Pac NW, get ready for carnage !!!!!!!

[White Chocolate]

WAZ001>003-005>010-013>016-050030-
ADMIRALTY INLET AREA-CENTRAL COAST-EASTERN STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-
EVERETT AND VICINITY-HOOD CANAL/KITSAP PENINSULA-NORTH COAST-
NORTHERN CASCADE FOOTHILLS-NORTHWEST INTERIOR-SAN JUAN ISLANDS-
SEATTLE METROPOLITAN AREA-TACOMA AREA-WESTERN STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-
WESTERN WHATCOM COUNTY-
355 AM PST SUN JAN 4 2004

...WINTER STORM WATCH ISSUED FOR MONDAY NIGHT AND TUESDAY...

A MOIST AND VIGOROUS WARM FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO WESTERN
WASHINGTON ON EITHER MONDAY NIGHT OR TUESDAY. WITH A COLD ARCTIC
AIR MASS CURRENTLY IN PLACE...PRECIPITATION WITH THIS FRONT WILL
START IN THE FORM OF SNOW. SNOWFALL SHOULD BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES
WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT AND HEAVY ACCUMULATIONS ACROSS
THE LOWLANDS ALL THE WAY DOWN TO SEA LEVEL. THE SNOW SHOULD TURN
OVER TO RAIN SOMETIME ON TUESDAY.

WHILE IT IS TOO EARLY TO SAY EXACTLY HOW MUCH SNOW WILL FALL...THIS
EVENT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE THE HEAVIEST AND MOST WIDESPREAD SNOW
EVENT FOR THE WESTERN WASHINGTON LOWLANDS SINCE THE HEAVY SNOWS AFTER
CHRISTMAS IN 1996.

IT STILL REMAINS UNCLEAR WHETHER THE SNOW WILL START ON MONDAY
EVENING OR TUESDAY MORNING. THE TIMING OF THE SNOW WILL ALSO HAVE
AN IMPACT ON EXACTLY HOW MUCH SNOW FALLS.

PEOPLE ARE STRONGLY URGED TO KEEP UP WITH THE LATEST FORECASTS ON
THIS EVOLVING SNOWSTORM...ESPECIALLY WITH THE POTENTIAL IMPACTS ON
THE TUESDAY MORNING COMMUTE. A CHANGEOVER TO RAIN ON TUESDAY COULD
FURTHER WORSEN DRIVING CONDITIONS ON TUESDAY BY TURNING THE SNOW ON
THE GROUND TO THICK SLUSH.

$$

[interloper]

Were in for now. Artic cold mass with Pacific Moisture. There calling for -15 degrees here. FKNA Bring-it:-)

[CantDog]

So, I should try and find a really cheap plane ticket to Seattle tonight?

[Buster Highmen]

Mmmmmmm....slugsicles.

[Squirrel99]

I hear the pow train...coming....Thanks Ullr!

[rbtree]

Bad news is, the snow levels are predicted to go as high as 7000 feet by Thursday...

aargh, here comes the ole PNW yoyo.


NORTHWEST WEATHER AND AVALANCHE CENTER

NWAC Program administered by
USDA-Forest Service
with cooperative funding and support from
Washington State Department of Transportation
National Weather Service
National Park Service
Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
(including Snowmobile and Snowpark Programs)
Pacific Northwest Ski Area Association
Friends of the Avalanche Center
and other private organizations
************************************************** ********
MOUNTAIN WEATHER FORECAST FOR THE OLYMPICS, WASHINGTON CASCADES
AND MT HOOD AREA
This weather forecast is prepared expressly for federal, state
and private snow safety programs in Washington and Northern
Oregon.
************************************************** ********
145 PM PST Sunday, January 04, 2004
************************************************** ********
WEATHER SYNOPSIS

A moderate and gradually drier north to northwesterly upper flow
over the top of a closed upper high covering much of Alaska and
then southward from the Yukon and through BC is continuing to
slowly spread clearing and very cold weather southward over much
of the Northwest early Sunday afternoon. While clearing or
partial clearing along with very cold temperatures have developed
over much of the northern and central Cascades, recent moisture
has been much slower to diminish over the southern Cascades and
Mt Hood area, with clouds and light showers slowly decreasing in
the south early Sunday afternoon. By late Sunday afternoon or
early evening, the overall drying trend should have reached most
areas with mostly fair but very cold weather likely through early
Monday. Fortunately recent strong winds in the south should
briefly diminish. However, a strengthening southern branch of
westerlies establishing under the closed upper Alaskan should
slowly move eastward and intensify next week as it phases with a
trough moving southward around the Alaskan block. This should
send an associated series of increasingly strong fronts or
frontal waves through the region late Monday through Friday.
Initially a weak ridge should move onshore later Monday morning
and early afternoon. However, overrunning warm frontal moisture
is expected to move through the ridge as it moves eastward. Hence
increasing clouds should spread onshore in northern Oregon and
southern Washington Monday afternoon, with light snow developing
and spreading northeastward late Monday afternoon and evening.
Light snow in the Mt Hood area and Olympics should increase and
become moderate Monday night, with light snow reaching the north-
central Cascades later night and early Tuesday. While slow
warming is also expected with this moderate frontal system, a
very cold and deep easterly flow at lower levels should bring
strong east winds through the passes and prevent the effects of
warming reaching the passes or Cascade east slopes, with the main
effects of warming likely in the Olympics, along the Cascade west
slopes and in the extreme south. Also, initially a south to
southeasterly flow at mid levels should help limit precipitation
to the passes, with heaviest precipitation expected in the
southern Cascades, Mt Hood area, along the Cascade east slopes
and southern slopes of the volcanoes Monday night into Tuesday
morning. However, more general moderate to heavy snowfall should
reach most mountain areas later Tuesday morning and afternoon as
the first of several fronts moves over the region.

