December 2023 Weather in the PNW

[Rubus Leucodermis]

Some encouraging words from the Canadian forum:

[SilverFallsAndrew]

1 minute ago, Rubus Leucodermis said:

Some encouraging words from the Canadian forum:

If I get any snow this “season” it will probably be in March or April. It also snowed here in May 2010 coming off a strong Nino. 

[Rubus Leucodermis]

5 minutes ago, SilverFallsAndrew said:

If I get any snow this “season” it will probably be in March or April. It also snowed here in May 2010 coming off a strong Nino. 

Particularly since you have altitude working in your favour.

As sure as the sun rises each morning, I can be sure I will see no accumulating snow on or after March 1st. At least I have already scored this season, so no complete bust for me.

[Kayla]

37 minutes ago, Phil said:

can we bulldoze the appalachians?  

Without them you wouldn't see upslope induced precipitation either.

[Snownerd3000]

33 minutes ago, TT-SEA said:

That is the Columbia Gorge. 

 

35 minutes ago, Rubus Leucodermis said:

It is not even purely theoretical. Most of the reason that Whatcom County and the BC Lower Mainland score more frequently than points south is due to easier access to cold air funneling in through the Fraser Canyon.

Not sure why this comes up for "exactly" but exactly 

[Phil]

11 minutes ago, Kayla said:

Without them you wouldn't see upslope induced precipitation either.

I don’t see upslope induced precipitation now. I’m 190ft ASL on the downslope side, adiabatic warming/drying eviscerates precip long before it gets here absent a strong ULL. And even then it’s just flurries/squalls. None of the Great Lakes moisture makes it here.

In NW flow, it’ll often be in the teens with heavy snow 75-100 miles to the west, while it’s in the 40s and sunny/windy here.

[GobBluth]

1 hour ago, TT-SEA said:

Seems like the GFS has been playing catch up with the EPS and too progressive in the long range.   I just don't trust the GFS until the EPS starts showing some movement.   

00Z EPS showed the GOA trough holding through the end of run.   I would also like to see something more progressive because this really sucks for the mountains and skiers and I have a couple skiers begging for good news every day.

The gfs issues in the long term are comical.

[FroYoBro]

15 minutes ago, Snownerd3000 said:

 

Not sure why this comes up for "exactly" but exactly 

[BLI snowman]

Looks like zero arctic air anywhere in the CONUS the rest of the month.

[Kayla]

10 minutes ago, Phil said:

I don’t see upslope induced precipitation now. I’m 190ft ASL on the downslope side, adiabatic warming/drying eviscerates precip long before it gets here absent a strong ULL. And even then it’s just flurries/squalls. None of the Great Lakes moisture makes it here.

In NW flow, it’ll often be in the teens with heavy snow 75-100 miles to the west, while it’s in the 40s and sunny/windy here.

I'm referring to that precip in WV looks upslope induced to me. Obviously you're getting downslope'd but without the Appalachians that area would also see a whole lot less precipitation develop was my point.

[Ken in Wood Village]

I think I'll head up to Crown Point. Winds have gotten much stronger. There were a couple of gusts up to 72mph but still high 60's. 

[MossMan]

It’s coming. 

[Cascadia_Wx]

1 hour ago, Phil said:

I bet Seattle winters would be lit af without the Cascades. Or at even just a 100 mile wide gap in them.

Sucks living on the downslope side of CAA if you’re a winter lover. Or a weather weenie in general.

Ever heard of the Columbia Gorge?

[Cascadia_Wx]

Ended up with a low of 28 this morning. Coldest of the month so far. Still frosty out and just 34 with high clouds and some patches of fog.

Also noticed it smells a little smoky out.

[SouthHillFrosty]

Had to drive back from Graham/Eatonville last night and had to turn on the high beams to see in the dense fog in the countryside (when nobody was coming). Also my friends dog bite me five times so that was fun.

Edited December 17, 2023 by SouthHillFrosty

[TT-SEA]

2 minutes ago, SouthHillFrosty said:

Had to drive back from Graham/Eatonville last night and had to turn on the high beams to see in the dense fog in the countryside (when nobody was coming). Also got bit by my friends dog five times so that was fun also. 

High beams make driving in the fog worse.  

[Phil]

33 minutes ago, Kayla said:

I'm referring to that precip in WV looks upslope induced to me. Obviously you're getting downslope'd but without the Appalachians that area would also see a whole lot less precipitation develop was my point.

Ah, gotcha. Yeah it’s upslope enhanced, tho there’d still be precipitation without it.

Also see this effect with Alberta clippers, that usually drop 2-4” of snow across the Ohio valley, 6-12” across the high terrain, then a measly 1” here.

[MossMan]

7 minutes ago, SouthHillFrosty said:

Had to drive back from Graham/Eatonville last night and had to turn on the high beams to see in the dense fog in the countryside (when nobody was coming). Also got bit by my friends dog five times so that was fun also. 

Sounds like an action packed night!

