December 2014 Observations for the Pacific Northwest

[Front Ranger]

On the water? Sure. I think the I-5 corridor airport stations will report peaks in the 45-55mph range.

 

Yup. And that's what the NWS is going with. It doesn't have to hit 60 at SEA for the high wind warning to verify.

[FroYoBro]

Mark hits the nail on the head. The outage numbers don't reflect widespread damaging winds. Our peak gust at my office a pretty exposed location on the river has been 40mph tops. Very weak eug-pdx gradient.

 I would say pretty much all of the metro area had very strong winds except the eastside. The westside was always going to get higher winds. Pretty impressive here. 

[FroYoBro]

Haven't cut my way out of the house since I was a kid...

PICTURES?!?!?!?!?!?/?????????????????????

[antipex]

 I would say pretty much all of the metro area had very strong winds except the eastside. The westside was always going to get higher winds. Pretty impressive here. 

 

I'm continuing to have intense wind gusts easily over 50mph east of the river...

[Jesse]

Haven't cut my way out of the house since I was a kid...

 

Oh snap.

[Jesse]

Eerily calm out here in the Gorge. Wonder if we'll get some strong west winds later. South winds don't really happen out here.

[PV=nRT]

Just had a gust to 52mph at my house.  I need to check but this is probably the highest gust I have experienced in the last 20 years. As I am somewhat in a protected location and surrounding areas generally experience winds from the south and southwest 10-15mph+ from my location I would not be surprised to see locations in the Portland Metro area with gusts in excess of 70mph....and I still have power (as I write this).

 

All in all a very cool day weatherwise.  It might not be snow and cold but this is something  we don't' often experience.. Reached 63F with partly sunny skies. 

[FroYoBro]

PDX gusted to 67.

 

Non-event. 

[snow_wizard]

As of today, I'm at 32 inches of rain since September 1. Can we please stop getting it now?

 

That is downright impressive!  It has been much drier here due to down sloping at times from both the Cascades and Olympics.

[snow_wizard]

Eerily calm out here in the Gorge. Wonder if we'll get some strong west winds later. South winds don't really happen out here.

 

Certainly not a west wind situation any time soon.

[Front Ranger]

PDX gusted to 67.

 

Non-event. 

 

Wow. That's seriously impressive.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Why can't we talk about hour 384 of the 18z gfs? Seriously someone needs to post the ensembles.

[FroYoBro]

Maybe windstorm s are just boring.

I'm not going lie, all the negative talk about the storm was really bugging me for the last day. I love windstorms and thought this had a chance to be good.

 

It is over performing even my expectations. It was a bit scary a few times watching all the big trees bend around my house. 

[antipex]

PDX gusted to 67.

 

Non-event. 

 

Can we consider this a major windstorm yet?

[Jesse]

Maybe windstorm s are just boring.

 

I'm disappointed I wasn't in town for this one. 

 

67 at PDX is impressive. 

[snow_wizard]

I'm disappointed I wasn't in town for this one. 

 

67 at PDX is impressive. 

 

Indeed. 

[Jesse]

I'm not going lie, all the negative talk about the storm was really bugging me for the last day. I love windstorms and thought this had a chance to be good.

 

It is over performing even my expectations. It was a bit scary a few times watching all the big trees bend around my house. 

 

He's going to be a pouty baby about everything until he gets several inches of wet slop up on the famously scenic Winter's Hill while all of us lowlanders see a cold rain.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Can we consider this a major windstorm yet?

No

[SilverFallsAndrew]

He's going to be a pouty baby about everything until he gets several inches of wet slop up on the famously scenic Winter's Hill while all of us lowlanders see a cold rain.

Yes. Bring back 2011/12

[snow_wizard]

This could easily play out like 1995.  Huge deal in Oregon, not so huge for Seattle.  I will never forget the hype for that one and it was a dud where I lived in Woodinville at that time.  There is still a chance some places in the Puget Sound could score some pretty high winds though.  As I recall there were localized areas in 1995 that did just that.

[snow_wizard]

I'm not going lie, all the negative talk about the storm was really bugging me for the last day. I love windstorms and thought this had a chance to be good.

 

It is over performing even my expectations. It was a bit scary a few times watching all the big trees bend around my house. 

 

I thought it always looked decent for Oregon.  My doubts concerned the Puget Sound area.

[Perturbed Member]

Can we consider this a major windstorm yet?

