December 2023 Weather in the PNW

[Deweydog]

Meanwhile, 51 years ago RIGHT NOW the HAMMER was about to DROP.

[Phishy Wx]

6 minutes ago, Deweydog said:

I have a dentist appointment on the 15th. Should I cancel it?

yes

[SouthHillFrosty]

14 minutes ago, Cold Snap said:

Druncle gonna Druncle.

Puyallup is snow shadowed. Throw it out 

[Port Angeles Foothiller]

Serious amount of snow on the 18z

[TacomaWx]

17 minutes ago, NorthBend RainEnthusiast said:

I’ve only measured 1.76” the last couple days and it’s already overflowing? Yeah, you’re Monday/Tuesday is gonna be interesting considering the amount expected.

I had to clean up a fallen rotten tree but it was surprising how little wind damage there was given how loud it sounded. Still nothing has topped the windstorm of early January 2019. 

The treatment ponds can fill up pretty quick here. The water also gets very dirty with it being a construction site…so sending the water out clean takes time for chemistry to work and take nasty contaminants out. But yeah I am kind of worried about Monday/Tuesday here. 

[SnowWillarrive]

15 minutes ago, SouthHillFrosty said:

Puyallup is snow shadowed. Throw it out 

Sounds about right. Looks like a dark spot over Fife

[CliffMassYelledAtMe]

Does drunkenness explain this or am I missing how 152.3 circled (Mt. Rainier?) is somehow less than the "Max: 150.9"??

[TT-SEA]

36 minutes ago, Deweydog said:

I have a dentist appointment on the 15th. Should I cancel it?

Its over.   I would cancel everything after December 10th indefinitely.  

[TT-SEA]

Monday - Wednesday will be very wet... but 2-3 inches of rain in 48 hours is not usually problematic out here in terms of serious flooding.   

[NorthBend RainEnthusiast]

9 minutes ago, TacomaWx said:

The treatment ponds can fill up pretty quick here. The water also gets very dirty with it being a construction site…so sending the water out clean takes time for chemistry to work and take nasty contaminants out. But yeah I am kind of worried about Monday/Tuesday here. 

Turbidity, zinc, copper, oil&grease, and pH?

[Requiem]

8 minutes ago, TT-SEA said:

Monday - Wednesday will be very wet... but 2-3 inches of rain in 48 hours is not usually problematic out here in terms of serious flooding.   

 Could be a potential problem down here in the more saturated areas after today's AR. Wouldn't be shocked to see some areas top 12 inches of rain in the mountains for the combined storm total.

[snow_wizard]

18z GFS gets pretty darn nice during week 2!

[snow_wizard]

27 minutes ago, SnowWillarrive said:

Sounds about right. Looks like a dark spot over Fife

Fife sucks!

[snow_wizard]

51 minutes ago, Deweydog said:

Meanwhile, 51 years ago RIGHT NOW the HAMMER was about to DROP.

And that was a Nino for those keeping score.  So was Jan 1930 for that matter.

[TacomaWx]

15 minutes ago, NorthBend RainEnthusiast said:

Turbidity, zinc, copper, oil&grease, and pH?

Yep…PH is a problem up here. A lot of jobsites the other issues are lead and iron. Our chemistry (chitosan) doesn’t work at all when the PH is below 6.5. The turbidity also needs to be below 25 NTU and some of the ponds here are +1000 NTU with a PH of 6. Takes time to get the water clean. 

[RentonHill]

16 minutes ago, TT-SEA said:

Monday - Wednesday will be very wet... but 2-3 inches of rain in 48 hours is not usually problematic out here in terms of serious flooding.   

Especially if meltage isn’t a concern

[snow_wizard]

Who would have thought the weekend would turn out mostly dry?

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Major arctic blast in the 20-25th timeframe?!

[snow_wizard]

3 minutes ago, TacomaWx said:

Yep…PH is a problem up here. A lot of jobsites the other issues are lead and iron. Our chemistry (chitozan) doesn’t work at all when the PH is below 6.5. The turbidity also needs to be below 25 NTU and some of the ponds here are +1000 NTU with a PH of 6. Takes time to get the water clean. 

You're most likely going to end up dumping bad water.  Just no way to store what is coming.

Can you use high pH chemicals to raise the pH when needed?

[SilverFallsAndrew]

5 minutes ago, snow_wizard said:

And that was a Nino for those keeping score.  So was Jan 1930 for that matter.

Super Nino in 1972. I believe January 1930 was a weak Nino. And of course 1968-69 was a moderate Nino. 

