March 2024 Weather in the PNW

[MR.SNOWMIZER]

Another great Mountain snow pattern We shouldn't loose much snow from a few days of average to maybe a little above average temps after this pattern shown.  Good chance we get into another chilly period after the ridge anyway for more mountain snow building. 

[Cascadia_Wx]

5 minutes ago, MR.SNOWMIZER said:

Another great Mountain snow pattern We shouldn't loose much snow from a few days of average to maybe a little above average temps after this pattern shown.  Good chance we get into another chilly period after the ridge anyway for more mountain snow building. 

Yup. I’ve been watching for that ridge breaking down at the end of each model run. Hoping we go into another favorable pattern after we get that out of the way.

[bainbridgekid]

The 12z GFS gives a large portion of the Olympics 5 feet of snow this weekend. Great to see them catching up. Their snowpack was absolutely abysmal till a few weeks ago.

[TT-SEA]

12Z EPS shows a solid ridge still at day 12.   

[MR.SNOWMIZER]

1 minute ago, Cascadia_Wx said:

Yup. I’ve been watching for that ridge breaking down at the end of each model run. Hoping we go into another favorable pattern after we get that out of the way.

Warm ups and cool downs are normal in spring, lets just hope the warm part don't take over before its time for warm weather.

[TT-SEA]

12Z control run shows that little low approaching from the west exactly like the ECMWF shows... but it gets pulled to the north and re-establishes the ridge again.   

[Cascadia_Wx]

1 minute ago, MR.SNOWMIZER said:

Warm ups and cool downs are normal in spring, lets just hope the warm part don't take over before its time for warm weather.

That’s my hope each year. Or that what warm spells we do get aren’t record shattering and flash melt the snowpack. Just some normal spring warmth is great every week or two.

[Cascadia_Wx]

Good sign of the ridge starting to break down around the equinox on the 12z GEFS.

[TT-SEA]

6 minutes ago, bainbridgekid said:

The 12z GFS gives a large portion of the Olympics 5 feet of snow this weekend. Great to see them catching up. Their snowpack was absolutely abysmal till a few weeks ago.

12Z ECMWF also looks good for the Olympics this weekend into early next week.  

[ShawniganLake]

Steady light snow here the past 3 hours or so. Just too light to accumulate especially with temps in the mid 30s

[TT-SEA]

12Z EPS keeps the troughing over the Pacific and the east coast in place through the end of the run leaving the west coast in the default ridging position.    Not sure if it would break down from the west or via retrogression eventually.  

 

[Cascadia_Wx]

I was just thinking, with the 28 this morning I have seen a low in the 20s or colder every month October-March. Not a foregone conclusion with a strong Niño.

Edited March 6 by Cascadia_Wx

[Cascadia_Wx]

Some west side lows this morning:

BLI: 27

SEA: 28

OLM: 21

Kelso: 26

Scappoose: 27

VUO: 24

HIO: 25

Aurora: 26

McMinnville: 25

SLE: 26

Corvallis: 27

EUG: 29

Edited March 6 by Cascadia_Wx

[Doinko]

Got down to 26 this morning with heavy frost. Looked amazing with the frost and sun, and the coast range was very visible

[Cascadia_Wx]

1 minute ago, Doinko said:

Got down to 26 this morning with heavy frost. Looked amazing with the frost and sun, and the coast range was very visible

I was kind of hoping for that sort of morning here, but we got fogged in and the frost melted shortly after sunrise.

Edited March 6 by Cascadia_Wx

[bainbridgekid]

Arlington pulled off a string of lows of 26, 22, and 23 the last three days. Pretty impressive for March.

[Front Ranger]

37 minutes ago, Cascadia_Wx said:

Some west side lows this morning:

BLI: 27

SEA: 28

OLM: 21

Kelso: 26

Scappoose: 27

VUO: 24

HIO: 25

Aurora: 26

McMinnville: 25

SLE: 26

Corvallis: 27

EUG: 29

OLM is BACK!

[MossMan]

How do the lows look for tonight/overnight? 

[the_convergence_zone]

I'm fine with a 2016 repeat if it means the warm spring is followed by a not-blazing-hot summer. 

[Deweydog]

14 minutes ago, MossMan said:

How do the lows look for tonight/overnight? 

Frosty!

[fubario]

18 minutes ago, Front Ranger said:

OLM is BACK!

*flex*

[Cascadia_Wx]

25 minutes ago, Front Ranger said:

OLM is BACK!

 

25 minutes ago, Front Ranger said:

OLM is BACK!

I was just thinking the same thing. Maybe they finally got around to fixing it after it went off the rails in October.

