Putting Duluth's incredible rain storm into Portland perspective
Updated: 2012-06-30 23:15:10
We Northwesterners like to think we are veterans of the rainy day, but Duluth, Minnesota just went through a rain storm that even web-footed Portlander would have a hard time comprehending. As a large and moist thunderstorm complex stalled over the region, the rains began just before noon Tuesday and didn't stop -- observations at the airport show nearly 26 hours of consecutive rain with much of those reports reporting heavy rain.
NOAA gives 50-50 shot of El Nino conditions this winter
Updated: 2012-06-30 23:15:10
If you are officially through with La Nina winters and ready for something completely different, we have some good news out of NOAA Monday.
Climate forecasters now estimate a roughly 50 percent chance of El Nino conditions developing this fall and winter -- music to the ears of those who have a disdain for cold, rainy winters; bad news for skiers and snowboarders.Excessive Heat Warning for West Alabama – Saturday 1:15 p.m.
Updated: 2012-06-30 19:32:26
The National Weather Service has issued an Excessive Heat Warning for all of Central Alabama until 9 pm Sunday. An intense heat wave with near record high temperatures will continue with temperatures and heat indices climbing to potentially dangerous levels across Central Alabama. Temperatures – 100 to 106 degrees today and 101 to 105 Sunday [...]Watching the Tropics – Invest 97 – Saturday 1 a.m.
Updated: 2012-06-30 06:57:20
Once again we have our eyes down on the tropics. The National Hurricane Center is watching a new tropical wave called Invest 97. The wave is located about 750 miles east of the Windward Islands and is moving west at about 10 to 15 mph. The area marked ’2′ above is Invest 97. Area 1 [...]Dangerous Heat Today Through Monday… Maybe A Few Storms Next Week – Friday Update 10pm
Updated: 2012-06-30 04:29:40
Check out the highs this afternoon across our area. Tuscaloosa reached 105, which is 2 degrees shy of our all time record high of 107. This is dangerous heat that we don’t deal with very often. We will continue to see temperatures like this through Sunday and Monday. Skies will remain mostly sunny through Sunday. [...]Dangerous Heat Through The Weekend…Some Storms Next Week – Friday Afternoon Forecast 5:30pm
Updated: 2012-06-29 23:37:08
Good Friday afternoon to you! We are dealing with a classic early summer heat wave across the deep south. A very intense summer ridge has moved into Alabama, and this is producing very hot and dry weather. Reports of forest fires are breaking out over parts of Tuscaloosa County and Alabama. You’ve got to use [...]Boy Is It Hot Outside! – Friday 5 p.m.
Updated: 2012-06-29 22:54:40
Well it is officially summer in the South. I ventured out today to grab a bite to eat at about 3:30p and this is what my car said. It’s very hot and it is fairly dry outside. Humidity values are below 40 percent in most places and it has been dry and hot for several [...]Heat Danger Today Through Weekend! Friday Morning Update 11am
Updated: 2012-06-29 17:19:41Good Friday Morning to you! The map above shows the watches, warnings and advisories across our area. All of central and west Alabama is under a heat advisory, while much of north Alabama is under an Excessive Heat Warning. Temperatures across all of our area will top out between 102 and 106 this afternoon. As [...]Battling Extremes and the July 4th Forecast
Updated: 2012-06-29 04:09:00
: Cliff Mass Weather Blog This blog provides updated forecasts and comments on current weather or other topics Thursday , June 28, 2012 Battling Extremes and the July 4th Forecast It is startling to see such weather extremes so close . together Here in the Northwest we are experiencing wetter and colder than normal conditions on most days , with some locations shivering under daily low temperature records . nbsp Yesterday , temperatures plummeted to 37 at Shelton , 39 in Olympia , and 38 at Yakima . nbsp In some cold hollows near the surface temperatures may have dropped close to freezing . nbsp In late . June At the same time , temperatures in Colorado have reached over 100F day after day , some all-time high temperature records have been reached , extreme drought is in place , and firesDangerous Heat Ahead…Isolated Storms Next Week – Thursday Forecast Update 2:30pm
Updated: 2012-06-28 20:38:20
Good Thursday afternoon to you! The intense summer ridge is building into the deep south this afternoon, and temperatures will continue to increase as heights continue to increase. Most spots will reach 100 this afternoon, but the heat index value is much higher. Most spots are showing heat index values between 102 and 109 across [...]Heat Wave Ahead… 4th of July Forecast… Wednesday Update 5pm
Updated: 2012-06-27 23:41:26
Good Monday afternoon to you! Conditions will remain very hot over the next few days, as highs continue to climb over the century mark. Look for the heat wave to continue and become life threatening as we move into the pre 4th of July weekend. The intense summer ridge is positioned west of Alabama this [...]Heat Advisory for West Alabama…Dangerous Heat Wave! – Wednesday Update 4:30pm
Updated: 2012-06-27 22:43:03Good Wednesday afternoon! Above is a graphic the National Weather Service in Birmingham put together. This shows information on records for cities such as Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, Anniston and Montgomery. Some of these records will be broken over the next few days due to the extreme heat… Here’s a statement from the National Weather Service: AN [...]Cascade Melt Out
