Western Washington Severe Weather December 2008 Day8 2:15pm

Frozen Sunshine

The skies cleared and the sun had a play day today. At about 9:30am the temperature was 28 degrees and the air was literally crystal clear. It sought out and found every single crystal of ice to play off of. I tried to capture some inside the camera. (click on them to view the full size image)

It's 25 degrees now, 2:34pm. The skies are gray but still bright and the wind has picked up to slight from nil.

Western Washington Severe Weather December 2008 Day7 8:45am

Winter Wonderland - Traffic Snafu - My dog was a sled dog in a previous life

It's 29 degrees at 8:45am here in south Kitsap county, and the snow is falling. Small flakes mixed with larger, dimeish sized flakes. I woke at 8am, after peeking out of sleepy eyes a few times prior to actually deciding to lift my head off the pillow. The tree branches, with their slight dusting tricked me into thinking the few flakes that fell before closed the curtains last night was just barely improved upon overnight. What I woke to was a filled to overflowing tuna tin snow gauge and a fine dust-snow still falling in little to no breeze.

Note the tin filled this time, unlike a few nights ago when snow fell all around it but didn't accumulate inside the tin.

All local weather stations are reporting nightmarish traffic conditions. County transportation officials came on via phone and advised people to stay home and wait for conditions to ease or at least give time for the crews to clear the roadways.

Watching KIRO, a review of the DOT cameras found a man walking along side I5 as the reporter was warning people to stay in their cars as they are designed to protect you. The traffic on his side of the 6 lane highway had been halted about 200 yards behind him but as we were watching it cleared and headed towards him with a city bus in the lead. We were all shocked and a little worried as the bus and trailing line of traffic approached him. To everyones surprise, least of all the traffic reporters, the bus stopped alongside the pedestrian and encouraged him to hop on! The news room cheered along with me! YEAH Seattle Metro!

You can watch live by clicking this link: http://www.kirotv.com/video/17955723/index.html

My dog, as I previously blogged, is not much of a foul weather pet. She doesn't like to get her feet wet. She has seen and been in snow before this storm, an didn't make much of it aside from seeming a little annoyed about her feet being wet. But THIS snow, she is so curious about it. She doesn't normally go outside alone, much less go out and just hang out alone but that is what she has been doing since day1. She has been standing and smelling the wind for minutes, or a particular pile of snow.... pushing aside the pile with a paw and sniffing some more. A few minutes ago I looked out to see her just standing by the door looking out across the yard, as if she were enjoying the scenery.

I finally convinced her to come back inside as she began gathering snow on her coat. A narrow snowless area remains just under the eaves, as this picture shows, and this is where tiny birds have been routing around and flipping freeze dried leaves looking for bugcicles I presume. I tossed out some wild bird seed in case I'm wrong.

The temperature has dropped 6 degrees since about 5:30am, and the TV weather is reporting the snow showers will be slowing however it has only picked up here since 8:00am and is still steadily snowing now here on the hill near downtown Port Orchard.

Western Washington Severe Weather December 2008 Day6 10:00am

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.

Western Washington Severe Weather December 2008 Day4 1:00pm

It's Not Melting!!!

The tuna tin says the level has dropped a bit since last night, but it really looks more like settling and evaporation. It was 27 degrees at 7:30am this morning according to the window thermometer, and 25 degrees in Bremerton according to the TV. The frequent gusts of wind yesterday afternoon and last night have shaken loose all but the frost from the tree branches, and the steady wind and frequent gusts today are blowing even that around as it still refuses to melt. The sun has been shining since around 9:00am, so I expected a little melting but even now the ice crystals are flying past the window, glimmering in the sun.


I keep thinking I'm going to grab the camera and go find some fairy tale image to post, but... IT'S COLD OUT THERE! 27 degrees still according to both the window and MSN sidebar. The wind is steady, with those gusts I mentioned. And as I'm typing this, I can again hear a frog croaking outside the front door.... making me feel a little embarrassed. I mean, if the frog can bear it.... We'll see.

Western Washington Severe Weather December 2008 Day3 6:21pm

Not much to report throughout the day, so I didn't. 12:56pm and the winds were picking up, slight to gusty. The snow was still frozen though, making it look like more like Montana or Oklahoma than western Washington. The window thermometer said 31 degrees
while MSN sidebar said 28.

2:11pm and the wind was pretty steady with abrupt gusts that are knocking frozen lumps of snow off branches and roof edges, flinging them diagonally like fastballs on opening night! Hope you stayed indoors for this bit folks, fast moving chunks of frozen snow are not good for the head! It was still 28/31 degrees here in Kitsap county.

As of now, both the KIRO and KOMO radar views show it should be snowing here and all around me. I double checked, not a flake to be seen.

