PNW February 2023 Weather Discussion - Meteorological winter finale

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Also a lot of driving in the snow comes down to tires. If you have tires in poor condition even with AWD, you will struggle. 

[MR.SNOWMIZER]

11 minutes ago, snow_wizard said:

This will actually be quality snow for you.  I know that isn't the case with a lot of the snow you get.  Going to be a great late season event when all is said and done.

I've had some cold snow this year. That one big dump was really the only really wet snow this year.

[Front Ranger]

Just now, Perturbed Member said:

Just inexplicable that the PDX NWS didn't issue anything at all last night just because the NBM and SREF showed nothing even when every other model not named the NAM or WRF indicated that something major was on the way around here.

It continues to be comical how PDX NWS almost always finds a way to blow it. 

[MossMan]

Snowing! Fresh white! 28 degrees! 

[Cold Snap]

2 minutes ago, Perturbed Member said:

Just inexplicable that the PDX NWS didn't issue anything at all last night just because the NBM and SREF showed nothing even when every other model not named the NAM or WRF indicated that something major was on the way around here.

I honestly think it was a huge mistake on their part. The fact the Euro showed it and they betted against that. They should know to never bet against the Euro. I finally learned that the hard way last December when it was the one model that showed the rain/snow line north of me but I decided to believe all the other models. It was a pain to wake up to a 34 degree rain with a roaring south wind.

[TacomaWx]

Snows still been pretty light…the really heavy stuff is still south of 512 roughly still. Overall, it’s still moving north. #patienceisavirtue

[OysterPrintout]

To be fair to NWS the idea of an afternoon/early evening smashing centered over downtown to east Portland wasn't exactly a lock. 

[WhoNeedsAC]

2 minutes ago, Perturbed Member said:

Just inexplicable that the PDX NWS didn't issue anything at all last night just because the NBM and SREF showed nothing even when every other model not named the NAM or WRF indicated that something major was on the way around here.

I used to work in Lake Oswego and got stuck in one of those commutes from hell after a snowstorm that was forecast as "flurries changing to rain". Took me almost 11 hours to drive from Lake O to St. Helens. Never took that chance again. Fortunately, my boss was understanding when I told him I wasn't going to the office any time there was a chance of snow..

[MillCreekMike]

6 minutes ago, Hour364Please said:

Just looking at the radar everything headed north is just getting shredded about Kent.

I mean shredded apart.  There is a lot of dry cold air just eating away at the moisture.

An hour or so ago this was true, but in the last hour it’s been making it’s way north pretty good.

[MossMan]

Yee Haw!! 

[Kolk1604]

3 minutes ago, TacomaWx said:

Snows still been pretty light…the really heavy stuff is still south of 512 roughly still. Overall, it’s still moving north. #patienceisavirtue

The offshore stuff looks good. Let's see how north it makes it 

[MillCreekMike]

1 minute ago, MossMan said:

Yee Haw!! 

How

[MR.SNOWMIZER]

17 minutes ago, SilverFallsAndrew said:

I’m seeing reports of 9” in Gresham. 

My 8-14 forecast for some areas has verified!

[Frontal Snowsquall]

16 minutes ago, SilverFallsAndrew said:

I’m seeing reports of 9” in Gresham. 

I got ~7.5” here and still coming down good. What a night! MOTHER NATURE, YOU ARE AMAZING!!!

[BLI snowman]

Band coming up into Portland from the south looks like a monster, gonna be some 1-2" per hour rates with that.

[Front Ranger]

7 minutes ago, SilverFallsAndrew said:

Also a lot of driving in the snow comes down to tires. If you have tires in poor condition even with AWD, you will struggle. 

100%. Even with AWD and a nice traction control system, if you don't have at least all-season tires you'll be slipping and sliding. The sport tires my CX-5 came with were awful in the snow and even pretty lousy in the rain (not that we get much of that here).

[Rubus Leucodermis]

10 minutes ago, Cold Snap said:

They should know to never bet against the Euro.