Updated: 2012-06-27 06:08:00: Cliff Mass Weather Blog This blog provides updated forecasts and comments on current weather or other topics Tuesday , June 26, 2012 Cascade Melt Out There are few more important questions for Northwest hikers : nbsp when will their favorite trails melt out and the hiking season begin in earnest And few more important questions for those concerned about the local impacta of global warming : nbsp is the Cascade snowpack melting out earlier , thus providing evidence of the effects of increasing greenhouse gases in the atmosphere . nbsp This truth may surprise some and depress others . nbsp It turns out that the Cascade snowpack has been trending to melt out LATER during the past thirty years , with the last few years being particularly late . nbsp For example , Stevens Pass finally melted
Summer Squall
Updated: 2012-06-25 00:23:00
: Cliff Mass Weather Blog This blog provides updated forecasts and comments on current weather or other topics Sunday , June 24, 2012 Summer Squall Yesterday Saturday the area experienced an event more common to the eastern U.S . a summer convective . squall Forced by an short-wave trough aloft that was moving northward , the action occurred around noon to 3 PM , as the fast moving line of convection brought heavy rain , lightning thunder to some , and winds gusting up to around 40 mph on the east side of Puget Sound . Roughly 10,000 customers lost power , including 6,000 customers in Mukilteo , Monroe and Granite Falls served by Snohomish County PUD and a number of trees were downed including one on I5 see picture above The raindrops was far bigger than normal , a sign of the convectiveSaturday morning update
Updated: 2012-06-23 17:08:00
: Cliff Mass Weather Blog This blog provides updated forecasts and comments on current weather or other topics Saturday , June 23, 2012 Saturday morning update Looks like most of the precipitation has shifted south towards Portland and southwest Washington---their turn . nbsp The model predict that precipitation will move north later today , so if you are in Tacoma northward , NOW is good time to get outside . nbsp Sunday looks . better For those interested in the amounts of precipitation we have received , here is the 24 h amounts ending 7 AM from the cocorahs volunteer network . nbsp You can see the band of high precipitation values orange color that stretched from Issaquah , through north Seattle , towards NW WA . nbsp Or if you prefer , the precipitation shown on the NWS . siteWhy are coastal water temperatures cooling?
Updated: 2012-06-19 04:37:00
: Cliff Mass Weather Blog This blog provides updated forecasts and comments on current weather or other topics Monday , June 18, 2012 Why are coastal water temperatures cooling The air temperatures are warming over northern California . nbsp The same with southern Oregon . But something awfully strange is happening with the temperature of the Pacific Ocean off of both of them--it is generally cooling as we trend towards summer . nbsp And this is normal Why in the world would ocean temperatures get cooler during summer First , take a look at the sea surface temperature at Buoy 27, just off the CA OR border . A cooling trend from roughly 47.5F to 45F . wow , the water is cold there . nbsp And there is a strange jump in temperature to 52F for a short period on June12th and 13th . Here is aFeeling a bit tropical outside?
Updated: 2012-06-16 22:42:00
: Cliff Mass Weather Blog This blog provides updated forecasts and comments on current weather or other topics Saturday , June 16, 2012 Feeling a bit tropical outside Seems a bit humid More like the East Coast in summer than our normally low relative humidity The dew points . a good measure of the moisture in the air . are quite high today , reaching into the lower to mid 60s right now around 2 PM Saturday Here are the current dew points at some local stations--no lack of 60s And with temperature in the low 70s , the relative humidities are quite high , with plenty of locations above 80 No wondering I am sweating so much while I am working in my garden today Typical dew points around here in the spring and early summer are more typically in the mid 40s . Lets illustrate with Olympia ,Weather-X
Updated: 2012-06-15 04:44:00
: Cliff Mass Weather Blog This blog provides updated forecasts and comments on current weather or other topics Thursday , June 14, 2012 Weather-X There has been a lot of press coverage of late about the successful commercial space venture Space-X . This private sector effort was able to build a launch vehicle Falcon-9 and a spacecraft Dragon that not only worked flawlessly , but made a delivery to the international space station . nbsp With NASA out of the manned space business for a while with the end of the Space Shuttle program , this feisty young company has taken on a role previously held only by a U.S . government agency , and they did it far faster and cheaper than a Federal entity could ever do . To its credit , NASA has been supportive of Space-X's . activities Falcon-9 Dragon SoTroubles at the National Weather Service
Updated: 2012-06-12 06:04:00
: Cliff Mass Weather Blog This blog provides updated forecasts and comments on current weather or other topics Monday , June 11, 2012 Troubles at the National Weather Service The last few weeks have brought hard times to the National Weather Service . nbsp A number of media outlets have reported on apparent spending irregularities in which approximately 30 million dollars was taken from certain development budgets to support NWS offices throughout the U.S . a procedure requiring congressional approval that was not . secured When this story become public there were dozens of articles in newspapers around the country , examples : nbsp NY Times WA Post NWS head Jack Hayes decided it was time to retire more on Jack Hayes , later The National Weather Service has a shortfall of roughly 26Seasonal Precipitation Surprises
