here that will be favorably timed to fall as snow.

 

Looks like tomorrow afternoon is very much like today... drier with sun breaks and temps in the mid to upper 40s.

 

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Radar starting to blossom over NW Oregon.

[Dave]

Rain/snow mix here.  37 degrees. Bummer this is occurring at 3:30pm.

[Esquimalt]

18Z not backing off on the cool down in early April.  Really good news! 

[Dave]

All snow now. 35 degrees.

[wx_statman]

I wonder how much snow fell this morning at UIL? They had 0.51" precip in 6 hours, most of it as snow. Temps down to 32 at one point.

 

https://www.wrh.noaa.gov/mesowest/getobext.php?wfo=pqr&sid=kuil&num=25&raw=0&banner=off

[TT-SEA]

18Z not backing off on the cool down in early April.  Really good news! 

 

18Z run has been so different than the other runs lately... and the 06Z run as well.    I pretty much ignore them even though they are supposed to have about the same score as the 12Z and 00Z runs.  

 

I do the previous run view all the time on Tropical Tidbits (really useful) in the 7-10 day period... and you usually see the 12Z and 00Z run look similar but there is usually some crazy jump on the run in between.   

 

It goes both ways too... sometimes way warmer and sometimes was colder.  

[FroYoBro]

All snow now. 35 degrees.

Not bad.

[Jesse]

18Z run has been so different than the other runs lately... and the 06Z run as well. I pretty much ignore them even though they are supposed to have about the same score as the 12Z and 00Z runs.

 

I do the previous run view all the time on Tropical Tidbits (really useful) in the 7-10 day period... and you usually see the 12Z and 00Z run look similar but there is usually some crazy jump on the run in between.

 

It goes both ways too... sometimes way warmer and sometimes was colder.

Better yet just ignore all cool runs.

[TT-SEA]

Better yet just ignore all cool runs.

 

I have ignored many unusually warm 18Z runs too.     

[Jesse]

All snow now. 35 degrees.

That’s pretty impressive.

[Jesse]

Radar seems to be filling in now. Considering that SEA and EUG have both seen snow today, it will be interesting to see what happens if we get a lot of moisture up here tonight.

[TT-SEA]

Radar seems to be filling in now. Considering that SEA and EUG have both seen snow today, it will be interesting to see what happens if we get a lot of moisture up here tonight.

 

It will probably snow again.   

 

Although the 12Z ECMWF completely shafts the PDX metro area tonight and tomorrow.

 

[SilverFallsAndrew]

33 with light snow at Eugene!

[Jesse]

Here’s how it looked near Larch Mountain east of Vancouver earlier today. About 1,900 asl.

 

This is about a 20 minute drive from our place.

[wx_statman]

33 with light snow at Eugene!

 

32 now with snow falling. Pretty amazing for the afternoon of 3/23. 

[FroYoBro]

The U of O webcam shows some nice big flakes falling right now. 

[BLI snowman]

Deformation zone!

[Jesse]

Deformation zone!

Timing could work out pretty well for us.

[Jbolin]

Here’s how it looked near Larch Mountain east of Vancouver earlier today. About 1,900 asl.

 

This is about a 20 minute drive from our place.

 

59BB62B3-11FF-4227-A5F4-2FD44C01FC50.jpeg

 

562EECEE-63FA-4910-BB57-78AE5ED2595C.jpeg

 

F4B34763-4A67-43F5-8622-DB5EAB6C394C.jpeg

Gorgeous, especially for late March

[BLI snowman]

Timing could work out pretty well for us.

 

This was what the hi-res NAM alluded to. Could lead to some brief isothermal stuff if the rates cooperate.

[TT-SEA]

Here’s how it looked near Larch Mountain east of Vancouver earlier today. About 1,900 asl.

 

This is about a 20 minute drive from our place.

 

59BB62B3-11FF-4227-A5F4-2FD44C01FC50.jpeg

 

562EECEE-63FA-4910-BB57-78AE5ED2595C.jpeg

 

F4B34763-4A67-43F5-8622-DB5EAB6C394C.jpeg

 

That is impressive.

 

I think the sticking snow level here is a little higher right now.   The ridge behind us is about 3,000 feet at the highest point.