Particularly when the GFS was agreeing that an impactful snowfall was imminent. When the Euro and GFS agree about something, particularly as it gets within 24 hours, it almost always happens. Super strong signal. And other models were climbing on board as well!

[Doinko]

1 minute ago, BLI snowman said:

Band coming up into Portland from the south looks like a monster, gonna be some 1-2" per hour rates with that.

Looks like I'm in a decent spot right now. Already some heavy blowing snow

[BLI snowman]

Just now, Doinko said:

Looks like I'm in a decent spot right now. Already some heavy blowing snow

Still really on/off up here with another light period ATM, nothing like further south. Looks like about 2.5", with the roads slowly whitening finally.

[snow_wizard]

Just very light snow here so far, but the moisture stream looks pretty consistent right now.

[TeacherLori]

23 minutes ago, TeacherLori said:

Hello,

Need some quick advice. My daughter is in Portland for work (just finished) and is wondering if it's safe for her to drive home to Lynnwood. She said snow is sticking to the streets. She's wondering if she should overnight in Portland and head back tomorrow, or make a break for it right now. Your thoughts?

Thank you everyone who posted with your wise counsel. She is staying put in Portland and can hopefully head out in the daylight tomorrow.

[Doinko]

Just now, BLI snowman said:

Still really on/off up here with another light period ATM, nothing like further south. Looks like about 2.5", with the roads slowly whitening finally.

Less then that here but roads are already completely covered

[snow_wizard]

Just now, BLI snowman said:

Still really on/off up here with another light period ATM, nothing like further south. Looks like about 2.5", with the roads slowly whitening finally.

2.5" is nothing to sneeze at.

[snow_wizard]

Just now, TeacherLori said:

Thank you everyone who posted with your wise counsel. She is staying put in Portland and can hopefully head out in the daylight tomorrow.

Very wise choice.  Venturing out on a night like this can easily turn into a nightmare.

[Front Ranger]

24 minutes ago, SilverFallsAndrew said:

I’m seeing reports of 9” in Gresham. 

Rob?

[Perturbed Member]

3 minutes ago, Doinko said:

Looks like I'm in a decent spot right now. Already some heavy blowing snow

00z RGEM is thinking 5-10 inch totals for WA county with the peak snowfall rate around 10 PM, snow finally ends around 7-10 AM tomorrow. 

[Perturbed Member]

3 minutes ago, TeacherLori said:

Thank you everyone who posted with your wise counsel. She is staying put in Portland and can hopefully head out in the daylight tomorrow.

Good choice! Just staying put for a night is a small price to pay to avoid getting stranded or ending up in an accident.

[BLI snowman]

4 minutes ago, snow_wizard said:

2.5" is nothing to sneeze at.

Not bad, but a bit of it came this morning and the radar has been a major tease for about 5 hours now.

Edited February 23 by BLI snowman

[Front Ranger]

14 minutes ago, OysterPrintout said:

To be fair to NWS the idea of an afternoon/early evening smashing centered over downtown to east Portland wasn't exactly a lock. 

Yeah, the timing was tough, but there was more than enough evidence by last night to at least issue a watch for the general period.

[Hour364Please]

If that low spins as slow as it has been and comes in near the mouth of the columbia it's hard to believe it won't lift more substantial moisture bands into the central sounds.

Fingers crossed.

[snow_wizard]

21 minutes ago, Hour364Please said:

Just looking at the radar everything headed north is just getting shredded about Kent.

I mean shredded apart.  There is a lot of dry cold air just eating away at the moisture.

That is supposed to change.

[VancouverIslandSouth]

Sounds like the Nanaimo - Nanoose area is sitting around 6~12". My Dad went out and measured at their place in Nanoose and it was just over 12" deep. Still dumping there from the looks of it on the cams:

Also, starting to get some anemic snow in Victoria. Most of it seems to be sublimating on impact, but at this rate there could be a token dusting by the morning. Looking better in Shawnigan's area:

Ladysmith is getting dumped on again:

It also extends up to Qualicum Beach, so the band is certainly wider now than it was previously:

[LowerGarfield]

2 hours ago, MWG said:

Interesting at the airport but still nothing my way.

