December 2020 Weather Observations for the PNW

[snow_wizard]

33 minutes ago, Meatyorologist said:

Forget "loaded gun", the GEM is a "loaded army." Place in a block there and we'll displace the Arctic right over our heads.

GEM also keeps the Pacific much more favorable for blocking setups. Of course it is the GEM, and it tends to do that after all. But if the GFS is overestimating the jet then a solution like the GEM might become a reality.

The ECMWF has been more like the GEM than the GFS the last couple of runs.

[Cloud]

6 minutes ago, snow_wizard said:

The high temps this month have been a sheit show so far.  Probably a good sign going forward, but it hurts the winter average temp.

SEA average high temp so far is 54.2 with a record high of 60 to top it off. It’s been quite insane. Lmao  

edit: 2 record highs. The 58 on the 5th was apparently a record too. 

[Gradient Keeper]

00z ECMWF Day 1

[Jesse]

3 minutes ago, Cloud said:

SEA average high temp so far is 54.2 with a record high of 60 to top it off. It’s been quite insane. Lmao  

I wish I could buy the whole world a gorge.  

[Gradient Keeper]

Day 2

[Cloud]

3 minutes ago, Jesse said:

I wish I could buy the whole world a gorge.  

It’s actually starting to trigger me somewhat. Really hoping it’ll pay off eventually. Kinda want a cold snap and some snow when we are still experiencing shortest daylight of the winter. 

[Deweydog]

Conflicting reports!

[Gradient Keeper]

Day 3

[Jesse]

16 minutes ago, Cloud said:

It’s actually starting to trigger me somewhat. Really hoping it’ll pay off eventually. Kinda want a cold snap and some snow when we are still experiencing shortest daylight of the winter. 

We've got another solid two months of sun angles not being too terrible of a factor. But I definitely get it. I have been savoring these short days.

Even if there is not snow and cold around the effect they have on the lower atmosphere is always interesting.

[TT-SEA]

9 minutes ago, Cloud said:

It’s actually starting to trigger me somewhat. Really hoping it’ll pay off eventually. Kinda want a cold snap and some snow when we are still experiencing shortest daylight of the winter. 

Yeah... that is the part I hate to see wasted during the shortest days of the year.    Snow in December and January is nice for its staying power. 

 

[Gradient Keeper]

Day 4

[Gradient Keeper]

4 minutes ago, hawkstwelve said:

The Pacific is open for business in the LR.

 

Wow. Real potential for a mega wet 7-10 days and must keep an eye on any deep low spinning up offshore.

[Deweydog]

When was the last time we had a lot of snow around the solstice???

[Jesse]

1 minute ago, Deweydog said:

When was the last time we had a lot of snow around the solstice???

Probably 2000 gr8.

[Gradient Keeper]

Day 5

[Cloud]

7 minutes ago, TT-SEA said:

Yeah... that is the part I hate to see wasted during the shortest days of the year.    Snow in December and January is nice for its staying power. 

 

It’s only partially for the staying power but mainly for seasonal effect more than anything for me. I should’ve clarified that in my previous post. Always been a weenie for Christmas time - New Year snow  

[TT-SEA]

1 minute ago, Cloud said:

It’s only partially for the staying power but mainly for seasonal effect more than anything for me. I should’ve clarified that in my previous post. Always been a weenie for Christmas time - New Year snow  

Yeah... its nice to have seasonal extremes.  I find drizzly June days to be just as annoying for the same reason.   Even though mild rain is climo here in both June and December.

[snow_wizard]

When looking at top notch Decembers you have to put December 1852 up there with the best of them.  I would rank 1852, 1884, and 1924 as the top 3 for the Puget Sound region.  For your viewing pleasure I just grabbed a screen shot of my reworked version of that incredible month from Fort Steilacom.  What a beauty!  I really like the 8 inch snowstorm where all of the snow fell at temps of 25 or lower!

