December 2014 Observations for the Pacific Northwest

[Snow]

The new 12z UKMET has a nice track. At Thursday 10am the Sou'Wester is off the southern Oregon coast and then in 6 hours it has  already made landfall somewhere along the northern Washington coastline.

 

http://oi61.tinypic.com/6z30pw.jpg

http://oi62.tinypic.com/9au2w3.jpg

[HighlandExperience]

Oakland and San Francisco schools have decided to close tomorrow ahead of this storm.

 

Apparently a few years of drought really wussifies you.

 

They are weak:

 

Other districts could be added to that list as officials make last-minute decisions on how to respond to what authorities predict will be the biggest storm in five years due to heavy rainfall and powerful winds.

[BLI snowman]

That's pretty goofy, although I remember them going absolutely bonkers down there during the 12-12-95 storm.  That was a completely different beast, of course.  

 

Dynamics down there are much better, though.  An actual triple point with good jet support and such...

 

Vancouver School District got let out early on December 12, 1995. Nowadays they'd probably just cancel.

[Tyler Mode]

Still remember that very clearly.  Originally we were going to be released at 1:30, but then they changed it to noon.

 

I remember boarding the bus as the sun was peaking out.  Temps were near 60.  The principle was out with another teacher talking about how this was a bad call, the weather wasn't going to be bad.  By the time I got home, the wind was already taking down large branches.

Vancouver School District got let out early on December 12, 1995. Nowadays they'd probably just cancel.

[HighlandExperience]

Cliff Mass Just posted this:

 

At 10 AM, Seattle-Tacoma Airport reported 65F, the WARMEST TEMPERATURE EVER OBSERVED AT SEA-TAC FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER.

 

We better make up for this later  

[Deweydog]

Cliff Mass Just posted this:

 

At 10 AM, Seattle-Tacoma Airport reported 65F, the WARMEST TEMPERATURE EVER OBSERVED AT SEA-TAC FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER.

 

We better make up for this later

They maxed at 66.

[antipex]

That's pretty goofy, although I remember them going absolutely bonkers down there during the 12-12-95 storm.  That was a completely different beast, of course.  

 

Dynamics down there are much better, though.  An actual triple point with good jet support and such...

 

My school in the Portland area closed early on 12/12/95 for the storm.

[Deweydog]

My school in the Portland area closed early on 12/12/95 for the storm.

I think that was the status quo for that event. Many schools at the coast didn't open at all. Of course many were out for a week following the 12-3-07 event just to put that in perspective.

[MossMan]

My school in the Portland area closed early on 12/12/95 for the storm.

I remember there was talk at my school of an early release during the start of the Inauguration Day storm but they held off, that was a mistake as many routes were blocked by trees. I had just recently got my License so as soon as the power went out at school I got the heck out of there and made it home before trees blocked my route. God that feeling of freedom was amazing! beating a windstorm in my 1975 Chevy ElCamino! Oh the good old days!

[Timmy]

Power has been out for 2 hours now... I'm sure it will be out for tomorrow as well. Thankfully my wife and I are headed to New Orleans and the carribean for the next 2 weeks.

[Front Ranger]

Today’s windstorm up here may not have been exciting, but the temperature anomaly sure is. BLI tied its all-time December max temp with 63 and is currently at 55 for the low, which would be +2 for warmest minimum temperature ever in December. The temp departure for the day is sitting at +21.

 

That's kind of a weak record monthly high. The old Bellingham 2 N station with records from 1915-85 had a December record of 67, and a January record of 67 as well.

[bainbridgekid]

Walla Walla hit 71 today.

 

Looks like that broke the monthly record of 68.

 

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/mesowest/getobext.php?wfo=pdt&sid=KALW&num=72&raw=0

[BLI snowman]

That's kind of a weak record monthly high. The old Bellingham 2 N station with records from 1915-85 had a December record of 67, and a January record of 67 as well.

 

Yeah, as such the 66 there today wasn't impressive at all.

[Front Ranger]

Late December 1980 is still the king of December torches. That and late December 1917 still stand out above this.

 

Other notable December torches in western WA: 1906 (Olympia hit 70), 1993, 1937 (Landsburg recorded 72), 2005, and 1941 (when Bellingham hit 67).

[Front Ranger]

Yeah, as such the 66 there today wasn't impressive at all.

 

It was definitely impressive. But certainly not unprecedented for the area.

[Bham_Guy]

That's kind of a weak record monthly high. The old Bellingham 2 N station with records from 1915-85 had a December record of 67, and a January record of 67 as well.

 

Well, BLI is 67 now too!

[BLI snowman]

It was definitely impressive. But certainly not unprecedented for the area.

 

Unprecedented for the station. That's all that counts. 

[Front Ranger]

Unprecedented for the station. That's all that counts. 

 

All that counts for that station!

 

Just providing some more historical perspective for these kind of December temps in western WA.

[Bham_Guy]

All that counts for that station!

 

Just providing some more historical perspective for these kind of December temps in western WA.

 

The lows were much cooler at the 2N station - at least for 1941.

[MossMan]

Unprecedented for the station. That's all that counts.

