Weather, Climate, and Other Science Topics
We got a taste of winter in mid-September, when an unseasonably cool upper-level trough dropped several inches of the white stuff to Timberline, Paradise Ranger Station, and many other locations in the Cascades above 5,500 feet. But an even chillier upper-level trough is currently over the area and will direct cool, moist and unstable air […]
FINALLY! It’s one thing to be overjoyed at the first stormy forecast of autumn, but to actually see the moderate rain, gusty winds, and even the mountain snow associated with it is nothing short of wonderful. And believe it or not, another storm is right on its heels! Let’s just cut to the chase and […]
Not many people know that March, on average, is nearly as snowy as February for most of the Cascades and Olympics. Snoqualmie Pass, for example, averages 72 inches for February vs 71.7 inches for March. Yes, March does have an unfair advantage in terms of length, but with days rapidly becoming longer, storms becoming weaker, […]
Before I explain Seattle’s crazy weather on Monday, I must apologize for not keeping you updated on the situation throughout the day and night! Since I’ve moved down to Portland, I’ve definitely been more out-of-touch with Seattle weather. Still, that’s no excuse for at least writing a post-storm blog about the insane and unexpected thundersnow […]
Folks in the Seattle metro were treated to some snow this morning as a convergence zone formed over the area! This zone was hinted at by last night’s high-resolution UW WRF-GFS, but the timing was off – the WRF-GFS had the zone occurring slightly later and further to the NE than the zone actually was. […]
My personal “line in the sand” past which lowland snow events become more and more unlikely is Valentine’s Day. After Valentine’s Day, longer days and higher sun angles make cold temperatures at the surface much harder to come by, even if temperatures in the upper atmosphere are just as cold as they were in January. […]
Tonight’s model runs are in, and every model has shifted the plume of moisture I was talking about in last night’s blog slightly further north. Now, it appears as though Portland will be too warm for snow, while Seattle will see several inches of extremely wet, gloppy snow that may have trouble sticking at the […]
We all remember the “Ides of October” windstorm on October 15, 2016. The one that sprung out of Supertyphoon Songda and was feared to be a historic Pacific Northwest windstorm that would long be remembered. Models were originally showing a major windstorm that would pack 100+ mph gusts to the coast and 80 mph winds […]
I’ve been watching the potential for snow, sleet, and freezing rain in the Portland area Thursday night into Friday as a weak warm front runs into a cold air mass over the area. The front has trended weaker and weaker with recent model runs, so while some snow and freezing rain still appears possible, amounts […]
I sincerely apologize for the delay in posts. I’ve had a very busy time lately – I moved to a new place in Northeast Portland (the Woodlawn neighborhood, to be precise) and have had very little time to blog. But now I have a much more relaxed schedule and can once again blog to my […]