[TacomaWx]

Just now, snow_wizard said:

You're most likely going to end up dumping bad water.  Just no way to store what is coming.

Can you use high pH chemicals to raise the pH when needed?

Caustic Soda is what we use to raise the PH. We’re definitely aware of what’s coming and we are trying to get ahead of the rain and drain everything as much as we can. This is our first year as a company working in the area and it’ll be a big test the next few days. 

[Phishy Wx]

4 minutes ago, SilverFallsAndrew said:

Major arctic blast in the 20-25th timeframe?!

Gunna be a BLUE XMAS

[antipex]

Now that the snow has stopped I measured 7”. That’s 2” from yesterday and 5” today, most of which fell about 5:30am to 12:30pm.

[MossMan]

Looks fun! 

[NorthBend RainEnthusiast]

14 minutes ago, TacomaWx said:

Yep…PH is a problem up here. A lot of jobsites the other issues are lead and iron. Our chemistry (chitosan) doesn’t work at all when the PH is below 6.5. The turbidity also needs to be below 25 NTU and some of the ponds here are +1000 NTU with a PH of 6. Takes time to get the water clean. 

Interesting. I sparingly deal with ISGP permits and the Department of Ecology is really not messing around with stormwater these days, only going to get stricter. I bet turbidity is tough to get down during the heavy rain events but the evidence is pretty substantial that it’s not good for our aquatic friends. Good luck to you, I’ll give you a honk when I pass by. 

[snow_wizard]

Great setup at the end of the 18z.  Another cold shot is setting up for us after several cold days already.

[MossMan]

Would love to be here as well. 

 

[Port Angeles Foothiller]

Getting excited!

[snow_wizard]

5 minutes ago, MossMan said:

Looks fun! 

Looks impressive.

[MossMan]

2 minutes ago, Port Angeles Foothiller said:

Getting excited!

Me too! I don’t care what Phil says! 

[Gradient Keeper]

2 hours ago, Phishy Wx said:

I was just looking for this GIF until I scrolled down and saw your reply!

[North_County]

46 minutes ago, TT-SEA said:

Monday - Wednesday will be very wet... but 2-3 inches of rain in 48 hours is not usually problematic out here in terms of serious flooding.   

I think the bigger issue, at least for river flooding, anyway, is the amount of snowmelt. But yeah, I have to keep reminding people that in 2021 we had a lowland station in the area record 10 inches in 36 hours, if I recall, and even more in the mountains. So any comparisons should stop right there.

[Jbolin]

1 hour ago, Rubus Leucodermis said:

11 days out on the GFS, that’s basically a lock!

10 days out, it would be

[Gradient Keeper]

18z GEFS through Day 13. Not there yet, but this is edging towards greatness just slide that ridge a nad or two further east. You can see the potential. This fits right with my thinking of seeing a ridge/cold pattern by mid-December. C'MON! Ya gotta believe!!!!

[Rubus Leucodermis]

1 minute ago, North_County said:

I think the bigger issue, at least for river flooding, anyway, is the amount of snowmelt. But yeah, I have to keep reminding people that in 2021 we had a lowland station in the area record 10 inches in 36 hours, if I recall, and even more in the mountains. So any comparisons should stop right there.

There has been some snow recently, but overall it really hasn’t been snowy in the mountains. There’s just not a great deal of snow up there to suddenly melt, in other words. I am not worried about a repeat of November 2021.

[LowerGarfield]

1 hour ago, CliffMassYelledAtMe said:

Does drunkenness explain this or am I missing how 152.3 circled (Mt. Rainier?) is somehow less than the "Max: 150.9"??

Yet, I'm still in that tiny hole near the banana slug.

[snow_wizard]

Best run yet for PNA on the GEFS.  Looks like the control really goes bonkers.

[snow_wizard]

Loving the analogs.  The good El Nino ones are all there. 1965, 1968, 1972, 2009 along with other good years.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Most of today was dry. Hasn’t rained since around 10a.

[NorthBend RainEnthusiast]

19 minutes ago, North_County said:

I think the bigger issue, at least for river flooding, anyway, is the amount of snowmelt. But yeah, I have to keep reminding people that in 2021 we had a lowland station in the area record 10 inches in 36 hours, if I recall, and even more in the mountains. So any comparisons should stop right there.

Worst events I’ve measured is:

3.5” in 8 hours, 6” in 24 hrs, and 10” in ~2 days (all separate events)

It’s good to have top tier events to compare so you don’t panic about the average Atmospheric River.