 

Just an average breezy day. Meh

[Kayla]

PDX gusted to 67.

 

Non-event. 

Strongest gust for PDX since March 1971?!?

 

Incredibly overachieving storm.

[Jesse]

Certainly not a west wind situation any time soon.

 

We usually get a good westerly blast as the low moves inland during these I-5 corridor south wind events.

[snow_wizard]

Why can't we talk about hour 384 of the 18z gfs? Seriously someone needs to post the ensembles.

 

Now that you mention it there are some developments on that front, but it can wait until tomorrow.

[Jesse]

I can't get over the 67mph at PDX. Damned impressive. 

 

All moaning and gnashing of teeth aside, it's been an interesting ride the last month or so.

[snow_wizard]

We usually get a good westerly blast as the low moves inland during these I-5 corridor south wind events.

 

It appears the gradients become westerly tomorrow, but fairly weak.  The main storm just never tracks correctly to have strong westerlies behind it.

[BLI snowman]

I can't get over the 67mph at PDX. Damned impressive. 

 

Strongest there since 74mph in 1995.

[Phil]

Yes. Bring back 2011/12

No...no no no no no no no.

[Jesse]

Strongest there since 74mph in 1995.

 

Not bad.

[snow_wizard]

I can't get over the 67mph at PDX. Damned impressive. 

 

All moaning and gnashing of teeth aside, it's been an interesting ride the last month or so.

 

I'll say.  Incredible temperature acrobatics, two rounds with at least some lowland snow, several wind events of various types, and one true Arctic outbreak (the first one was kind of an oddball...not sure how to classify it).

[Jesse]

It appears the gradients become westerly tomorrow, but fairly weak.  The main storm just never tracks correctly to have strong westerlies behind it.

 

You're probably right. I wish we could get in on the action out here. Although we have seen some insane east winds this season so far at least.

 

The topography out here won't even allow south winds to surface. It just sails over the 4,000ft ridges from the Oregon side to the Washington side.

[snow_wizard]

No...no no no no no no no.

 

I noticed the 12z ensemble shows a minus AO developing with sagging heights over the Eastern US.  Your plan appears to be on target.

[bainbridgekid]

I'll say.  Incredible temperature acrobatics, two rounds with at least some lowland snow, several wind events of various types, and one true Arctic outbreak (the first one was kind of an oddball...not sure how to classify it).

The second one was definitely arctic with 850's dipping below -10, strong outflow and a daytime high below freezing. I wouldn't classify the first one as arctic though since 850's never dipped below about -6 or so.

[snow_wizard]

You're probably right. I wish we could get in on the action out here. Although we have seen some insane east winds this season so far at least.

 

The topography out here won't even allow south winds to surface. It just sails over the 4,000ft ridges from the Oregon side to the Washington side.

 

I'm usually semi protected in a case like this, but I sure wasn't in 2006.  That was a different track though.

[Jesse]

I'll say.  Incredible temperature acrobatics, two rounds with at least some lowland snow, several wind events of various types, and one true Arctic outbreak (the first one was kind of an oddball...not sure how to classify it).

 

That first one was an arctic outbreak dude. It was just more south-centric. Redmond set an all time November low at -19f. Even The Dalles just up the river were 23/8 at the lowest. I had three subfreezing highs, in mid-November.

[Jesse]

The second one was definitely arctic with 850's dipping below -10, strong outflow and a daytime high below freezing. I wouldn't classify the first one as arctic though since 850's never dipped below about -6 or so.

 

The Dalles hit -12c. That was legit arctic air. 

 

It's like you guys up north forget the Gorge exists. The Fraser isn't the only arctic air source for the west side.

[snow_wizard]

The second one was definitely arctic with 850's dipping below -10, strong outflow and a daytime high below freezing. I wouldn't classify the first one as arctic though since 850's never dipped below about -6 or so.

 

On the other hand I had freezing temps with 50 mph winds at one point.  It's amazing the freezing power that a wind like that has, because it's so dry.

[snow_wizard]

The Dalles hit -12c. That was legit arctic air. 

 

It's like you guys up north forget the Gorge exists. The Fraser isn't the only arctic air source for the west side.

 

I will admit to being a Fraser Arctic blast snob.

[Jesse]

I will admit to being a Fraser Arctic blast snob.

 

They treat your area better.

 

But living in the heart of the Gorge I can assure you that was arctic air in mid-November. The screaming east winds and temps in the low 20s told me so.