The window thermometer gave it's final visible reading a few minutes ago of 31 degrees, while the MSN sidebar finds 28 degrees now at 6:48pm. I'll tell you it feels simply frigid outside, and the wind has stopped blustering.

Western Washington Severe Weather December 2008 Day3 11:00am

Snow continued to fall sporadically overnight after my last post.

My eyes popped open a few times to check the snow on the branches outside the window, and while I saw that more snow had fallen, it wasn't enough to warrant waking. The tuna tin rain gauge has been transformed into a tuna tin snow gauge, none the worse for wear. But isn't it interesting that no snow accumulated INSIDE the tin...

It was exactly 31 degrees per the part time window thermometer at 8:00am this morning. The local weather stations were reporting anywhere from 28-32 degrees, depending on the channel. MSN sidebar is telling me that it's 28 degrees now, at 11:00am. From the way the snow is reacting to the slight gusts of wind that began around 9:30am, I'll buy the 28 degrees. Rather than falling in mushy clumps, it is dusting off to create a short lived glittery blizzard wonderland. I find myself looking for a long while, trying to convince myself it is snowing again just like when I was a kid sitting home on a snow day. In those days I lived on the east coast, where such daydreams were common place for kids in winter. Not so much here in the pacific northwest. Snow falls overnight, and slushes to the ground by mid-morning. Only a few times in a couple decades have the conditions been right for dry glittery snow here in South Kitsap.

The time stamp of 10:30 on the car hood has nearly been filled in, and it was a nearly an inch at that point. It's very cold and blustery out, so I'm not going to re-stamp it just yet.

To my surprise I can hear a frog croaking outside the house! 4 or 5 neighborhood kids passed by about 20 minutes ago, plastic sleds in tow. I'm not sure if they were heading out, or heading in, but it sounded like they were having fun. I hope they don't try to sled down the hill at the end of the drive, it's a blind hill for the cars and very narrow with no should at all... a recipe for disaster.

The view out the front is wonderful, if this much fell here in this tree and hill protected area, I imagine it's even whiter around the county.

Here's a full shot of the table the tuna tin 'precipitation' gauge is set on. The large pot contains an African pansy, which appears quite delicate but has actually turned out to be almost weedlike in it's proliferation as well as being slug-proof and freeze proof. It sets small violet flowers heavily in early spring and then sporadically through fall. Larger clumps will survive intact through winter, and smaller plants will die back to the ground only to emerge again in spring. But I digress... next to the pot is a garden fairy sculpture holding a mirrored gazing ball. I guess I should bring that inside.

I couldn't leave out the Wooby! She is curious and excited about the snow, but hates to get her feet wet... what a dilemma! She finally got over it however...

As of 11:30am there are no signs of melting, the snow is clinging to the tree branches and occasionally being blown around by slight gusts of wind.

Western Washington Severe Weather December 2008 Day2 12:00am

Final report for Day2 of the Western Washington Severe Weather blog.







The KIRO radar view isn't very accurate at the moment. It isn't snowing here at all, and a friend just called from his waterfront home on Oyster Bay, and it's rain/freezing rain mixed there as of 11:58pm. You'd never know it by the above radar image.


The temp still reads 28 from MSN, Schoolnet shows 31 degrees.

I found this next bit posted a little after 9:30pm

Issued by the National Weather Service at 9:37 PM PST on December 13, 2008

... Winter Weather Advisory in effect until noon PST Sunday...
The National Weather Service in Seattle has issued a WinterWeather Advisory for The Lowlands of the Puget Sound area and the northwest interior of western Washington... which is in effect until noon PST Sunday.

The combination of sub-freezing air moving into western Washington from the north and showers associated with an upper low will produce 1 to 3 inches of snow tonight across The Lowlands of the Puget Sound region and the northwest interior. Another 1 to 2inches of snow will fall Sunday morning as showers decrease from the north.

The biggest snowfall totals tonight will occur in western Whatcom... Skagit... and Snohomish counties where snow began earlier this evening and temperatures have been below freezing. This is also where snow is more likely to accumulate on roads. Snowfall in the Seattle area and over the south Puget Sound region will likely be somewhat less... but it will probably stick on roads by morning as temperatures fall below freezing.

With temperatures falling well below freezing overnight... moisture on roads and sidewalks will turn to ice. So people should expect difficult traveling conditions later tonight and Sunday morning along with snow accumulations of 1 to 3 inches.

A Winter Weather Advisory means that periods of snow will cause travel difficulties. Be prepared for slippery roads and limited visibilities... and use caution while driving.

1130pm and the temp has dropped to 28 degrees, possibly explaining why the snow has been reduced to teeny infrequent flakes. Still not a lick of wind.

Western Washington Severe Weather December 2008 Day2 10:38pm

Real Snow Accumulation in South Kitsap!



