January Weather In The PNW 2024 (Part III) - The Warming Shot

[RCola]

This event will definitely go down as one of the most painful for Seattle snow lovers. I've never experienced such a string of near misses one after another like this. Too south, too north, too east, too west. I hope our luck changes before winter is over.

[DeepFriedEgg]

Weenie post:
All the whining from northern folk and it seems like a good portion of you ended up with more snow than me here in PDX metro… (1/4in before it turned into sleet).

Mid and south valley had it even worse. Sleet but mostly destructive ZR.

[snow_wizard]

1 minute ago, CliffMassYelledAtMe said:

Switched to light snow on Sammamish plateau.

Yesssss!!!

This is playing out better than any model so far.

[Groundhog]

1 hour ago, iFred said:

Where are you out of again? I'll just update your profile with location.

Mission, BC

[Weiner Warrior]

[snow_wizard]

1 minute ago, FroYoBro said:

PDX is fighting for its life over the freezing mark! Goin between 30 and 32 degrees depending on the wind switch.

 

 

Once the low up here gets east of them it's over.

[North_County]

33 minutes ago, Chewbacca Defense said:

Just came back from an appointment, and it's looking like Hoth down here with the winds, I can't imagine what it's like up there.

Visibility much improved in the last 3 hours. But the drifts are super soft, and now a semi truck got stuck and is blocking the highway. 

[DeepFriedEgg]

6 minutes ago, Frontal Snowsquall said:

New AFD says we could see snow/ice again tomorrow.

Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Portland OR 1054 AM PST Wed Jan 17 2024

Some forecast shifts that are different than the previous forecast. Freezing rain potential has increased near the Columbia River from eastern Washington County eastward through the Gorge. This coincides with another surge of moisture from the west. The key will be whether or not the cold air pool is deep enough to keep things as all snow, or if temperatures will rise enough to keep it all as rain. Looking at the probabilities, temperatures via the HREF are ranging from 28-38 degrees in Troutdale, and 20-35 degrees in Hood River. The highest probability for temperatures is in the 25-30 degree range. Again though, the key will be how warm it gets aloft and if it will push the cold air in. Will add, that the pressure gradient from Troutdale to the Dalles is around -10 based on the GFS and the NAM which is correlates to a decent easterly wind...again...not working for us. -Muessle

It will not be snow except for deep in the gorge lol what. 

[Frontal Snowsquall]

10 minutes ago, bainbridgekid said:

I was out walking on a frozen lake yesterday and a woman approached me out on the ice and said she grew up in Minnesota but moved to Florida for high school and hadn't seen a frozen lake since she was a kid. She said she was driving by and saw me out on the ice and felt a wave of nostalgia and started crying. Really a sweet moment. She apologized for crying and interrupting me and I told her she probably picked the ONE person just as excited about the ice as she was.

Wow that’s a great story! Weather brings us together! 

[snow_wizard]

3 minutes ago, RCola said:

This event will definitely go down as one of the most painful for Seattle snow lovers. I've never experienced such a string of near misses one after another like this. Too south, too north, too east, too west. I hope our luck changes before winter is over.

It's snowing pretty close to you now.

[LowerGarfield]

34 minutes ago, SilverFallsAndrew said:

I think about that with my own kids. We get so much snow here, will it not be something they care about when they are older, or will it bring back good memories and they will long for it if they live somewhere they don't get as much. 

My wife grew up in South Central Oregon where they get quite a bit of snow, it's not a big deal for her. She's more of the opinion it's nice for a little while, as long as there is not too much and it melts within a day or two. She also doesn't like the wet slob we almost always get here. 

I will also say my kids LOVED the sleet/ice combo. I couldn't keep them inside the past few days. Usually with snow they'll go out for an hour or so and then get soaked and cold and come in. 

I would say I'm the type where I hope for a lot, then a week of melting and then a bunch again after it's gone. Also easier to keep records of (no worries of wind or weird re-freezing to mess up records).

@MossManhow much do you have?

[SnowWillarrive]

3 minutes ago, RCola said:

This event will definitely go down as one of the most painful for Seattle snow lovers. I've never experienced such a string of near misses one after another like this. Too south, too north, too east, too west. I hope our luck changes before winter is over.

Not just Seattle. I’d say entire Puget Sound south of Whatcom. Even areas that normally do pretty decent hardly saw much in the last two weeks. 

[snow_wizard]

3 minutes ago, Weiner Warrior said:

Love how it's sticking right away.

[Doinko]

2 minutes ago, DeepFriedEgg said:

Weenie post:
All the whining from northern folk and it seems like a good portion of you ended up with more snow than me here in PDX metro… (1/4in before it turned into sleet).

Mid and south valley had it even worse. Sleet but mostly destructive ZR.

You had 1/4" in Cedar Mill? I think the battle zone was probably right near us then, as we had about 3" of snow/sleet here in Bethany, with at least 2" of that being snow. 

[Phishy Wx]

13 minutes ago, bainbridgekid said:

I was out walking on a frozen lake yesterday and a woman approached me out on the ice and said she grew up in Minnesota but moved to Florida for high school and hadn't seen a frozen lake since she was a kid. She said she was driving by and saw me out on the ice and felt a wave of nostalgia and started crying. Really a sweet moment. She apologized for crying and interrupting me and I told her she probably picked the ONE person just as excited about the ice as she was.

did you tell her your handle on here?

[MR.SNOWMIZER]

4 minutes ago, snow_wizard said:

Yesssss!!!

This is playing out better than any model so far.

Rgem and nam showed this.

[RCola]

Just now, snow_wizard said:

It's snowing pretty close to you now.

All the more painful. The rain snow line is just about at Mercer Island from my drive over to Bellevue. No way it makes it downtown. It's just too warm unfortunately. 

