Part II- January 2020 Obs and Discussion

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Currently 17 degrees at Timberline and they are up to a 109" base.

[Jesse]

This applies to more than one.

 

Something about those foothills...

[jakerepp]

Looks like Monroe is getting nuked right now. Probably got at least half a foot at my old house

[joelgombiner]

Man was I pissed when that south wind surge came last night and wiped out the c-zone!

 

Thankfully things are looking much better for the coming 24 to 36 hours.  Getting some snow here now with a whopping 0.2".  The good news is we will have a pretty steady stream of mositure flowing in through tomorrow morning and the Arctic front will slowly sag south potentially adding some extra punch / convergence as it drops south.  The Arctic front is currently in Everett as evidenced by wind dirction, temp, and dp.

 

They actuallt closed the Kent Schools today.  I guess they didn't want to run the risk of sending the kids to school and then having to send them straight home.

 

Thge NWS and model snowfall maps still like the idea of snow with the strong system later in the week in spite of a lousy track.  We'll see.

 

Yes the Arctic front never accelerated southward. It was moving southward at about 15 km/hr. yesterday afternoon. That would put it passing through Seattle around noon today. 

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Mt. Hood snow pack up to 84% of average now. Pretty much every Oregon basin is now at least 70% of normal. Incredible rebound. 

[HoodCanalBridge]

Poulsbo definitely benefits from cold air damming. Just not nearly as much as areas further South and right along the Hood Canal, partially because it usually takes longer for the snow to reach as far North as Poulsbo and they get shadowed a bit more and partially because the SE winds don't pile up as much against the North part of the Olympics near Poulsbo as in Snowmizer's area West of Bremerton.

 

Bainbridge benefits too, and Poulsbo definitely gets more than Bainbridge in most cold air damming events.

I moved from Kingston to across the street from the canal waterfront just south of the bridge a few years ago and thought I’d see very little snow because of the canal. Boy was I wrong! We ended up with about 6” here.

[Jesse]

Mt. Hood snow pack up to 84% of average now. Pretty much every Oregon basin is now at least 70% of normal. Incredible rebound. 

 

NWS said another 2-3 feet in the higher Cascades through Thursday. Should put most if not all basins near to slightly above average.

 

Now we will finally be able to warm up and dry out for the next several months guilt free.

[HighlandExperience]

Man was I pissed when that south wind surge came last night and wiped out the c-zone!

 

Thankfully things are looking much better for the coming 24 to 36 hours. Getting some snow here now with a whopping 0.2". The good news is we will have a pretty steady stream of mositure flowing in through tomorrow morning and the Arctic front will slowly sag south potentially adding some extra punch / convergence as it drops south. The Arctic front is currently in Everett as evidenced by wind dirction, temp, and dp.

 

They actuallt closed the Kent Schools today. I guess they didn't want to run the risk of sending the kids to school and then having to send them straight home.

 

Thge NWS and model snowfall maps still like the idea of snow with the strong system later in the week in spite of a lousy track. We'll see.

Light snow falling in a good portion of King County now. When will the “arctic front” slip south.

[ShawniganLake]

[jakerepp]

. RGEM for the win

 

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That pink line making a beeline for you is pretty wild!

[BLI snowman]

It's a shame the Wednesday/Thursday low wouldn't make a similar track to today's. Would be a great track if there were more cold air to work with at the surface, as there will be at that point.

 

Also really sucks that today's low isn't synched up whatsoever with the arctic boundary. Airmass is just a little too lethargic, both aloft and in the lower levels.

 

I feel like nine times out of ten if you get a low tracking like that with a really cold adjacent airmass, you'd get something worthwhile here.

[Randyc321]

So kind of a blend. I have become interested in the Kitsap peninsula area lately now that I've seen more of it.

 

The only place in the Country I would choose to live over Kitsap would be the Olympic Pen.

 

Bainbridge is super strange.  It is a true hometown atmosphere.  I have never lived anywhere like it.

Tons of beaches and woods, parks and trails.  Just not much shopping.  Enough though.  Amazon is good friend.

[MossMan]

Snow really picking up after an hour of light snow. 25 degrees. Tried my plow even though I didn’t get much. Worked well! Just need another foot or so!

[SilverFallsAndrew]

NWS said another 2-3 feet in the higher Cascades through Thursday. Should put most if not all basins near to slightly above average.

 

Now we will finally be able to warm up and dry out for the next several months guilt free.

 

I hope we have a cool/wet spring. 