 

[Jesse]

Gorgeous, especially for late March

 

We were talking to a campground host nearby and he said all of that must have fallen since yesterday, since he had traveled the pass then and there was none.

 

I would guess 4-6" were on the ground in those pics. And it was snowing hard up there when we crossed back over on the way home.

[Jbolin]

We were talking to a campground host nearby and he said that must have all fallen since yesterday, since he had traveled the pass then and there was none.

 

I would guess 4-6" were on the ground in those pics. And it was snowing hard up there when we crossed back over on the way home.

Wow, it's amazing how a marginal setup this late in the season always seems to find "a way" 

[TT-SEA]

Wow, it's amazing how a marginal setup this late in the season always seems to find "a way" 

 

So true... seems like these March events make it look easy compared to December events.

[FroYoBro]

So true... seems like these March events make it look easy compared to December events.

Because the lowlands have seen some wet snowflakes? 

[TT-SEA]

Because the lowlands have seen some wet snowflakes? 

 

No... just in general.   Maybe its about expectations more than anything.    You would think it would be much easier in December.  

[TT-SEA]

Sub 50 day at SEA... 49 is the official high.  

[BLI snowman]

No... just in general.   Maybe its about expectations more than anything.    You would think it would be much easier in December.  

 

Actually I think the stronger sun can lead to these late season Pacific airmasses being a little more interesting and dynamic, if anything. Cool onshore flow in mid-winter usually seems a little more static and predictable.

[TT-SEA]

Actually I think the stronger sun can lead to these late season Pacific airmasses being a little more interesting and dynamic, if anything. Cool onshore flow in mid-winter usually seems a little more static and predictable.

 

That is probably it.  

[Deweydog]

Actually I think the stronger sun can lead to these late season Pacific airmasses being a little more interesting and dynamic, if anything. Cool onshore flow in mid-winter usually seems a little more static and predictable.

Expectations help. There's always more anxiety in mid winter and by this time of year pretty much anything is filed under pleasant (or unpleasant depending on the eye of the beholder) surprise category.

[wx_statman]

Record low maximums today in the valley.

 

46 at PDX ties 46 in 1975

 

42 at SLE breaks 44 in 1917

 

41 at EUG breaks 45 in 2009 (and 42 in 1936 including downtown)

[Jesse]

Actually I think the stronger sun can lead to these late season Pacific airmasses being a little more interesting and dynamic, if anything. Cool onshore flow in mid-winter usually seems a little more static and predictable.

 

That's a good observation. I've noticed the same thing. Onshore flow is also generally colder in February and March, which probably plays a role too.

[Jesse]

Expectations help. There's always more anxiety in mid winter and by this time of year pretty much anything is filed under pleasant (or unpleasant depending on the eye of the beholder) category.

 

Fortunately objective meteorological explanations hold a little more water than holier than thou armchair psychiatrist stuff.

[BLI snowman]

Expectations help. There's always more anxiety in mid winter and by this time of year pretty much anything is filed under pleasant (or unpleasant depending on the eye of the beholder) category.

 

That's true as well. A 1/2" of muck that melts off by 11am doesn't really hit the pleasure button in December. Unless it's the 25th.

[Deweydog]

Fortunately objective meteorological explanations hold a little more water than holier than thou armchair psychiatrist stuff.

Punchy!

[Jesse]

Record low maximums today in the valley.

 

46 at PDX ties 46 in 1975

 

42 at SLE breaks 44 in 1917

 

41 at EUG breaks 45 in 2009 (and 42 in 1936 including downtown)

 

41 has got to be one of their coldest highs this late on record. Although granted they have a longer period of record that encompasses some pretty crazy late season events.

[BLI snowman]

That's a good observation. I've noticed the same thing. Onshore flow is also generally colder in February and March, which probably plays a role too.

 

Yeah, I'm sure the SSTs bottoming out then helps a bit too.

[Jesse]

Yeah, I'm sure the SSTs bottoming out then helps a bit too.

 

Onshore flow snowfall is where late-February/March definitely has a leg up on mid-winter, at least these days. Any event with offshore or flat gradients and there is obviously no contest compared to late December-January.

 

I can't help but wonder if part of the reason we got more cold onshore snowfall in mid-winter back in the day was because the atmosphere/SSTs would cool more quickly than they do now.