[snow_wizard]

Just now, SnowWillarrive said:

Not just Seattle. I’d say entire Puget Sound south of Whatcom. Even areas that normally do pretty decent hardly saw much in the last two weeks. 

Have you seen the latest reports of snow on the forum.  This might work out for a little bit here.

[snow_wizard]

Just now, RCola said:

All the more painful. The rain snow line is just about at Mercer Island from my drive over to Bellevue. No way it makes it downtown. It's just too warm unfortunately. 

I saw somebody from Seattle report snow.  Not sure what part.  The air mass is getting colder as we speak BTW.

[MR.SNOWMIZER]

Wow outflow full force again! mid 20's up there, bremerton down to 34.

[RCola]

2 minutes ago, SnowWillarrive said:

Not just Seattle. I’d say entire Puget Sound south of Whatcom. Even areas that normally do pretty decent hardly saw much in the last two weeks. 

I agree, and I know climatology is what it is around these parts. But it's pretty sad that a cold outbreak of this magnitude produced maybe one good hour of a snow shower as the arctic front pulled through and that was it.

[MossMan]

4 minutes ago, LowerGarfield said:

I would say I'm the type where I hope for a lot, then a week of melting and then a bunch again after it's gone. Also easier to keep records of (no worries of wind or weird re-freezing to mess up records).

@MossManhow much do you have?

2”! 

[snow_wizard]

16 minutes ago, bainbridgekid said:

I was out walking on a frozen lake yesterday and a woman approached me out on the ice and said she grew up in Minnesota but moved to Florida for high school and hadn't seen a frozen lake since she was a kid. She said she was driving by and saw me out on the ice and felt a wave of nostalgia and started crying. Really a sweet moment. She apologized for crying and interrupting me and I told her she probably picked the ONE person just as excited about the ice as she was.

Very cool story!

[snow_wizard]

1 minute ago, RCola said:

I agree, and I know climatology is what it is around these parts. But it's pretty sad that a cold outbreak of this magnitude produced maybe one good hour of a snow shower as the arctic front pulled through and that was it.

Why are you giving up?  You could still get some.

[RCola]

3 minutes ago, snow_wizard said:

I saw somebody from Seattle report snow.  Not sure what part.  The air mass is getting colder as we speak BTW.

Perhaps, but I wouldn't count on it all the way to downtown at sea level. It just wasn't meant to be this round, or the last several rounds for that matter. We've just been in the same marginal pattern many times. Maybe we see flakes but nothing of lasting value.

 

Fingers crossed some El Nina magic happens in February to deliver us just an inch of snow. 

[CliffMassYelledAtMe]

I90/18 interchange in Snoqualmie has changed over to snow.

[snow_wizard]

Federal Way peaked at 41 and is now back to 36.  The warm bubble has already peaked.

[Snowlova]

24 minutes ago, Snowlova said:

Watching rain turn to snow on webcams at around 300ft elevation all around my house in the CZ. Lets see if my sea level curse will prevent snow from getting to me or not.

Snow mixing in!

[snow_wizard]

Just now, CliffMassYelledAtMe said:

I90/18 interchange in Snoqualmie has changed over to snow.

Very close to me now.  I held onto low level cold better than they did so I'm hopeful.

[Meatyorologist]

Whew! Caught up finally

Been snowing for an hour or so in the PSCZ. Nice consolation prize, maybe a skiff of wet slush on elevated surfaces. Nothing very visible.

[DeepFriedEgg]

1 minute ago, Doinko said:

You had 1/4" in Cedar Mill? I think the battle zone was probably right near us then, as we had about 3" of snow/sleet here in Bethany, with at least 2" of that being snow. 

I think it was sleet/snow for a while but we only had pure snow falling for about 30mins. Certainly not complaining as the cold/wind was incredible (although destructive). 
But it’s hard not to be slightly disappointed at how it played out based on how perfect the low position was. We don’t get that every winter.

[TigerWoodsLibido]

Up to 48F. Ice still melting.

[CliffMassYelledAtMe]

Trying to track by traffic cams and its interesting. Might be an element of elevation, but also a North/south Gradient. It's heading south and west. Carnation is now snow. Unincorporated east Redmond is snowing, but a little further west on the hill isn't yet. Issaquah/Sammamish border is snowing, but Issaquah Highlands near the hospital isn't yet. It's still coming!!  

[Parrot]

14 minutes ago, snow_wizard said:

Have you seen the latest reports of snow on the forum.  This might work out for a little bit here.

Radar is thinning out and most people barely have a dusting, if that

[SnowWillarrive]

11 minutes ago, snow_wizard said:

Have you seen the latest reports of snow on the forum.  This might work out for a little bit here.

I don’t see much moisture out there aside from a narrow band over I-90

[DeepFriedEgg]

2 minutes ago, TigerWoodsLibido said:

Up to 48F. Ice still melting.

One of these days we’re gonna get a blast with full upper level support. It’s just gotta happen.

[MR.SNOWMIZER]

10 minutes ago, MossMan said:

2”! 

i was dead on my prediction for you!

[MikeInEverett]

Jim! It’s okay for us to be disappointed! If you had told me in the days leading up to this Arctic blast that all I would get is one single dusting of snow in three potential snow events I would be extremely disappointed, and that’s unfortunately what ended up happening. The cold was very impressive and the 10/3 day at BLI is definitely memorable. Hopefully we can score a decent snow event by the end of the winter.

[CliffMassYelledAtMe]

Still lightly snowing but I can hear the downspouts gurgling, so it's not going to do much. That's okay. February is going to be interesting. 

[Slushy Inch]

Gfs keeps pscz snow going into the evening. Looks light though, and probably a mix or rain in some areas.