We’re presently on the finish of the conventional lowland snow interval within the Pacific Northwest, with the solar quickly strengthening.
However not this 12 months.
The newest forecasts have important lowland snow over western Washington in the course of the subsequent few days, with lots of you experiencing a number of inches of the white stuff.
And we’ve an prolonged, colder-than-normal interval forward.
Let me provide the particulars of the forecast.
In the present day, we’ve a chilly air mass over the area…chilly sufficient to snow anyplace in Washington State. Temperatures dropped into the kids and twenties in western Washington and single digits in jap Washington (see low temperatures beneath). A number of each day low-temperate information fell final night time.
This night a moist occluded entrance will method, spreading precipitation over the area. Snow will transfer into the Puget Sound area after 8 PM.
Notice that the story within the Seattle Occasions may be very mistaken, suggesting snow will come on this afternoon round 4 PM. It additionally talks about an inflow of Fraser River chilly air later immediately. Merely not appropriate.
Let me present you the cumulative snowfall totals over Seattle from essentially the most highly effective forecast device out there: an ensemble of many high-resolution climate predictions, every barely totally different. (Time is in UTC, 06Z/26 is 10 PM tonight). A fast begin of the nwo round 9 PM. The black line is the ensemble common….usually an excellent forecast. Slightly below 1.5 inches. And it’s all over by round 3 AM.
The distribution of snow shall be fairly diverse, so let me present you the gathered snowfall via 10 AM Sunday (beneath).
Little snow close to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and proper on the Pacific Coast. A Puget Sound convergence zone characteristic will enhance snow east of the Olympics. A number of snow within the mountains and an excellent snow space in jap Washington east of the Columbia River. Extra snow east of Seattle than within the metropolis.
Temperatures shall be on the sting for snow. It will likely be moist snow and there shall be much less snow close to the water. Notice that snow depth shall be lower than snowfall. Snow melts and compacts on the floor.
Temperatures will heat into the decrease 40s on Sunday (once more stronger solar, plus onshore move after the entrance). Thus, I count on the roads to quickly soften out.
However we’re not finished with snow.
On Monday, a low-pressure heart will method the southwest Washington coast, drawing chilly air again into the lowlands from the inside. This low (and related upper-level trough) will deliver extra snow into the area, first in western Oregon after which in western Washington.
The 24-h snowfall ending 4PM Monday reveals substantial snow over the coastal areas and southwest Washington. Portland will get a number of inches.
After which within the subsequent 24-h (ending 4 PM Tuesday), Puget Sound and Seattle get a number of extra inches.
And folk, this isn’t the top of the snow risk. 😀
And should you suppose what is occurring right here is uncommon, the chilly, snow, rain, and winds in California are extraordinary and record-breaking for this time of the 12 months.
