Winter Weather Warning from the National Weather Service:
OVER THE PUGET SOUND REGION...SNOWFALL WAS OCCURRING THIS MORNING FROM TACOMA SOUTH. THESE AREAS COULD RECEIVE UP TO 2 INCHES OF SNOW THROUGH SUNSET...THOUGH A MIXING OF SNOW WITH RAIN THIS AFTERNOON WILL LIMIT SNOWFALL AMOUNTS BELOW 500 FEET. THE I- 5 CORRIDOR THROUGH KING COUNTY...THE KITSAP PENINSULA...AND HOOD CANAL WILL GET LITTLE IF ANY SNOW DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS. AFTER SUSNET...A CHANGEOVER BACK TO ALL SNOW IS EXPECTED DURING THE EVENING WITH A HEAVY BAND OF SNOW GRADUALLY MOVING DOWN FROM THE NORTH TONIGHT. 1 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW ARE POSSIBLE FOR ALL ELEVATIONS TONIGHT.
In a strange for us weather twist, the cold weather has remained since the last snowfall. Yesterday, with the sun shining brightly there was finally a hint of melt off. Thankfully not much, and the roads didn't have chance to wet and then freeze again overnight.
A flake or two drooped this morning at about 9:45am, by 9:55am the scene outside the window was a snow globe. Medium sized, lacy edged flakes that ordinarily would flop to the ground and disintegrate, adding their recently frozen water to the rest. But with temperatures at or just
below freezing, the flakes whirred and danced around, following each other in a giddy winter dance. By 10:05am the dance was over, the dancers retreating behind the curtain.. readying for the next scene?
The window thermometer claims 33 degrees as of 10:00am, MSN says 30 degrees right now. The wind is very light here in this little corner of South Kitsap. (about 4000ft south of Sinclair inlet as the crow flies, up on the hill)
As of this second, 10:46am, the flakes are starting to dance lightly around under the tree branches again. I hope they stay longer this time. It's almost an instant replay of the events I just described, as now it looks as if someone has shaken the snow globe again.
For the record, below is a picture of what is left of the snow around the tuna tin snow gauge.
The weather shows on TV this morning gave dire predictions of snow beginning in the north, surrounding the outer areas (Cascades, Bellingham, Olympics) and then closing ranks to the south and swallowing up the interior. (Seattle, Kitsap, Pierce)
The National Weather Service posted this latest advisory:
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA 1012 AM PST WED DEC 17 2008 ...
A WINTER STORM WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE ADMIRALTY INLET AREA FOR TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING... .
..A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING FOR MOST NORTHERN ZONES IN WESTERN WASHINGTON AS WELL AS THE CASCADES AND OLYMPICS... .
..A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING FOR SOUTHERN ZONES IN WESTERN WASHINGTON...
.A FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL MOVE OVER WESTERN WASHINGTON FROM CANADA TODAY...
AND WITH A VERY COLD AIR MASS STILL OVER THE REGION...
SNOW IS EXPECTED ACROSS MUCH OF WESTERN WASHINGTON TODAY AND TONIGHT. A COLD UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL REMAIN OVER THE AREA THURSDAY.
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SEATTLE HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR THE ADMIRALTY INLET AREA THAT IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM PST THURSDAY.
THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.
OVER THE ADMIRALTY INLET AREA...INCLUDING WHIDBEY ISLAND AND PORT TOWNSEND...2 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW IS LIKELY TODAY. SNOW HAS ALREADY BEGUN...PARTICULARLY OVER NORTHERN ISLAND COUNTY WHERE THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED. THE SNOW IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH THIS EVENING. SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE INTO TONIGHT WHEN ANOTHER INCH IS POSSIBLE. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATION WILL BE 2 TO 6 INCHES. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... MONITOR WEATHER FORECASTS AND ROAD CONDITIONS CAREFULLY. AVOID TRAVEL UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. TRAVEL IS LIKELY TO BE ADVERSELY IMPACTED THROUGH THURSDAY.
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/total_forecast/getprod.php?wfo=sew&pil=WSW&sid=sew&version=0 Click this link for the full advisory.
Just as before, the whirling falling snow has stopped. The brightness of the morning has given way to steely gray matte.
The local radar image doesn't look so bad, and the site is reporting a temperature of 35 degrees in Seattle.
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