[Rubus Leucodermis]

5 minutes ago, TT-SEA said:

High beams make driving in the fog worse.  

Was just about to post the same thing. Using high beams in foggy condition just makes the backscatter worse.

[Phil]

23 minutes ago, Cascadia_Wx said:

Ever heard of the Columbia Gorge?

Yep, from you.  

[Phil]

21 minutes ago, Cascadia_Wx said:

Ended up with a low of 28 this morning. Coldest of the month so far. Still frosty out and just 34 with high clouds and some patches of fog.

Also noticed it smells a little smoky out.

Woodsmoke trapped under an inversion?

[SouthHillFrosty]

24 minutes ago, TT-SEA said:

High beams make driving in the fog worse.  

Good to know.

[The Blob]

2 hours ago, Phil said:

Looking forward to it. These short days are the one thing I dislike about winter compared to summer, and why Feb-Apr is my favorite time of year.

I just enjoy the near 16hr days we get in the summer.

[Cascadia_Wx]

20 minutes ago, Phil said:

Woodsmoke trapped under an inversion?

Quite possibly.

And just 15 miles away as the crow flies they are getting 80mph wind gusts. That gap in the mountains doing its thing  

[Ken in Wood Village]

I think the winds are much stronger than the anemometer shows on the website. I'm guessing over 80 mph. 

[Rubus Leucodermis]

2 minutes ago, Ken in Wood Village said:

I think the winds are much stronger than the anemometer shows on the website. I'm guessing over 80 mph. 

A phone that advertises itself in each photo? How annoying.

[Doinko]

40 minutes ago, Phil said:

Yep, from you.  

Hood River winters would be great. January 1980 was insane there, at below 500 ft as well. I definitely want to experience a winter in the gorge at some point.

 

[Ken in Wood Village]

Here's a little video 

[Ken in Wood Village]

5 minutes ago, Rubus Leucodermis said:

A phone that advertises itself in each photo? How annoying.

I actually have it that way. I can turn it off

[Doinko]

Low of 30 today, nice to get two freezes in a row.

[Gradient Keeper]

3 hours ago, SilverFallsAndrew said:

Pretty extreme inversion right now. 

59 at 3900' just east of Silver Falls State Park

55 at Horse Creek east of Salem at 3300'

46 at the Silver Falls viewpoint 1750'

35 at Powers Creek Loop 1200'

30 at SLE at about 200'

Dewpoints along the west slopes of the Cascades are in the single digits. While in the valley RH is near 100%. 

Good stuff.

[Gradient Keeper]

Day 10 - Model comparison 12z ECMWF, GEM, GFS. All models point towards a possible significant pattern change. Later this week I want to see the same thing, but at Day 4-5.

[Ken in Wood Village]

It looks like they put a new Tempest weather station up on Crown Point 

[Gradient Keeper]

1 hour ago, Ken in Wood Village said:

I think I'll head up to Crown Point. Winds have gotten much stronger. There were a couple of gusts up to 72mph but still high 60's. 

Remember, the new weather station they put up there the anemometer can only handle around 80mph gusts. I would rely more on the Corbett observation and add 15-20mph for Crown Point. Corbett has had a gust to 76mph, so Crown Point likely well over 90mph.

[Ken in Wood Village]

16 minutes ago, Gradient Keeper said:

Remember, the new weather station they put up there the anemometer can only handle around 80mph gusts. I would rely more on the Corbett observation and add 15-20mph for Crown Point. Corbett has had a gust to 76mph, so Crown Point likely well over 90mph.

I think your right. I've been up here when I experienced 115 mph and some of the gusts feel close to 90 mph. So many people have lost their Bennies to the wind....lol. I'm in the car for a few, I'm not young as I used to be...lol

[Ken in Wood Village]

The winds have picked up dramatically in the last 20 minutes  

[Gradient Keeper]

12 minutes ago, Ken in Wood Village said:

I think your right. I've been up here when I experienced 115 mph and some of the gusts feel close to 90 mph. So many people have lost their Bennies to the wind....lol. I'm in the car for a few, I'm not young as I used to be...lol

Mark Nelsen and other knowledgeable folks in my FB weather group posted about the new weather station and the faults with it. I'm trying to find it so I can post that here.

[TT-SEA]

49 minutes ago, Gradient Keeper said:

Day 10 - Model comparison 12z ECMWF, GEM, GFS. All models point towards a possible significant pattern change. Later this week I want to see the same thing, but at Day 4-5.

12Z EPS now takes us to January. 

[Gradient Keeper]

Alright found it. Apparently the anemometer is an ultrasonic and tops out at 89mph, which will be woefully below the actual max wind gusts. The State Park Rangers are the ones who put up the new station.

[Gradient Keeper]

2 minutes ago, TT-SEA said:

12Z EPS now takes us to January. 

Yikes. That looks like a prolonged low level cold pool, east wind regime to me. A pattern change will come though....

00z ECMWF in 9 hours 39 minutes