Pacific Northwest Weather

[andycottle]

I`m not sure what`s going on!:) But on thing is for sure....your not the only one who has noticed it being quite today. Casue I have too! Will get a look at the weather maps here in a bit, and then will post my forecast.
-- Andy

[snow_wizzard]

The forum is surprisingly quiet...

I cannot believe they are talking about a mega drought now. This has not even reached the status of serious yet, outside of the low snowpack. I don't think anyone really knows if this is going to be a warm spring or not. I would say the odds are on the side of April being cool.

This weekend looks very active. The surface pressure drops to 988mb...that is very low for Seattle. Lots of rain and gradually dropping snow levels seem to be the bottom line. I still think the snow level, in the passes, on Saturday could be artifically low due to offshore flow and VERY low 850mb heights. The dew points in eastern WA are very low so the outflow through the passes should create substantial wet bulb effect cooling. I think even parts of the lowlands will be chilly due to the wet bulb effect (not cold enough for snow for sure, but chilly). There will be a brief period of sharp warming, just bofore the cold front comes through, late in the weekend. After that cool westerly flow should rack up some nice snowfall totals in the mountains.

If this were a mega drought, we would not be seeing anything like this!

[andycottle]

Bet the other part of this so called ''mega drought'', could be media hype. Think if we get LOTS of lowland rain and LOTS of mountain snow...maybe the drought will be called off. -- Andy

[AnthonyC]

Still VERY quiet tonight.

Not much more to say. This weekend looks wet...bottom line. With a solid southwest flow, the mountains may not benefit from this system until the cold front passes. There's a weak surface low that travels up the Washington coast, but it's nothing to write home about. Hopefully that changes.

In any event, goodnite to all!!

Anthony

[andycottle]

Looking at the latest GFS...this weekend is still trending toward a very wet theme, as a 979 to 980MB low tracks very closely up the WA coast by the early evening hours of 00, 06z. This also looks to be the windest time as surface pressure gradients are pretty tight and coming out of a SW direction. So should see some fairly mild surface temps during this time, as winds up 850MB also appear in a southerly direction with temps 0 to +3C. Though heights are pretty low and at around 1230 to 1260M. 500MB vorticity heights not all that low either...and are around 534 to 540DM with STRONG and GUSTY SSW winds. So should be a pretty windy weekend for Coast, while BREEZY to WINDY conditions will prevail across the general Seattle area.

-- Andy

[snow_wizzard]

I am still going to say that Saturday will be a cool day due to east winds and wet bulb effect cooling. We shall see.

I am going to begin a new Pacific NW thread in the US Weather Watch section, since winter is pretty much over for the entire country.

[andycottle]

Snow-wizzard....should we all head over to that thread?? -- Andy

[cycloneye]

If you want to continue posting at this thread it woud be good because you will be #1 overall thread at storm2k soon. But if you want to start a new one at US Weatherwatch forum no problem.

[R-Dub]

I think we should stay here in this thread for a while longer, its quite the thread

Currently at 5:15AM its raining with a temp of 38.1 degrees

Off to work, have a great day everyone!!

[R-Dub]

Looks like the snow levels will be too high for the weekend, and after the first of next week, it looks like we will be dry and warm once again. To tell you the truth, I hope it happens!! I know I won't be popular for this, but I want spring weather! Its spring so bring it on

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA 230 AM PST FRI MAR 18 2005

SNOW LEVELS WILL BE HIGH ENOUGH THAT THE PASSES WILL LIKELY STAY SNOW FREE AND HEAVY SNOWFALL IS CONFINED TO ABOVE 5000 FEET. WILL NOT ISSUE WATCHES AT THIS POINT. A COLD FRONT PASSES LATER SUN FINALLY CHANGING PCPN TO SHOWERS AND BRINGING SNOW LEVELS BACK DOWN TO AT LEAST THE HIGHER PASSES. MOST CHANGES TO THE SHORT TERM FORECAST ARE COSMETIC. .EXTENDED...SHOWERS TAPER OFF MON NIGHT THRU TUE AND TUE NIGHT. BY WED AFTN EXPECT MAX TEMPS WELL INTO THE 50S...I WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO SEE SOME 60S AS WE GO INTO A DEFAULT RIDGE IN THE SPLIT AND LOW LEVEL GRADIENTS TURN A LITTLE OFFSHORE WITH A LOW MOVING IN OVER NRN CA. CHANCE POPS WERE MAINTAINED FOR THU...BUT IT IS INCREASINGLY LOOKING LIKE THU WILL BE DRY. ALBRECHT

[Guest]

R-dub everyone else here has accepted the change but you seem to just be clinging on to the warm spring weather like it's your life.

I really think we should stay on this thread. I don't see why we would change.

[andycottle]

After this weekends wet and blustery/WINDY theme, we have some scattered showers for monday and tuesday, with a short dry period 23rd -25th. In the longer range, it would appear that we get into a good zonal flow with some pretty good wet systems hitting us about every other day.

-- Andy

[AnthonyC]

This weekend could be interesting. First substantial rainstorm since January. There could also be a minor wind event along the coast and north interior. Nothing major...but definitely a big change from the past two months. A little excitement...but nothing to write home.

After that, an all-too-familar pattern...split in the jet stream. All of next week could be nice if the split is strong enough. I have a feeling that might happen...very typical of this winter.

So enjoy this weekend. We could be returning to a drier pattern next week.

Anthony

51F with mostly cloudy conditions.

[R-Dub]

We had a pretty good hail storm at work that lasted about 5Min. The ground was just starting to get covered when it stopped. Forgot my digital camera, would have been cool to show.

Currently at 2:20PM its 46.9 degrees and Mostly Cloudy.

Like Anthony says, looks like we are back to the split flow with fairly nice weather headed our way next week.

[andycottle]

Good afternoon all. Currently at 2:53pm we have partly cloudy skies with a temp of 54 and humidity 39% with baro 29.41 and steady. -- Andy
PS: No hail here today as of yet, and no real showers near me either.

[andycottle]

Good afternoon...again. Here`s a few pics of some streaming cirrus clouds that I just took minutes ago. We have partly cloudy skies right now with temp of 52. -- Andy http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/ajc192004 ... .dir=/98ac

[andycottle]

Latest 18Z GFS still going with the WET and Breezy theme for this weekend, as 24hr total precip ending 18z sunday could be near 1.25". 850MB temps are 0 to +3C with heights around 1260M. 500MB vorticity heights are around 534DM for when the system comes in. Scattered showers linger into monday and tuesday, with couple dry days on wednesday and thursday. -- Andy

[invisible]

The temperature only went up to 48 F today. It's cool for the middle of March. The currently temperature is 45 F with 15 km/h NNE wind. I wish the wind that comes from south wouldnt come here because this wind rids a strong front that comes from Prince George. The NE wind for this area was at 33 km/h with 50 gust wind for 500 pm.

[invisible]

A powerful storm will slam into the West Coast this weekend bringing heavy rain and high winds. Up north, the storm`s moisture will be converted to heavy snow. Some of the higher elevations like the Washington Cascades and the mountains through British Columbia will get over 2 feet of snow by Monday.

[R-Dub]

Well the skies have completely cleared out, and the temp is dropping like a rock!! Down to 37.2 degrees. Hope it clouds up tonight, or I will have to go into work in the morning and check for frost