Rooting for you. We considered moving to the office in Medford when I worked for Blue Cross of Oregon, but we wanted to buy a house and Lewiston, ID (our other option at the time) was much cheaper when I transferred there from the Burlington area. So I know that could have been me. Of course Lewiston's prices starting shooting up right after we moved, but we did buy a house in a slightly better place for snow. 

[SnowySeeker50]

Currently 32.5 degrees dp 16. Dry air appears to be winning with nothing reaching the ground here for now.

[Doinko]

3 minutes ago, Perturbed Member said:

00z RGEM is thinking 5-10 inch totals for WA county with the peak snowfall rate around 10 PM, snow finally ends around 7-10 AM tomorrow. 

That bullseye is almost right over me! 

[Doinko]

Just measured 0.7" of snow so far. Very windy right now too. Everything including roads and sidewalks are completely covered

[VancouverIslandSouth]

3 minutes ago, Perturbed Member said:

00z RGEM is thinking 5-10 inch totals for WA county with the peak snowfall rate around 10 PM, snow finally ends around 7-10 AM tomorrow. 

Probably better to go off the radar signature for predictions at this point. 

[Ziess]

Southern Clackamas County checking in, 36.7 and 0.0 snow. 

[Doinko]

Just now, VancouverIslandSouth said:

Probably better to go off the radar signature for predictions at this point. 

Some heavy bands heading to those areas right now

[Sandy rocks]

My son-in-law left work near OMSI at 4:30 and is still not home. It started snowing here around 2 and hasn't stopped, probably now have around 5".

[Rubus Leucodermis]

10 minutes ago, VancouverIslandSouth said:

Sounds like the Nanaimo - Nanoose area is sitting around 6~12". My Dad went out and measured at their place in Nanoose and it was just over 12" deep. Still dumping there from the looks of it on the cams:

Also, starting to get some anemic snow in Victoria. Most of it seems to be sublimating on impact, but at this rate there could be a token dusting by the morning. Looking better in Shawnigan's area:

Ladysmith is getting dumped on again:

It also extends up to Qualicum Beach, so the band is certainly wider now than it was previously:

Extends east across the Strait to Vancouver now…

[VancouverIslandSouth]

Just now, Rubus Leucodermis said:

Extends east across the Strait to Vancouver now…

Certainly a positive sign, is any of that reaching the surface though?

[The Blob]

5.5 inches!

[Rubus Leucodermis]

3 minutes ago, VancouverIslandSouth said:

Certainly a positive sign, is any of that reaching the surface though?

Yes. Non-paved surfaces are dusted white already.

[MillCreekMike]

Is there a worse form of torture to a weather weenie than watching snow bands continue to fizzle out just as it reaches your location? Just had that thought. What could be worse than that

[bainbridgekid]

29 minutes ago, MossMan said:

Yee Haw!! 

MossMan effect snow!

 

 

[MillCreekMike]

Need to see more pics from PDX!

[MillCreekMike]

1 minute ago, bainbridgekid said:

MossMan effect snow!

 

 

That is unbelievable lol

[Rubus Leucodermis]

5 minutes ago, MillCreekMike said:

Is there a worse form of torture to a weather weenie than watching snow bands continue to fizzle out just as it reaches your location? Just had that thought. What could be worse than that

That’s about as bad as it gets. Always best for that sort of thing to happen to someone ELSE.

[LowerGarfield]

11 minutes ago, Sandy rocks said:

My son-in-law left work near OMSI at 4:30 and is still not home. It started snowing here around 2 and hasn't stopped, probably now have around 5".

Let us know when he gets back safe! Snow is exciting but more fun when you don't have to drive in it. Any snow photos?