Pac nw winter storm update, dangerous situation

[WXBUFFJIM]

Good evening everyone. The following is preliminary storm reports and snowfall info. This winter storm is still ongoing though and a heavy ice accumulation is following suit right now. Below show the snow accumulations and various reports from Seattle through Portland so far on this event. Quite significant indeed.

WWUS30 KSEW 062032
LSRSEW

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
1232 PM PST TUE JAN 06 2004

..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..

1115 AM SNOW 3 S EVERETT 47.92N 122.20W
01/06/2004 2.00 INCH SNOHOMISH WA NWS EMPLOYEE

2 INCHES NEW. 2 ON GROUND. SNOW STARTED 8 AM.


0930 AM SNOW 2 WNW ANACORTES 48.50N 122.66W
01/06/2004 2.00 INCH SKAGIT WA TRAINED SPOTTER

2 INCHES NEW SNOW IN 2 HOURS SINCE 730 AM. 2 INCHES ON
GROUND.


0930 AM SNOW 4 S ARLINGTON 45.66N 120.19W
01/06/2004 0.00 INCH XXX XX TRAINED SPOTTER

2.25 INCHES NEW SNOW SINCE 530 AM. 2.25 INCHES ON GROUND.


1000 AM SNOW 1 SW PE ELL 46.57N 123.31W
01/06/2004 9.00 INCH LEWIS WA TRAINED SPOTTER

9 INCHES NEW IN PAST 6 HOURS. 11 INCHES ON THE GROUND. 16
MILES W OF CHEHALIS AT 301 FEET ELEVATION.


1000 AM SNOW 7 WNW CLALLAM BAY 48.29N 124.41W
01/06/2004 4.00 INCH CLALLAM WA TRAINED SPOTTER

4 INCHES NEW SNOW SINCE 5 AM. EAST WIND 20 MPH GUSTING TO
40 MPH. ELEVATION AT SEA LEVEL.


1100 AM SNOW 8 NNE SKOKOMISH 47.44N 123.09W
01/06/2004 7.00 INCH XXX XX TRAINED SPOTTER

7 INCHES NEW MIDNIGHT-11 AM. 1.5 MILES S OF LILLIWAUP AT
SEA LEVEL.


1100 AM SNOW N CENTRALIA 46.73N 122.96W
01/06/2004 7.50 INCH LEWIS WA TRAINED SPOTTER

7.5 INCHES NEW SNOW 530 PM LAST NIGHT TIL 11 AM THIS
MORNING.


1100 AM SNOW 12 SW BREMERTON 47.43N 122.89W
01/06/2004 6.25 INCH KITSAP WA TRAINED SPOTTER

6.25 INCHES NEW SNOW OVERNIGHT UNTIL 11 AM. BELFAIR
WASHINGTON.


1200 PM SNOW 2 NNW FIRCREST 47.26N 122.53W
01/06/2004 4.00 INCH PIERCE WA TRAINED SPOTTER

4 INCHES NEW SNOW.


1124 AM SNOW 5 ESE RAINIER 46.86N 122.58W
01/06/2004 6.00 INCH THURSTON WA TRAINED SPOTTER

6 INCHES NEW SNOW. 12 INCHES ON THE GROUND. LAKE LAWRENCE
ELEVATION 482 FEET.


1130 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 3 ESE NORTH BEND 47.47N 121.74W
01/06/2004 58 MPH KING WA TRAINED SPOTTER

EAST WIND 25 TO 35 MPH GUSTING 58 MPH. MILEPOST 34 ON
I-90.


1205 PM FREEZING RAIN 4 ESE BONNEY LAKE 47.16N 122.09W
01/06/2004 0.00 INCH PIERCE WA TRAINED SPOTTER

FREEZING RAIN FOR LAST 40 MINUTES. SNOW ENDED. EAST WINDS
GUSTING TO 30 TO 40 MPH. VERY SLICK. BUCKLEY WASHINGTON.


1205 PM SNOW 5 SE AUBURN 47.24N 122.14W
01/06/2004 7.00 INCH KING WA TRAINED SPOTTER

7 INCHES OF NEW SNOW. 9 INCHES ON GROUND. SNOW HAS
CHANGED TO FREEZING RAIN. EAST SIDE OF LAKE TAPPS AT 500
FEET.


1218 PM SNOW 5 WNW ALGONA 47.32N 122.36W
01/06/2004 4.00 INCH KING WA TRAINED SPOTTER

4 INCHES NEW SNOW. FEDERAL WAY.


1219 PM SNOW 5 NNE SEATTLE 47.69N 122.31W
01/06/2004 3.50 INCH KING WA PUBLIC

3.5 INCHES NEW SNOW. NORTH SEATTLE JUST WEST OF LAKE
WASHINGTON.


1200 PM SNOW N MOSSYROCK 46.53N 122.48W
01/06/2004 8.00 INCH LEWIS WA TRAINED SPOTTER

8 INCHES NEW SNOW 5 AM UNTIL 11 AM. 13 INCHES ON THE
GROUND.



WEATHER REPORTS...

