December 2014 Observations for the Pacific Northwest

[snow_wizard]

Some impressive 10pm gusts

 

SEA - 48

Everett - 59

BLI - 56

Whidbey - 64

 

Certainly an impressive event.  Color me impressed.

[stuffradio]

Mostly the only thing I like about the latest Weeklies for the heights is how low they are showing for California.

[snow_wizard]

Mostly the only thing I like about the latest Weeklies for the heights is how low they are showing for California.

 

Could you clarify this a little bit?

[Skagit Weather]

Some impressive 10pm gusts

 

SEA - 48

Everett - 59

BLI - 56

Whidbey - 64

 

Certainly an impressive event.  Color me impressed.

 

Whidbey Island just hit 68.

[GHweatherChris]

If you pick one that works for you, we'll try and mix it in there for your location.

Tongue in cheek.  Every cold spell produces snow(more than a dusting) in a different area each time, almost like a cycle.  Unless it is regionwide from the get go.

[BLI snowman]

Some impressive 10pm gusts

 

SEA - 48

Everett - 59

BLI - 56

Whidbey - 64

 

Certainly an impressive event.  Color me impressed.

 

Yeah, from Medford to Bellingham this has been a pretty solid storm. Definitely a 5-10 year type of event overall for the I-5 corridor.

 

What's really unusual is how many spots in the I-5 corridor were just as windy as the coast.

[GHweatherChris]

Yeah, from Medford to Bellingham this has been a pretty solid storm. Definitely a 5-10 year type of event overall for the I-5 corridor.

 

What's really unusual is how many spots in the I-5 corridor were just as windy as the coast.

Pretty typical.

[stuffradio]

Could you clarify this a little bit?

At day 14, the heights get down to around -300 in central and southern California. I say I like it because I want the drought to ease as much as possible in California.

[stuffradio]

However, around the last week of December, the Euro weekly also has a -2 to -7 C mean temp anomaly for much of the west coast from the Canadian/American border to southern California.

[GHweatherChris]

Hail to the GFS!!

 

Also, after reading Mark Nelsens latest post I get the impression that he is skeptical of the 67 MPH reading at PDX.

[Phil]

The CPC analogs tonight paint an interesting picture. The top two analogs for day 8 are from Dec 2006, the top analog for day 11 is from Dec 2003, and two of the other analogs for day 11 are from Dec 2006.

 

2003 and 2006 were both warm ENSO and both had Arctic outbreaks and snow in January. Besides the CPC analogs the late Nov Arctic outbreak was like 2006 and this windstorm is the biggest one since Dec 2006.

Both are top analogs in my winter thread. Key to all of these years was a January PV breakdown..right now the fact that it's still trying to stay in barotropic mode is making me nervous..kinda funny actually, given the beating it took back in November..

[BLI snowman]

Pretty typical.

 

This storm? Nah. In the 1950s/60s it would have been, but since then these types of events where many I-5 stations hit 50mph are much harder to come by.

[Phil]

However, around the last week of December, the Euro weekly also has a -2 to -7 C mean temp anomaly for much of the west coast from the Canadian/American border to southern California.

You sure you're looking at the right thing?

[GHweatherChris]

This storm? Nah. In the 1950s/60s it would have been, but since then these types of events where many I-5 stations hit 50mph are much harder to come by.

LOL.  Sarcasm.

 

This storm packed quite the punch.  The GFS owned it too.

[stuffradio]

You sure you're looking at the right thing?

I thought so. It's the control run for the 850 temperature anomalies. What did I get wrong?

[snow_wizard]

This storm? Nah. In the 1950s/60s it would have been, but since then these types of events where many I-5 stations hit 50mph are much harder to come by.

 

I think he meant it was typical at the coast.

 

Now if we can just get a 1950s  / 60s type January.

[stuffradio]

You sure you're looking at the right thing?

Look at hour 432 for example. I'm using weatherbell.

[Tyler Mode]

Just based on driving around tonight, I think the tree damage is much more extensive than that of 2006, and not hugely behind 1995.

 

I think tomorrow will reveal much more damage than people think/know about tonight.

 

I think today’s storm goes to remind us that it is very common for our strongest wind storms to have very little rain, and definitely some sun!

Many of my co-workers/friends/family were giving me a hard time about how nice the weather was today, I said just wait!

 

Peak wind of 53 mph at my station at 4:20 PM.

 

Lost about 20' of fence and even the weather station tipped over, but alas, works like a champ.

 

Power was out for the first time since I moved here.  5pm-10 PM.  It was nice to have it back just 10 minutes after getting home.