[bainbridgekid]

2 minutes ago, Cascadia_Wx said:

 

I was just thinking the same thing. Maybe they finally got around to fixing it after it went off the rails in October.

My girlfriend lives in Olympia close to OLM and I've been shocked by how mild it's been when I've visited this Fall and Winter. I expected way more frosty cold nights but there's been a lot of cloudy, foggy mornings in the mid-upper 30's even when much of the rest of Western WA was fairly clear and frosty.

[Cascadia_Wx]

3 minutes ago, bainbridgekid said:

My girlfriend lives in Olympia close to OLM and I've been shocked by how mild it's been when I've visited this Fall and Winter. I expected way more frosty cold nights but there's been a lot of cloudy, foggy mornings in the mid-upper 30's even when much of the rest of Western WA was fairly clear and frosty.

I thought she lived in Enumclaw. But anecdotal evidence aside, there seemed to be a pretty big step change in their lows after they got super cold at the end of October. Almost like they tried to recalibrate it but overcorrected.

[Cold Snap]

Low of 25 here this morning. Pretty chilly for March.

[bainbridgekid]

12 minutes ago, Cascadia_Wx said:

I thought she lived in Enumclaw. But anecdotal evidence aside, there seemed to be a pretty big step change in their lows after they got super cold at the end of October. Almost like they tried to recalibrate it but overcorrected.

One lives in Enumclaw and the other lives in Olympia.

You might be right about the thermometer. Could be a combination of fewer clear calm nights than normal and a finicky thermometer. Or maybe they moved it closer to a runway? Doubt that though.

[MossMan]

My afternoon snow cover update! 
39 degrees with a DP of 29. 
Back yard and snow pile updates coming soon! 

Edited March 6 by MossMan

[MossMan]

A few more flakes falling! And how the deck pile is looking! It’s crunchy hard! 

[Chewbacca Defense]

It's been flurrying to varying degrees of intensity all morning, finally stopping about 45 minutes ago.  I was surprised to see the temp is at 37, as the snowflakes have been the very light floaty types you see when it's well below freezing, as opposed to the partially melted heavy wet blobs screaming towards the ground in a kamikaze dive we usually see when it is right at freezing (or just above).

[bainbridgekid]

1 hour ago, Chewbacca Defense said:

It's been flurrying to varying degrees of intensity all morning, finally stopping about 45 minutes ago.  I was surprised to see the temp is at 37, as the snowflakes have been the very light floaty types you see when it's well below freezing, as opposed to the partially melted heavy wet blobs screaming towards the ground in a kamikaze dive we usually see when it is right at freezing (or just above).

Dry air makes all the difference. BLI is 37 but the DP is 28, so it makes sense the snow isn't very wet.  Same reason frost or snow on the ground wouldn't be melting much in those conditions, but if it were 34 with a DP of 34 it would be.

[MossMan]

Driveway snow pile update! Because I know y’all have been on the edge of your seats waiting!!! 

Edited March 6 by MossMan

[Phishy Wx]

3 hours ago, Snownerd3000 said:

 

Euro vs CFS. 

 

lol no contest

[Snownerd3000]

1 hour ago, Phishy Wx said:

Euro vs CFS. 

 

lol no contest

I hope its not a super Nina.  Feel like extreme Ninas don't treat us well.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

3 minutes ago, Snownerd3000 said:

I hope its not a super Nina.  Feel like extreme Ninas don't treat us well.

Yeah I agree, a weak to low end moderate would be ideal. That being said the CFS is better with ENSO than hr 1068 surface maps. 

[TT-SEA]

I find the 18Z GFS to be pleasing to my eyes.   

[Frontal Snowsquall]

23 hours ago, RaleighHillsRunner said:

I’m ready. Hoping for a great Spring Break week later on this month  

It’s looking promising. What week is your spring?

[DeepFriedEgg]

24 minutes ago, TT-SEA said:

I find the 18Z GFS to be pleasing to my eyes.   

70 burgers look like a decent bet at this point.

[RaleighHillsRunner]

12 minutes ago, Frontal Snowsquall said:

It’s looking promising. What week is your spring?

March 25-29 - we’ll be on the north coast with the fam  

I don’t even need heat, just some nice dry days 

[the_convergence_zone]

24 minutes ago, TT-SEA said:

I find the 18Z GFS to be pleasing to my eyes.   

It's nice that there's at least some chance of a storm getting through the ridge by the 20th or so. It's probably more likely than not given climatology.

[MossMan]

28 minutes ago, TT-SEA said:

I find the 18Z GFS to be pleasing to my eyes.   

Phil should be returning shortly, should we throw a coming back party?