Updated: 2012-06-10 17:40:00
: Cliff Mass Weather Blog This blog provides updated forecasts and comments on current weather or other topics Sunday , June 10, 2012 Seasonal Precipitation Surprises You ask any resident of Washington , Oregon , or California : nbsp when is the wettest time of the year Without hesitation they will answer : nbsp during the winter The Goretex . season But ask a resident of Montana , particularly the eastern two-thirds of the state , and they would give you a different answer : nbsp May and June Or talk to someone from southern Arizona or New Mexico and they will give you an even different answer : nbsp July and August Why are there such differences First , lets explore the seasonal variation of precipitation a . bit Here is a fascinating image that give the percentage of the annual rainfall1-Minute GOES Imagery over Colorado Severe Storms
Updated: 2012-06-07 19:53:23
On 6 June 2012, GOES-15 SRSO was called, meaning intermittent 1-minute scans would be collected over a mesoscale sector centered in eastern Colorado. The Storm Prediction Center had a slight risk of severe storms over the region, and by late … Continue reading →Coastal Clouds
Updated: 2012-06-07 05:44:00
: Cliff Mass Weather Blog This blog provides updated forecasts and comments on current weather or other topics Wednesday , June 6, 2012 Coastal Clouds Yesterday I told people who wanted to view the transit of Venus along the coast to go as close to the water as possible . why There is often a major difference between the amount of clouds offshore or right on the coast and just a short distance inland , with clouds increasing inland--so being right on the coast really increased the chances of seeing the transit of Venus . yesterday Here is an example of the effect . nbsp First , a visible satellite picture from the GOES satellite at 3 PM yesterday about when the transit started There was some clouds and convective showers offshore , but look what happens as the air crosses the coast . youLast Venus Transit Update
Updated: 2012-06-05 21:41:00
: Cliff Mass Weather Blog This blog provides updated forecasts and comments on current weather or other topics Tuesday , June 5, 2012 Last Venus Transit Update If you are near Seattle , head to the two oval areas . downstream of the mountains of Vancouver Island or the Olympics . nbsp Cloud free conditions . nbsp Seattle is in a convergence zone and will NOT be a good location to view the transit . nbsp The coast will be decent . off and on clouds . but there will be gaps . I have folks there right now reporting decent viewing Same with the Willamette Valley . nbsp If you are driving south on I5 you will hit the clearing from Tacoma to roughly Olympia . Posted by Cliff Mass Weather Blog at 1:41 PM Email This BlogThis Share to Twitter Share to Facebook 15 : comments Doug said . Sun breaksVenus Transit Weather Update
Updated: 2012-06-05 19:49:00
: Cliff Mass Weather Blog This blog provides updated forecasts and comments on current weather or other topics Tuesday , June 5, 2012 Venus Transit Weather Update The clouds are thinning over the Northwest and the biggest improvement is along the coast . nbsp Here is the latest visible image at 11:40 : AM There is an enhanced area of showers going into the Washington coast , but that will be through by 3 PM . nbsp I am encouraged that the showers are suppressed offshore . nbsp If you are on the coast . go ALL the way to the coast . to the waterline . should be less clouds there . nbsp Any there will be clouds and sun . so you can see the transit in the gaps . Eastern Oregon seems to be opening up now as . well Weak convergence is keeping the central Sound cloudy with some showers . theseVenus Transit Update
Updated: 2012-06-05 06:47:00
: Cliff Mass Weather Blog This blog provides updated forecasts and comments on current weather or other topics Monday , June 4, 2012 Venus Transit Update 8 AM Update : The Oregon coast has opened up into scattered clouds . Here is the satellite : image The inland band will slowly move out . nbsp Further updates at 11 AM when all the model output is in . nbsp The big question for all transit lovers . head to Sequim or the coast I am getting a bit more optimistic that many of us will see the transit . or be able to view it with a modest drive . nbsp Each forecast run is clearing out more . particularly on the coast . nbsp Here are the cloud fields from the UW WRF model for 5 PM tomorrow . the first shows liquid water cloud content , the other , the simulated satellite view . nbsp The coastWhere to See the Transit of Venus?
Updated: 2012-06-05 00:45:00
: Cliff Mass Weather Blog This blog provides updated forecasts and comments on current weather or other topics Monday , June 4, 2012 Where to See the Transit of Venus Update Monday evening : nbsp Sequim and vicinity might be a possibility . Tomorrow , from around 3:09 PM to sunset , Venus will move in front of the sun---the famous transit of Venus . nbsp This is an extraordinarily rare event that will not occur again for over a century December 11, 2117 The problem is that a weather system will pass through the region tomorrow morning and afternoon . but there appears to be a chance that some NW residents will see . it Bottom line : nbsp for Puget Sound residents , head for the southern Washington coast or Oregon coast for maximum chances of viewing . nbsp Westport might be the closestDay 13 Recap
Updated: 2012-06-03 05:49:17
We started off our day by leaving Borger, TX and started to head east and toward home. Most of us fell asleep right as we made it back into the car. There has been a competition the past two weeks … Continue reading →