[Deweydog]

At the very least the NWS dropped the WWA. Never a bad thing.

[Jesse]

I hope we have a cool/wet spring. 

 

Ok I like you again.

[HighlandExperience]

[Art_Digbee]

Just shy of 2" overnight on Orcas. Currently 22, breezy (sheltered from the NE here at home) and just starting to snow again, hoping for some more of that Victoria moisture too.

[Omegaraptor]

Mt. Hood snow pack up to 84% of average now. Pretty much every Oregon basin is now at least 70% of normal. Incredible rebound. 

 

This is why Cliff Mass tells us not to bellyache over drought in December. On occasion it can be hopeless like in 76-77 but most of the time the snowpack will make a recovery in Jan-March. Happened last year too.

[snow_wizard]

Light snow falling in a good portion of King County now. When will the “arctic front” slip south.

 

The low passing through northern OR will pull the Arctic front south of Seattle before sunset most likely.  Looking at the radar and moisture streaming in, this is looking pretty decent.

[Timmy Supercell]

Not as much snow as I thought I'd have up to this point. So far my greatest event was during the bomb cyclone around Thanksgiving.

 

I haven't been posting a lot lately so I updated my signature to show the new total.

[Timmy]

Also really sucks that today's low isn't synched up whatsoever with the arctic boundary. Airmass is just a little too lethargic, both aloft and in the lower levels.

 

I feel like nine times out of ten if you get a low tracking like that with a really cold adjacent airmass, you'd get something worthwhile here.

a less scientific take, but I really feel like most everything that could go wrong, did on the home stretch for us in the lowlands. 9 out 10 times patterns like this deliver.

[snow_wizard]

Dare I say it is almost dumping here?!  This is way more serious than what had been modeled for this time frame.

[Prairiedog]

Live look from the weather window. River is UP.

 

Before you know it, there will be hints of yellow leaf buds on the Cottonwoods.  Herons will be setting up camp.  I'll be trolling for Springers.  Why'd I just say that?  I did gain 1 min 43 seconds yesterday.  Why'd I just say that? 

[Jesse]

This is why Cliff Mass tells us not to bellyache over drought in December. On occasion it can be hopeless like in 76-77 but most of the time the snowpack will make a recovery in Jan-March. Happened last year too.

 

Seems like you were complaining as much if not more than anyone.

 

A very dry November/December leading into what many believed would be a dry and blocky winter was cause for reasonable concern. Glad it has gone differently so far.

[MR.SNOWMIZER]

Dare I say it is almost dumping here?!  This is way more serious than what had been modeled for this time frame.

I dare you. 

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Rain picking up here in Salem. Wonder if it is snow or rain back up at the house. 

[TacomaWaWx]

Dare I say it is almost dumping here?!  This is way more serious than what had been modeled for this time frame.

snow stopped here for a bit but it's coming down again.

[Deweydog]

PDX’s average high jumps to 47 today.

 

Only 35 to go!!!

[Jesse]

At least these CRUSHING mountain snows will finally allow us to put years like 2004-05  and 2002-03 to bed.

[Omegaraptor]

I hope we have a cool/wet spring. 

 

Those don't happen anymore.

[Jesse]

Those don't happen anymore.

 

Need a tums. Maybe some pepto?

[Deweydog]

Up to 6 in Omak. Fun’s over up there...

[Jesse]

PDX down to 39. Windchill at freezing.

[BLI snowman]

a less scientific take, but I really feel like most everything that could go wrong, did on the home stretch for us in the lowlands. 9 out 10 times patterns like this deliver.

 

Two years in a row we can say that here. 2017-18 was a winter I probably took for granted, it felt like every snow opportunity that year actually exceeded expectations. Feels like a really long time ago.

[Deweydog]

We just can’t cold and snow like we used to...

[Jesse]

Two years in a row we can say that here. 2017-18 was a winter I probably took for granted, it felt like every snow opportunity that year actually exceeded expectations. Feels like a really long time ago.

 

Coming off 2016-17 that is understandable.

[Perturbed Member]

This one frame is all that is left of the potential snow here. Its too bad that low has to take such a terrible track, we were otherwise so close to getting a real event here. 

 

[snow_wizard]

Still snowing good here.  At least a half inch now.  If the entire next 24 hours is like this it will be insane.  Especially with colder air about to sag in.

[Blizzard777]

Snow really picking up after an hour of light snow. 25 degrees. Tried my plow even though I didn’t get much. Worked well! Just need another foot or so!

I don’t need to fancy up that picture at all!