 

Pictures coming soon!

[Phil]

I thought so. It's the control run for the 850 temperature anomalies. What did I get wrong?

Oh are you referring to the control run or the ensemble suite? I just took a look at the former, and it does show what you said it did.

 

I normally don't look at the control, especially at that range, so my bad there.

[Phil]

Yeah, the control run definitely is a pants-tent for the west toward the New Year. Big blast.

[Poulsbo Snowman]

Winds blasting outside--highest gust 56 mph so far.

[Bryant]

Yeah, the control run definitely is a pants-tent for the west toward the New Year. Big blast.

Pants-tent... That is hilarious honestly

[Poulsbo Snowman]

Maybe, but bear in mind all models shows the low rapidly weakening as it moves up the coast.

 

I was a believer the entire time.

[snow_wizard]

I was a believer the entire time.

 

I admit I was wrong on this.  To look at the 12z and 18z GFS the storm looked like nothing at all by mid evening and yet Everett just gusted to 62. About the only place I was right about being a bust was part of the East Puget Sound lowlands.  Total bust here.

[snow_wizard]

Yeah, the control run definitely is a pants-tent for the west toward the New Year. Big blast.

 

There have been a few very cold GFS ensembles the last couple of days also.  May be a typical case of some models picking up on a pattern change but showing it too early.

[luvssnow_spokane]

I admit I was wrong on this. To look at the 12z and 18z GFS the storm looked like nothing at all by mid evening and yet Everett just gusted to 62. About the only place I was right about being a bust was part of the East Puget Sound lowlands. Total bust here.

Pretty much a bust here too. My strongest wind gust was 34 so pretty lame for this location, much the same as you.

[bainbridgekid]

Boulevard Park in Bellingham flooded this morning at high tide. I've been there tons of times and never seen anything like this.

 

[snow_wizard]

I find it interesting the three most dynamic late autumn / early winters of this century so far (2003, 2006, and 2014) were all warm ENSO.  These all featured early Arctic outbreaks, floods, high winds, and other notable events.

[snow_wizard]

Pretty much a bust here too. My strongest wind gust was 34 so pretty lame for this location, much the same as you.

 

You didn't get the big wind in November either did you?  That has got to sting a bit.

[seattleweatherguy]

Hear it oddly now

[GHweatherChris]

I admit I was wrong on this.  To look at the 12z and 18z GFS the storm looked like nothing at all by mid evening and yet Everett just gusted to 62. About the only place I was right about being a bust was part of the East Puget Sound lowlands.  Total bust here.

It never looked particularly strong in your area anyways.  So not really a bust there.

[Tyler Mode]

Here are pics from today's storm, more pics coming after daylight tomorrow!  Please share if you like.  All pics are from Vancouver.

http://weathercrazy.smugmug.com/Weather/121114-Wind-Damage

 

http://weathercrazy.smugmug.com/Weather/121114-Wind-Damage/i-rx9S2Jb/0/L/22.%20Downed%20Lines%20and%20Trees%20NE%2049th%20Street%20and%20Chateau%20Drive-L.jpg

[wx_statman]

I just never hear it talked about much.

 

It definitely doesn't have the folk memories attached to it like the Columbus Day storm. Pretty much everyone knows about that one, even among the general public.

[wx_statman]

Here are pics from today's storm, more pics coming after daylight tomorrow!  Please share if you like.  All pics are from Vancouver.

 

http://weathercrazy.smugmug.com/Weather/121114-Wind-Damage

 

http://weathercrazy.smugmug.com/Weather/121114-Wind-Damage/i-rx9S2Jb/0/L/22.%20Downed%20Lines%20and%20Trees%20NE%2049th%20Street%20and%20Chateau%20Drive-L.jpg

 

Nice pics! You were probably the first photographer on the scene for some of these.

[wx_statman]

Everett peaked at 45g62 mph. Major.

[Tyler Mode]

Thanks!

 

Ya, I try to document as much as I can.  Will be out tomorrow with daylight.  A lot of things I didn't spot tonight but passers by pointed out so I could photograph.

Nice pics! You were probably the first photographer on the scene for some of these.

[stuffradio]

Power went out here. Transformer went out in front of my house. I saw a huge flash. I didn't hear it, but my dad heard a cracking noise and a loud thud. So somewhere there must be a big tree that came across the road. I am getting huge wind gusts here. 50,000+ without power over here.

[MossMan]

Still no power. Winds have calmed.

[TT-SEA]

Per the 06Z GFS... starting today it looks basically dry for the next week.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Just got my power back. Since this storm ended up personally affecting me, I'll concede it was a major event.