 

Sounds pretty run-of-the-mill overall. Sorry I had to say it

Anyway yes today defiantly felt like a record setting type day. If it wasn't for the sideways rain hitting me while I was in Anacortes today, it would have been a lovely, warm day today!!

[Front Ranger]

The lows were much cooler at the 2N station - at least for 1941.

 

Looks like that station also hit 67 in 1980. With a warm low for that event of 51. The low this morning was 50.

 

Yesterday's low of 55 at BLI was just insane. The warmest 2N ever saw in December was 53 in 1919 and 1963, and the previous record for BLI was 53 in both 1958 and 1980.

[Skagit Weather]

High of 66F here with 0.62" of rain. Most of the past few days I have been in the rain shadow, so this is a definite change. Still hoping the storm pans out for tomorrow.

[Poulsbo Snowman]

High of 66F here with 0.62" of rain. Most of the past few days I have been in the rain shadow, so this is a definite change. Still hoping the storm pans out for tomorrow.

 

It will.

[MossMan]

Getting a touch breezy out there, just had a gust rattle my windows!

[wx_statman]

Still remember that very clearly.  Originally we were going to be released at 1:30, but then they changed it to noon.

 

I remember boarding the bus as the sun was peaking out.  Temps were near 60.  The principle was out with another teacher talking about how this was a bad call, the weather wasn't going to be bad.  By the time I got home, the wind was already taking down large branches.

 

They let us out early in Oregon City but the strong winds had already kicked up. I walked home since that's what I normally did at the time. I kept an eye out for tall trees and waited for a lull in the gusts before crossing what I guessed would be their windthrow trajectory, in case they would fall. It was pretty scary!

[TT-SEA]

New MM5 NAM is less windy tomorrow than today. Non-event... typical windy day.

[wx_statman]

I know I'm late to the party, but yeah what a torch in western WA. Unbelievable to see 67 at BLI and 66 at SEA.

[MossMan]

New MM5 NAM is less windy tomorrow than today. Non-event... typical windy day.

You have been saying this for two days now, yet NWS Seattle has not dropped the High Wind Watch. You might want to contact them and let them know of their error

[wx_statman]

Looks like the 64 in OLM tied the monthly record from 1958. Analog?

[BLI snowman]

All that counts for that station!

 

Just providing some more historical perspective for these kind of December temps in western WA.

 

67 is totally historic for Bellingham in midwinter no matter how you slice it. It's also been the mildest year on record up here.

[Front Ranger]

67 is totally historic for Bellingham in midwinter no matter how you slice it. It's also been the mildest year on record up here.

 

Absolutely. As you and I both pointed out, not unprecedented for the area by any means, but certainly historic.

[BLI snowman]

Sounds pretty run-of-the-mill overall. Sorry I had to say it

Anyway yes today defiantly felt like a record setting type day. If it wasn't for the sideways rain hitting me while I was in Anacortes today, it would have been a lovely, warm day today!!

 

Yep, today will be the highlight of the week. All downhill after this with tomorrow's lame "storm". 

 

Looks like the 64 in OLM tied the monthly record from 1958. Analog?

 

1958-59 was much wetter at Tim's house. 

[TT-SEA]

You have been saying this for two days now, yet NWS Seattle has not dropped the High Wind Watch. You might want to contact them and let them know of their error

 

 

I don't care what they do... the models no longer support it.

 

I know it will be windy at your house though... which it is all winter long!

[Front Ranger]

1958-59 was much wetter at Tim's house. 

 

2014-15 has plenty of time to catch up!

[MossMan]

I don't care what they do... the models no longer support it.

So every model is saying no wind? Perfect, we will have a windstorm!!

[Brennan]

All that counts for that station!

 

Just providing some more historical perspective for these kind of December temps in western WA.

When it hits 0 in January we won’t really have much to talk about... I mean, why would we? It hit -2 in January of 1950. Not unprecedented at all. Really just not that impressive. Just giving you some historical perspective. 

[TT-SEA]

2014-15 has plenty of time to catch up!

 

 

Its not the amount of rain... its the number of dry days.   

 

2014-15 (measured from Nov-Mar) has already had 20 days without rain.   There was 13 dry days here TOTAL from 10/31/58 - 4/8/59.   Can't undo that lead.    I will have doubled the dry days from that winter by next week possibly.

 

And another 2-3 dry days coming up here.     This winter is more blocky and splitty already.    It just never stopped raining in 1958-59.   I had a 13 consecutive day dry spell already since November 1st.    

[TT-SEA]

So every model is saying no wind? Perfect, we will have a windstorm!!

 

 

Yes... it will be perfectly calm all day long.  

 

Very good chance today was more windy than tomorrow will be. 

[Front Ranger]

When it hits 0 in January we won’t really have much to talk about... I mean, why would we? It hit -2 in January of 1950. Not unprecedented at all. Really just not that impressive. Just giving you some historical perspective. 

 

I called it both impressive and historic. Just giving you some thread perspective.

[Brennan]

I called it both impressive and historic. Just giving you some thread perspective.

You called 63 a WEAK record.... It’s a record though.. Was.