 

[Gradient Keeper]

Day 6

[Gradient Keeper]

Day 7

[snow_wizard]

42 minutes ago, Jesse said:

I wish I could buy the whole world a gorge.  

It only makes a difference part of the time.  There are also times we are cold from north winds when it's milder down there.  Admittedly it makes a huge difference some winters.

[Deweydog]

Just now, snow_wizard said:

It only makes a difference part of the time.  There are also times we are cold from north winds when it's milder down there.  Admittedly it makes a huge difference some winters.

Don’t fret. We’ll pay for our sub-50 slices of heaven later on.

[Front Ranger]

22 minutes ago, TT-SEA said:

Yeah... that is the part I hate to see wasted during the shortest days of the year.    Snow in December and January is nice for its staying power. 

 

It snowed 8" here almost two weeks ago, and despite a bunch of days in the 40s and 50s, there's still snow in my yard due to the crazy low sun angles.

[snow_wizard]

2 minutes ago, DJ Droppin said:

Day 7

Way different than the GFS.

[Front Ranger]

12 minutes ago, TT-SEA said:

Yeah... its nice to have seasonal extremes.  I find drizzly June days to be just as annoying for the same reason.   Even though mild rain is climo here in both June and December.

Yes...the only real difference is the sun angles.

[snow_wizard]

16 minutes ago, Cloud said:

It’s only partially for the staying power but mainly for seasonal effect more than anything for me. I should’ve clarified that in my previous post. Always been a weenie for Christmas time - New Year snow  

The ECMWF weeklies started to look really good around New Years.  A white New Years would be great.

[Gradient Keeper]

Day 8 If that energy dove south this ridge is prime for retrogression.

[snow_wizard]

51 minutes ago, Cloud said:

SEA average high temp so far is 54.2 with a record high of 60 to top it off. It’s been quite insane. Lmao  

edit: 2 record highs. The 58 on the 5th was apparently a record too. 

Hard to not make some comparison to early November 2010.  We all know what came a bit later.

[Link]

It's weird how despite  low sun angles December is often (and especially lately) a ridge month.

[Gradient Keeper]

Wow. 00z WRF Friday 6 PM - Sunday 7 AM

MAJOR winter storm for the Western Gorge, Central Gorge, Hood River Valley

[Gradient Keeper]

Day 9'er Yuckkkkkkkkk

 

[Meatyorologist]

2 minutes ago, DJ Droppin said:

Wow. 00z WRF Friday 6 PM - Sunday 7 AM

MAJOR winter storm for the Western Gorge, Central Gorge, Hood River Valley

Helloooo!

[Link]

3 hours ago, Omegaraptor said:

Not the PNW, but a pretty big chinook wind event seems to be happening tomorrow. Could see 70°F in South Dakota.

How does that feel to the residents there? Does it feel nice or unusually hot like how we think of 95F in the summer as hot?

[Gradient Keeper]

1 minute ago, Meatyorologist said:

Helloooo!

I just posted analysis in my FB group regarding that potential. Hood River would be buried in snow.

[Link]

5 minutes ago, Meatyorologist said:

Helloooo!

We're you trying to imitate Tigger there?

 when Pooh was hunting for Jaguars?  Helllllooooooooooooooo!

[TigerWoodsLibido]

55 minutes ago, Deweydog said:

When was the last time we had a lot of snow around the solstice???

Down here? 1990 had a bit but definitely not a lot. Looks like we had about 9" in 1924.

[Front Ranger]

Not much to like about the Euro.

[Rubus Leucodermis]

1 hour ago, Jesse said:

I wish I could buy the whole world a gorge.  

I get both sorts of extremes. I have both a Fraser Canyon for cold outflow and a Chuckanut Range for compressional warming during southerly wind events.

[Deweydog]

My extrapolation paints are drying out.

[Gradient Keeper]

00z ECMWF 10 Day Rainfall, Snowfall totals