LOCATION SNOWFALL STORM TOTAL

RAYMOND WA 5 INCHES
ASTORIA 3 INCHES
WALDPORT 2 INCHES
GRAYS RIVER WA 8 INCHES
LONGVIEW WA 5 INCHES
CORNELIUS 5 INCHES
NEWBERG 2 INCHES
BRUSH PRAIRIE WA 3 INCHES
CAMAS WA 3 INCHES
N VANCOUVER WA 7 INCHES
STEVENSON WA 5 INCHES
LAKE OSWEGO 3 INCHES
EAGLE CREEK 3 INCHES
HAPPY VALLEY 3 INCHES
GLADSTONE 3 INCHES
PORTLAND NWS 7 INCHES
DOWNTOWN PORTLAND 6 INCHES
GRESHAM 4 INCHES
ZIG ZAG 5 INCHES
SALEM 3 INCHES
EUGENE 2 INCHES
CLACKAMAS 3 INCHES

GOVERNMENT CAMP 10 INCHES ON GROUND 69 INCHES
TIMBERLINE LODGE 13 155
WHITE RIVER 13 77
BENNETT PASS 4 109
MT HOOD MEADOWS 4 112
BLUE BOX PASS 1 71
WARM SPRINGS JCT 1 49
DETROIT 6 36
SANTIAM JCT 13 74
SANTIAM PASS SMT 16 84
MCKENZIE BRIDGE 2 10
MT BACHELOR 4 108
WILLAMETTE PASS 11 68
CLATSKANIE 5 10
SUNSET SUMMIT 6 32
WILSON RIVER SUMMIT 7 29
CASCADE LOCKS 6 15
HOOD RIVER 3 18
PARKDALE 20 26
I-205 E PORTLAND 2 2
I-405 FREMONT BRIDGE 6 6
I-5 PORTLAND 6 4
I-5 SALEM 2 2
I-5 ALBANY 3 1
OREGON CITY 1 5

More problems tonight, especially in Portland as they will see freezing rain in Portland and Troutdale last longer than in Seattle. The reasoning for that is just due to the observations as of 2 am. It's freezing rain with a temperature of 31 at Sea Tac Arpt, 23 in Portland, and 18 at Troutdale. The east wind raging through the gorge into Portland is resulting in shallow colder air in Portland while Seattle is not as cold where a more southerly flow is commencing there. However with warm sw winds aloft overriding the colder shallow air, the freezing rain is occurring. 18 and frezing rain with blowing snow in Troutdale, absolutely amazing stuff. However in the mountains such as the Cascades, Avalanche warnings are in effect. There is a high risk of avalanches over the next several days in the Cascades. Definitely not a pretty situation there with snow amounting to several feet there.

Now the question remains when will we see plain rain in Seattle and Portland??? Well Seattle will likely changeover to rain soon as they're warmer at 31 degrees at Sea Tac at this hour. Boeing is 33 right now with rain. However Portland is 23 and frez rain and they might not get above freezing in Portland until after morning rush hour while the gorge stays below freezing until tomorrow night. As a matter of fact, the western Columbia River Gorge including Cascade Lock is under a blizzard warning. Interstate 84 near the Gorge is shut, completely shut down until this event comes to a close. Some mountain interstates could also be shut down as well. So folks travelling east of Portland and Seattle need to keep that in mind. Even in those cities, ice is actually worse to travel in than snow, so city roads and interstates could be shut down as well just due to ice. Ice amounts of 1/4-1/2 inch or greater could result in power outages as well overnight and into Wednesday. Bottom line is to stay off the roads tonight and tomorrow in the Sea Tac and Portland area unless it's an absolute emergency. Even then, 911 is probably the best option. This is a dangrous situation.

After tomorrow, the focus shifts from winter storm conditions to a flood threat for Seattle and Portland. It will not take much rain with the snowmelt and warmer temps combined to cause sharp rises to streams and rivers. Be careful folks.

Jim

[JCT777]

Great update, Jim. There certainly were some decent snows in the Pacific NW.

[Anonymous]

Troutdale's freezing rain at 18 degrees with blowing snow IS amazing stuff.

It's bad enough that they had to get snow there, but now they have to contend with the FRZRA and in places such as the western Columbia River Gorge where the cold arctic air will be the most stubborn, the FRZ rain will continue and continue, piling up mass amounts of ice.

Troutdale's situation is pretty bad with that 18-degree sfc temp with FRZ RA falling and freezing on contact. At a temperature of 18 degrees, that ice must be piling up.

If the FRZRA goes on like this through tomorrow, we could be talking about a serious disaster here, to say nothing of the several feet of snow piling up in the mountains to the east. Winds will build cornices that can break off and collapse and send avalanches tumbling down the mountainsides to wreak havoc on folks below. I like snow, but avalanches scare me a bit. People can get engulfed in them and suffocate. Winds generated by the down rush of avalanches can dash people against buildings, trees, injuring folks and even killing them. Winds ahead of an avalanche can damage buildings, then the avalanche itself can complete the destruction, destroying a lifetime's worth of payments on a home in only seconds and kill the occupants of the structure to boot.

The situation in the Pac Northwest is indeed dangerous. It is a grave situation, Plus they may have to deal with floods........



JEB