January 2019 Weather in the Pacific Northwest

[TT-SEA]

46 at SEA... and 49 up here this morning.  

 

Must be a little wind starting up here.   

[TT-SEA]

5C222DCC-7EF3-4AD6-960B-F4C74ECD6CD3.pngBF62C30F-2810-4DE4-96D7-B08B0019462F.png

 

 

I feel like this following the same script as last year... that is what it looked like in late January and early February leading up to the cold spell.   

[umadbro]

Still some pretty good low level offshore flow in portland.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

46 at SEA... and 49 up here this morning.  

 

Must be a little wind starting up here.   

 

38 at SLE, 36 here.

 

Still some pretty good low level offshore flow in portland.

 

E wind gusting to 36 at TTD, impressive.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Yikes, hope no one ate before looking at the 06z ensembles.

[TT-SEA]

38 at SLE, 36 here.

 

 

E wind gusting to 36 at TTD, impressive.

 

 

Must have been more cloudy up here overnight.  

[MossMan]

Yikes, hope no one ate before looking at the 06z ensembles.

Puking breakfast with excitement?

[Brian_in_Leavenworth]

5C222DCC-7EF3-4AD6-960B-F4C74ECD6CD3.pngBF62C30F-2810-4DE4-96D7-B08B0019462F.png

The one image of the Euro weeklies that I saw from last night showed the huge ridge right over the PNW, delivering the cold air over the east, just like a typical Nino.  That was for late January/early February.  

[Omegaraptor]

You know what I want? A good ol’ fashioned downpour. Not these garbage storms which die, 100% of the time, without fail, right before they hit.

 

I don’t want wind. I don’t care about snow. I want rain.

[TT-SEA]

Nice sunrise this morning...

 

[luvssnow_spokane]

Yikes, hope no one ate before looking at the 06z ensembles.

In the mood for a good purge. DO SHARE!

[TT-SEA]

Some low 50s showing up this morning... including 52 in North Bend with a light east wind.

 

[TT-SEA]

Sunrise from the Space Needle Cam...

 

[ShawniganLake]

The one image of the Euro weeklies that I saw from last night showed the huge ridge right over the PNW, delivering the cold air over the east, just like a typical Nino. That was for late January/early February.

I saw the Euro weeklies thru mid February. It was a winter cancel scenario. Weeks 2 and 3 strong west coast ridge. Weeks 4-5 strong ridging in western Canada.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

In the mood for a good purge. DO SHARE!

http://old.wetterzentrale.de/pics/MT8_Portland_Oregon_USA_ens.png

[MossMan]

 

 

In the mood for a good purge. DO SHARE!

http://old.wetterzentrale.de/pics/MT8_Portland_Oregon_USA_ens.png

Just when I thought we were slowly making progress. Poof. Gone.

[Jesse]

You know what I want? A good ol’ fashioned downpour. Not these garbage storms which die, 100% of the time, without fail, right before they hit.

 

I don’t want wind. I don’t care about snow. I want rain.

We’ve had some heavy rain at points the last few months. Overall precip has still run below normal, mainly because of all the lengthy dry spells like the one we are about to embark upon, but it’s not like every storm has been dying at our doorstep as was the case May-September.

[Jesse]

http://old.wetterzentrale.de/pics/MT8_Portland_Oregon_USA_ens.png

Nice and wet in the LR!

[Jesse]

06z on its own wasn’t a bad run at face value. Good mtn snow pattern in the long range.

[Brian_in_Leavenworth]

I saw the Euro weeklies thru mid February. It was a winter cancel scenario. Weeks 2 and 3 strong west coast ridge. Weeks 4-5 strong ridging in western Canada.

Mark Nelsen posted about that, and commented that "We’ll see, seems like models have been trying to develop these big highs too often this winter, backing off as we get closer."

 

On the other hand, it is about the time of year during an El Nino winter that the big ridge takes over the PNW.  I hope not though.

[TT-SEA]

The 12Z GFS only shows one solid frontal system for the entire run... and that comes through next weekend.

[MR.SNOWMIZER]

The end of next week is very close to something good with the High sliding down the bc mountains and some low pressure near by. Minor tweaks in that pattern will make big differences obviously.

[MR.SNOWMIZER]

Check out the shadow!!

[Esquimalt]

Ensembles looking somewhat better.

[Jesse]

Check out the shadow!!

That’s awesome. Those always give a feeling for how big the mountain really is.

