Next train of storms approaches Pacific Northwest, rain and mountain snow this weekend

Much of the Northwest is enjoying a break in precipitation after persistent regional storms and post-frontal showers. A low pressure system heading for Alaska will bring that to an end from north to south with the first of several cold fronts moving in. Rain and mountain snow from this begins during the day Thursday for […]

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Pacific Northwest snowpack improves at the start of March after week of snow

A prolonged pattern of upper level troughing and repeated regional storm systems have added quite a bit of snow to mountains of the Pacific Northwest over the past week. As of the end of the day on March 4, the snow-water equivalent (SWE) value for the Northwest was 88% of the median for this time […]

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Mountaintop wind gusts almost reach 200 mph (320 km/h) in California blizzard

The Sierra Nevada mountains of California and Nevada are experiencing a rare extreme blizzard this weekend with incredible amounts of snow and strong winds forecast through Sunday including major travel corridors like Interstate 80 over Donner Summit and the Lake Tahoe area. Storm total snowfall may approach 11 feet (3.4 m) in some spots and […]

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Columbia Basin dry for the weekend but showers return Monday

Some drizzle was observed in the Tri-Cities area Thursday and Friday as a low pressure system worked its way through the region. That low is on its way east to bring some snow to the Plains and Canadian Prairies (with sharp temperature drops in places like Winnipeg). The Columbia Basin will be in between regional […]

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NWS Portland updating how, where they issue weather alerts

On March 5, 2024, the National Weather Service office in Portland is issuing an update to the geography of their public forecast zones. These are the preset boundaries they use to issue a number of their weather alerts, including those for snow, freezing rain, wind, and fog. This update is for Portland’s county warning area […]

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Flow turning NW’ly for Pacific Northwest bringing cooler temps & mountain snow

Seasonally warm temperatures being observed in the Pacific Northwest Friday and Saturday will draw to a close on Sunday when an upper level trough is forecast to turn the upper level wind pattern more northwesterly over the region. As a result, cooler air sourced from the Gulf of Alaska will come in for a return […]

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Two tornadoes confirmed in California on Wednesday, strongest in area since before 1950

A line of strong storms associated with a low pressure system crossing California and a cold front moving down the coast on Wednesday afternoon produced two tornadoes in San Luis Obispo County just before 16:00. This area is located on the coast about 160 miles (260 km) west of Los Angeles. After a damage survey […]

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Iceland volcano eruption resumed, hot water lines and roads severed

The newest phase of the eruption near Grindavík, Iceland resumed on February 8 with lava erupting to the east of the Svartsengi power station southwest of the nation’s capital, Reykjavík. This is close to the site of the first eruption from this sequence in December 2023. Lava fountains up to 80 meters tall were observed […]

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Low to bring atmospheric river and mix of other hazards to California through Tuesday

A low pressure system moving toward California is forecast to bring a broad swath of weather hazards to the region through Tuesday. Most notably, the path of the low as it moves toward San Francisco and then north up the West Coast will result in the cold front boundary and associated moisture plume being aimed […]

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Snow and freezing rain forecast in the Columbia Basin, Yakima Valley starting Tuesday night

The next Pacific storm is forecast to start bringing precipitation to the Columbia Basin and Yakima Valley late in the day Tuesday. A few light snow showers are possible as early as 17:00 but the main show begins later in the evening for Yakima and overnight in the Tri-Cities. The first band of snow, associated […]

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