There is no wind to speak of at 10:38pm, but the snow it is a fallin'! At just 10:25pm it had just dusted the fir branches outside my window. This little pocket of the county doesn't usually get snow unless the rest is pretty well covered, so I presume the rest of the county may have a solid 1/2 inch by now or more. The pacific satellite image shows clouds from the north out of Alaska and the south out of Hawaii converging and swerving just off the Wa/Or coast, and then dropping down into southern CA and heading east. Feeling sorry for my cuzins on 'da Ilan and hopeful for those folk in the south hankerin' for water.







Here is a short video out the kitchen window, you can see that darn digital thermometer on the window. Absolutely useless at night.

By 10:45pm, there was a solid inch of snow up the road from the Kitsap Court house, here are a couple of pictures. Still no wind to speak of.

Western Washington Severe Weather December 2008 Day2 9:38pm

Every picture tells a story:

And, as of 9:38pm, it's still snowing here in South Kitsap and we have a trace accumulation here where I am, fairly protected by embankments and trees. MSN says it's still 30 degrees, and is predicting rain for tomorrow.

Western Washington Severe Weather December 2008 Day2 7:00pm

The snow has stopped falling here on the hill in South Kitsap. MSN sidebar still reports the temperature as 30 degrees. KIRO's radar shows Kitsap county from Tracyton south to Sunnslope, east to Manette and west nearly to Belfair holding on to a bubble of no precipitation at all, frozen or not. While all around glares blue with snow from Sunset Beach north to the straights, east to Harper and west to at least Camp Union. This station's forecast calls for overnight lows of 31 degrees.

Western Washington Severe Weather December 2008 Day2 5:00pm

Sadly, the snow stopped falling at about 4:20pm. My friend across town lives in a zone that simply never gets snow, though she can drive 200 yards down the road and actually see the snow line crossing the road. They live in a very odd, you have to see it to believe it, micro-climate out there near Colvos passage. She is always showing up in town on rainy or chilly days in sandals and a Tshirt, proclaiming "It's sunny and warm at my house!".





The latest radar image shows the snowline holding, at what looks to be about 1/2 mile away. As of this moment, 5:22pm, it is snowing lightly with no apparent wind. Amazingly, the MSN Sidebar reports the temperature has dropped a whopping 6 degrees since the last blog post. Noting that the sun went down during that time.

It's 30 degrees and snowing at the moment in South Kitsap County.

Western Washington Severe Weather December 2008 10:30am

The Weather is Coming! The Weather is Coming!



We are gearing up for our first winter storm here in the pacific northwest today. I've become quite addicted to local area weather bloggers over the past couple of years, and while I don't think I want to blog daily about it, this storm might be interesting enough to give it a try.



The title link will take you to the NOAA's national weather site for the seattle area.


• A strong Pacific storm will move into Western Washington Friday bringing:


– Abrupt transition to much colder temperatures across the region

– Heavy mountain snow


– Threat of lowland snow Friday night through the weekend


– Outlook into next week is continued cold with some moderation around mid week

I'll be spending the storm in Kitsap County, where the snowfall is predicted to be between 2 and 8 inches. Most of the county enjoys protection by the olympic mountains from the buffeting ocean winds, and warmer temperatures along it's sound. From time to time however, that cupped feature can trap cold air allowing for rare but significant amounts of snowfall.

The morning started off windless, and dry. Over the past hour (930a-1030a) the wind has picked up in gusts, sending the tree limbs swaying. The gusts have slowed now (1045a), and the periods in between are calm. The rain began lightly falling about 930am, and is now quite steady. The thermometer (digital, suctioned to the exterior of my double pane kitchen window) says that it's 41 degrees out, while the MSN sidebar weather tool says it's 37.

I can see that the next door property owner has cut down several trees recently that overhung the yard and possibly parts of the home. Good thinking in this circumstance, however the trees were located on a quite steep embankment leading toward the residence. The root systems from those trees appear to be integral to the integrity of the embankment. I hope the higher than normal rain prediction for our area this winter doesn't cause problems over there. The home I am staying in is surrounded by quite large trees with long (very) branches extending out to catch the light. After seeing 1 inch thick ice on tree limbs this morning on the news (not around here) I am a little nervous for the freezing temperatures predicted for a couple days from now. Even now, simply the weight of the rain water is bending some of these branches. Add the weight of snow and then freeze it ....

That having been said, I'm going to throw on the rainboots, scarf and hat now to scurry off to the store for some last minute supplies. I don't need much, as I don't have a generator and refuse to burn wood in the fireplace. So, if the power goes out I will be heading to the nearest friends/hotel with power.

I will add a blog post again when the weather changes, and will possibly include pictures/video if it gets very interesting. So, if following local weather blogs is your thing, or you are just interested in south Kitsap county weather as it happens over the course of this storm, stay tuned!