The weather will finally begin to behave like winter and January will be the month when the mountains finally begin their snowpack. It appears the ski areas will get at least a couple feet of snow between today and Monday. Active weather continues next week with yet more snow.
At times after the associated cold fronts pass, snow will fall to the foothills and the coast range passes to the ocean beaches. The threat to lowland snow here in the county is minimal at this point, but cold arctic air will be bottled up in Canada, which always warrants an active eye to the north.
So, if you want to get your snow fix, head to the hills and don’t wait around for snow here in the city as that may be a while if it develops at all. As usual, we need the right ingredients to come into the mix.
Looking back at the month of January, it has been years since we had measurable snow. Most winters, our snow falls in February.
Even though the weather pattern has shifted with weather systems coming down from the northwest now, this is a strong El Nino year so how long we stay cool and damp is anyone’s guess. Hopefully several feet of snow pile up in the mountains before we go back in a split-flow pattern or experience another pineapple express. Fingers crossed.
Have you been to Hurricane Ridge in the beautiful Olympic Mountains? It is breathtaking in the summer and at an elevation of 5,242 feet it usually is buried in snow with the arrival of the new year. This go around, on New Year’s Day they only had 4.3 inches of snow on the ground from one report I read. The lowest on record.
Yes, it has been touch and go with snow this season so far but with some powerful storms from northern latitudes we can get a foot a day falling in the Washington and Oregon Cascades for several days in a row. I’ve seen it happen many times in my lifetime. Time for El Nino to take a back seat and rest a spell.
Take good care and we will chat on a stormy Saturday. Batten the hatches.