In the longer range...slightly decreasing and more showery
weather is expected late Tuesday, but a series of strong frontal
waves should help maintain periods of moderate to heavy rain or
snow in most areas Wednesday and Thursday along with continued
slowly rising freezing levels and increasingly strong ridge top
winds. While a moderate and still cool easterly flow should
continue across the Cascade passes through Thursday, the slow
warming aloft should allow rain or local freezing rain to slowly
spread eastward along the west approaches to the passes. A final
trough passage on Friday should at last bring a wind shift to
warmer westerly at the Cascade passes, although a cooler air mass
aloft should by then help limit the amount of rain or freezing
rain right at the passes.

************************************************** ********
WEATHER FORECAST...SUNDAY AND MONDAY...

OLYMPICS....
Mostly fair and very cold Sunday afternoon through early Monday.
Increasing clouds Monday afternoon with light snow developing
late Monday afternoon and night. Snow increasing later Monday
night and becoming moderate to heavy Tuesday morning, especially
south and southeast slopes.

WEST SLOPES WASHINGTON CASCADES...
Mostly fair and very cold north and central with gradually
decreasing clouds and light snow showers south Sunday afternoon
with a clearing trend south late Sunday afternoon and evening.
Mostly fair and very cold Sunday night and Monday morning.
Increasing clouds south mid-day and Monday afternoon with light
snow developing mid-late afternoon. Light snow increasing and
spreading northward Monday night, becoming moderate to heavy
south and light to moderate north late Monday night or early
Tuesday.

CASCADE PASSES...STEVENS...SNOQUALMIE...WHITE PASSES....
Mostly fair and very cold north and central with decreasing
clouds and light snow showers south early Sunday afternoon.
Mostly fair north and central mid-late Sunday afternoon and
evening with clearing trend south. Mostly fair and very cold
Sunday night and early Monday. Increasing clouds south mid-day
and Monday afternoon with light snow developing. Light snow
increasing and spreading northward later Monday afternoon and
night, becoming moderate to heavy south and light to moderate
north late Monday night or early Tuesday, heaviest east
approaches to the passes.


SNOW LEVELS--CASCADE MTNS
Sea level N and S through Monday night

SNOW LEVELS--OLYMPIC MTNS
Sea level through Monday night

Cascade Snow/Freezing Levels refer to the northern Washington
Cascades (N) through Mt Hood area (S). Central Washington
Cascade snow levels are normally midway between indicated N and S
levels. Note that surface snow/freezing levels are common near
the passes during easterly pass flow and may result in multiple
levels.
************************************************** ********
*************************************************
EXTENDED WEATHER FORECAST ...TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...
Moderate to heavy snow Tuesday with some local freezing rain
lower elevations west approaches to the passes later Tuesday.
Snow decreasing and becoming more showery late Tuesday. Gradual
warming with periods of moderate to heavy rain or snow Wednesday
and Thursday and local freezing rain slowly spreading toward the
passes on the west approaches and in the south.

SNOW LEVELS
Sea level N and S early-mid Tuesday
2-4000 ft N, 3-5000 ft S late Tuesday
3-5000 ft N, 4-6000 ft S Wednesday and early Thursday
4-6000 ft N, 5-7000 ft S later Thursday...except snow levels
remaining at the surface Cascade passes and east slopes through
Thursday, with slow warming higher elevations west approaches to
the passes

[Lumpy]

Better get over to the Oly Peninsula and watch the carnage in the Queets river valley when the flows mach up to around 75-80k cfu sec.

[Castro's]

Awesome, I hope it hits Whitefish by Wed, or at least Thursday. I can get one day of pow skiing in that way. Better yet, it might sock in the train and I'll get the stay the weekend.

[BakerBoy]

Less is more rbtree...

Hey Lumpy, that's just about when The Mosh Pit on the Sol Duc starts to get good. Heh heh, if its gonna rain in the hills, I'm going paddling. Wheee!

[jackace]

it is very cold here in Moses Lake right now (-12) and as stated above it will no probably warm up and rain. That is what i hate about this area. The ever changing snow level.

The drive to work can be downright treacherous in the winter around here.