Widespread snow expected in Seattle, Vancouver, and Portland this weekend
After a brief tease of snow showers across Puget Sound on Wednesday morning, arctic air continues to intrude into western Washington and Oregon. As of 4 AM Wednesday, the cold anomalies were widespread across both the interior PNW and offshore over the Pacific. Low pressure centered over southwest Washington was responsible for both the morning…
Turning colder by the end of January + La Niña weakens
The first two-thirds of January 2023 featured mild temperatures and relatively benign weather in the PNW. The storm track, along with any significant, impactful weather, has been focused over California. Meanwhile, the PNW has settled for light rain and temperatures in the 40s – low 50s. From a synoptic meteorology perspective, the culprit for the…
iPhone weather app falsely predicts single digit temperatures in Seattle next week
For anyone looking for a quick glance at the weather forecast, smartphone weather apps have become an indispensable tool. The default iPhone weather app has historically been a reliable source of quick and accurate weather forecasts, so I was shocked when this morning I saw a forecast low of 4°F for Seattle next Thursday. For…
How much lowland snow will fall this Tuesday-Wednesday?
As advertised, another cold snap is about to take hold in the PNW. Cold air will filter into the region Sunday night into Monday and stick around for about a week. Scattered snow showers will be possible on Monday and Tuesday, but the most interesting period will be from Tuesday night into Wednesday when a…
Rain returns Tuesday; turning colder next week
Western Washington and Oregon will wake up to a frontal passage on Tuesday morning as a two week hiatus in rainy season comes to an end. Rain totals will be light, with a quarter-to-third of an inch of precipitation in the Portland and Puget Sound metro areas. The dry spell has resulted in about a…
Unusual November dry spell approaches records, leads to wildfires
Climatologically speaking, the second half of November is the peak of rainy season in the PNW. Practically speaking, the ebb and flow of the jet stream can occasionally bring weeklong respites from the rain at any time throughout the fall and winter. The dry spells rarely last more than a week and never as long…
Will more arctic air impact the western US next week?
Pleasant but chilly weather has been the story across the PNW this week as cold air remains entrenched across most of the western US. The latest 500 hPa anomaly map shows an active weather pattern across the US. The trough that was responsible or our cold and active weather has progressed eastward while another weak…
Arctic air moves into the PNW
After most of October featured summer-like weather across the PNW, an entire autumn season’s worth of weather has been packed into the past three weeks. The period since Friday has been especially newsworthy as an atmospheric river followed by a westerly wind surge caused widespread power outages on Friday night. Saturday night featured heavy snowfall…
Early November cold blast expected next week
In the central US, the weather occasionally flips from 75 degrees to snow in a matter of hours. In the PNW, we’ll have to settle for about three weeks. Given the summer-like heat and smoke in mid-October, the flip to an arctic intrusion in early November will be about as dramatic of a change in…
Significant heat wave headed for the Pacific Northwest
On average, the last week in July is the warmest and driest week of the year over much of the PNW. In 2022, it is poised to bring the hottest temperatures to much of the region since the historic heat wave of June 2021. Our global weather models, a true triumph of modern technology, have…
Loading…
Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.
Follow the Convergence Zone
Get new content delivered directly to your inbox.
The Convergence Zone 