[Blizzard777]

Puking breakfast with excitement?

In the mood for a good purge. DO SHARE!

Puke and Purge to start off my day and it’s Friday..Splendid!

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Just when I thought we were slowly making progress. Poof. Gone.

 

On to 2028-29!

[Front Ranger]

You know what I want? A good ol’ fashioned downpour. Not these garbage storms which die, 100% of the time, without fail, right before they hit.

 

I don’t want wind. I don’t care about snow. I want rain.

 

Move to North Bend. LOL!

[Front Ranger]

That’s awesome. Those always give a feeling for how big the mountain really is.

 

I always tell people, the 12,000'+ mountains there are so much bigger than the ones here. 

[TT-SEA]

I always tell people, the 12,000'+ mountains there are so much bigger than the ones here. 

 

That's because they only look like 7,000' mountains there.  

[Front Ranger]

That's because they only look like 7,000' mountains there.  

 

Correct. And it's not just the apparent height, it's the mass. There's nothing close to the massive bases of the big volcanic peaks out there.

[Jesse]

Ensembles looking somewhat better.

Definite improvement.

 

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Correct. And it's not just the apparent height, it's the mass. There's nothing close to the massive bases of the big volcanic peaks out there.

 

The mountains in Colorado are much more impressive overall than the mountains here. Also some mountains are pretty impressive. Pikes Peak from Colorado Springs is nothing to sneeze at.

 

And the Washington Cascades are much more impressive than the Oregon Cascades. 

[Jesse]

The mountains in Colorado are much more impressive overall than the mountains here. Also some mountains are pretty impressive. Pikes Peak from Colorado Springs is nothing to sneeze at.

 

And the Washington Cascades are much more impressive than the Oregon Cascades.

Yeah, but as far as sheer stand alone bulk it’s hard to outdo our volanoes out here. At least within the lower 48. Alaska has some even bigger ones of course. Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea in Hawaii are no slouches either, but they are rather broad and aren’t glaciated, so don’t look as impressive.

[HighlandExperience]

I always tell people, the 12,000'+ mountains there are so much bigger than the ones here.

Even the 8-9K mountains here are much more impressive than CO Rockies. Especially north of hwy 2. Rainier has the same prominence as K2. Pretty impressive.

[HighlandExperience]

The mountains in Colorado are much more impressive overall than the mountains here. Also some mountains are pretty impressive. Pikes Peak from Colorado Springs is nothing to sneeze at.

 

And the Washington Cascades are much more impressive than the Oregon Cascades.

Doesn’t sound like you have spent much time in the North Cascades. But yes you are right for Oregon.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Yeah, but as far as sheer stand alone bulk it’s hard to outdo our volanoes out here. At least within the lower 48. Alaska has some even bigger ones of course. Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea in Hawaii are no slouches either, but they are rather broad and aren’t glaciated, so don’t look as impressive.

 

Oh absolutely. But I wouldn't minimize the overall grandeur of the mountains in Colorado. 

[Phil]

The one benefit of no raging winter +NAO (so far) is an improvement in the health/expanse of the Arctic ice pack, especially on the Pacific side and marginal waters.

 

I will explain below.

 

 

Unlike the summer months, where a Greenland vortex actually increases snowfall and cloudiness (which helps sustainin the ice), during the winter months this feature not only increases warm advection through the NATL, but the increase in *winter* cloudiness (given the absence of sunlight) merely inhibits radiative cooling and the freezing of marginal waters. Also, it also storminess and wind speeds, which prevents freezing via mixing/turbulence of the Arctic waters.

 

These effects are felt away from the cold core of the vortex, towards Siberia and the western Arctic. In one year, we can already see the difference made putting the vortex to rest for merely 6 weeks.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Doesn’t sound like you have spent much time in the North Cascades. But yes you are right for Oregon.

 

I haven't. But I know they are pretty impressive having seen pictures. That's why I specified the Oregon Cascades are pretty underwhelming overall. I have been to Colorado more times than I can count though and I don't think the mountains there take a backseat to the PNW, though Mt. Rainier and Mt. Adams for instance are obviously more impressive than any individual mountain there. 

[HighlandExperience]

Nothing like this in Colorado. Only one major hwy intersects the North Cascades. You gotta work to see most of its beauty. The only thing close is the Wind River in Wyoming. Also the peaks in British Columbia are mostly between 7-8K but are true giants compared to anything in the lower 48.