Major Freezing Rain Event

 As predicted, a major freezing rain event has occurred over western Washington.   In fact, this is probably the most severe freezing rain occurrence in western Washington since December 1996.


With a glaze of ice, even walking is challenging, roads are treacherous, SeaTac runways are closed, bus service is canceled over the region, and some major highway sections are closed (such as I-90 west of 405). Good advice: stay home until 1 PM.

Courtesy of WSDOT

Courtesy of KOMO TV.  

The major frontal band is now moving out, but there are showers behind it, as evident on the latest radar image.  That means some scattered freezing rain showers for a few more hours, since low-level temperatures are still below freezing for most of the region except for the coast.


When will we thaw out?   Between noon and 4 PM today for most residents of the lowlands, so there are several more hours of this icy mess....so please don't travel if you can avoid it.

Here are the surface air temperature forecasts from the latest NOAA HRRR model predictions (pink and reds are below freezing, with white near freezing)

10 AM:  Still problems for most, but improving over the coast and NW WA.


Transitioning at 1 PM, except for the passes and eastern WA.  Still cold and icy in the Columbia Gorge and the northern Willamette Valley.

By 4 PM, the westside has thawed except for near the Columbia Gorge


This event will hold through the day near and downstream of the Columbia Gorge because it provides a conduit for cold air from the est.





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