Western Washington is Not Done With Cold and Snow
Normally once we pass the first week of March, the lowlands are done with cold and snow.
But not this year-- at least if the latest model forecasts are correct.
Even this morning, unusually cold air aloft has brought some showers that produced some mixed rain and snow down to a few hundred feet, with snow reports from Clearview and Glacier, WA (click on link to view)
The freezing level was roughly 1200 ft this morning, with the snow level about 1000 ft below. With a strong spring sun, the ground is heating up, producing a large change in temperature with height, and thus an unstable atmosphere with towering cumulus clouds and showers. And some of these showers have ice pellets and few snow flakes.
But the real potential action is late Friday and Saturday. The latest UW high resolution forecast for Saturday morning at 8 AM is startling cold for mid-March, with the blue blue and purple colors in the forecast map below indicating a lower atmosphere cold enough for snow. Having air this cold moving into eastern Washington is of great concern for agricultural interests there.
The solid lines in the forecast map are sea level pressure, indicating a low center off of northern Oregon. A bit further north(by about 100 miles) and Seattle would have a major snow event.
The upper level forecast (the 500 hPa..about 18,000 ft) is shown below, with a sharp trough approaching the Northwest on Friday at 11 AM. Close enough to the classic Seattle snow configuration to worry.
The cumulative snowfall forecast for the 24-h snowfall ending 5 PM Saturday (see below) has light snow from Seattle to Olympia and plenty over eastern Washington. This is total snowfall, NOT ACCUMULATION. There will be lots of melting this time of the year.
What about the European Center forecast for the same period (see below)? Very similar with light snow reaching the lowlands.
Let me be clear, there is no big snowstorm to worry about, but we will see unusually cool temperatures during the next week. Don't put out your tomatoes yet!😁 Or don't run out to food store to purchase toilet paper, milk, and bread.
But not this year-- at least if the latest model forecasts are correct.
Even this morning, unusually cold air aloft has brought some showers that produced some mixed rain and snow down to a few hundred feet, with snow reports from Clearview and Glacier, WA (click on link to view)
The freezing level was roughly 1200 ft this morning, with the snow level about 1000 ft below. With a strong spring sun, the ground is heating up, producing a large change in temperature with height, and thus an unstable atmosphere with towering cumulus clouds and showers. And some of these showers have ice pellets and few snow flakes.
But the real potential action is late Friday and Saturday. The latest UW high resolution forecast for Saturday morning at 8 AM is startling cold for mid-March, with the blue blue and purple colors in the forecast map below indicating a lower atmosphere cold enough for snow. Having air this cold moving into eastern Washington is of great concern for agricultural interests there.
The upper level forecast (the 500 hPa..about 18,000 ft) is shown below, with a sharp trough approaching the Northwest on Friday at 11 AM. Close enough to the classic Seattle snow configuration to worry.
The cumulative snowfall forecast for the 24-h snowfall ending 5 PM Saturday (see below) has light snow from Seattle to Olympia and plenty over eastern Washington. This is total snowfall, NOT ACCUMULATION. There will be lots of melting this time of the year.
What about the European Center forecast for the same period (see below)? Very similar with light snow reaching the lowlands.
Let me be clear, there is no big snowstorm to worry about, but we will see unusually cool temperatures during the next week. Don't put out your tomatoes yet!😁 Or don't run out to food store to purchase toilet paper, milk, and bread.
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