As of early November 2023, the TOWR-S RPM v24 has been released for National Weather Service (NWS) users to update their local AWIPS terminals with the latest satellite data capabilities. Within the RPM v24 release, more NWS CONUS users will … Continue reading →
Today’s Forecast Good morning and happy Wednesday! I hope everyone has had a great week so far and managed to stay warm! Things tend to warm up a little over the next couple of days, but this does bring rain … Continue reading →
: Cliff Mass Weather Blog This blog discusses current weather , weather prediction , climate issues , and current events November 27, 2023 Are King Tides a Threat During the Next Two Months A number of media stories have been talking about King Tides and flooding during the past few days , and I have gotten several emails from worried . readers So let's talk about the reason for King Tides and evaluate the . threat The highest tides of the year . the King Tides . typically occur this time of the year for two . reasons First , the astronomical setup is ideal , because the Earth is closest to the sun around the New . Year Second , this is the stormest time of the year , with Pacific cyclones associated with low pressure , and low pressure causes the water level to . rise Monthly high tides ,
: Cliff Mass Weather Blog This blog discusses current weather , weather prediction , climate issues , and current events November 25, 2023 The Remarkable Life of Steve Pool I am very sad to report the passing of Steve Pool , past chief meteorologist at KOMO TV , and a dear friend for many . decades Steve was one of the most exceptional and generous individuals I have ever . known A brilliant communicator . nbsp A kind and generous soul . nbsp A highly intuitive and insightful meteorologist . And someone who gave so much to our . community I first got to know Steve during the mid-80s , when I got a call from KOMO-TV asking whether I would instruct him in meteorology he had just taken on weather responsibilities at the station . nbsp For the next year and a half , Steve and I worked together
: , Cliff Mass Weather Blog This blog discusses current weather , weather prediction , climate issues , and current events November 23, 2023 A Very Dry Thanksgiving , But No Record There will be no precipitation over Washington State during the Thanksgiving . holiday None . nbsp Zippo . nbsp . Nada Which is kind of surprising since this is the wettest time of the year for our region To show how unusual it is , here is the climatological probability of measurable precipitation at SeaTac Airport for each day of the year . nbsp The last three weeks of November are wetter than any other period , with roughly a 65 chance of rain on any . day But this year , there will be no rain--something predicted by virtually every weather modeling . system For example , the European Center forecast model: Cliff Mass Weather Blog This blog discusses current weather , weather prediction , climate issues , and current events November 21, 2023 Edgy Clouds Every week , several blog readers send me cloud photos to identify . nbsp So there is plenty of interest in clouds . and for good reason . nbsp A little knowledge about clouds is not only fun but can be useful as well . nbsp So let me provide some cloud identification 101 today , starting with what you can tell by the characteristics of cloud . edges Clouds are made up of either ice crystals , water droplets , or a combination of the . two Importantly , you can differentiate between ice crystals and water droplets by looking at the cloud . edges Clouds made of water droplets have sharp . edges Like cumulus : clouds Or the top of a fog : bank: Cliff Mass Weather Blog This blog discusses current weather , weather prediction , climate issues , and current events November 19, 2023 The Olympics Mountains Can Affect the Weather in Ellensburg and Wenatchee The folks living on the eastern side of the Cascades might think that the Olympic Mountains have little influence on their weather . but they would be . wrong Consider what happened . today A Puget Sound Convergence Zone set up , producing a band of precipitation stretching from the northeast slopes of the Olympic Mountains , across Seattle and then eastward to near Wenatchee Just a reminder before I go on . Puget Sound Convergence Zones are associated with westerly or northwesterly flow that is deflected around the Olympics and which converges together to the east of the .: Cliff Mass Weather Blog This blog discusses current weather , weather prediction , climate issues , and current events November 17, 2023 Who Produces the Most Skillful Weather Forecasts You have your choice of sources of weather forecasts on various smartphone apps and web . pages Where can you get the best forecast other than this blog , of course One service , Forecastadviser.com , evaluates predictions from many weather outlets , including the National Weather Service to the Weather Channel Weather.com Consider the scores for the last year 2022 for Seattle considering 5-day forecasts . nbsp The Weather Channel is number one , followed by Accuweatther . nbsp The National Weather Service is way down the list How about Chicago Pretty much the same thing . nbsp In fact , most cities are .
: Cliff Mass Weather Blog This blog discusses current weather , weather prediction , climate issues , and current events November 15, 2023 Will there be skiing for Thanksgiving The answer is possibly , depending on where you . are Let's start with a look at the status of the snowpack for Washington State from USDA Snotel see below Most areas are above normal , with NE Washington at 193 The cool , wet weather of the past week has really . helped The NOAA snow analysis this morning shows the greatest depths in the north Cascades and southern BC . nbsp The Oregon Cascades have far . less Stevens Pass has about 8 inches on the ground with general coverage , but not nearly enough to open at this . point The other Washington ski areas are in the same boat . nbsp But British Columbia's Whistler
Today’s Forecast Good morning and happy Wednesday! I hope everyone has had an amazing week so far! Today and tomorrow will be beautiful, perfect fall days. With highs in the upper 60s and lower 70s and lows in the mid … Continue reading →: Cliff Mass Weather Blog This blog discusses current weather , weather prediction , climate issues , and current events November 14, 2023 Rallies for Genocide at the University of Washington I am more than disappointed with the University of Washington . administration I am dismayed and saddened by the efforts of pro-Hamas students and their radical supporters in the . community Three times during the past month there have been rallies on the University of Washington campus supporting genocide . nbsp Rallies that called for the elimination of the State of Israel and the removal of its Jewish inhabitants . nbsp Rallies for genocide . nbsp Such gatherings have no place on any campus The First Amendment , which protects freedom of speech , an essential foundation of American freedom , does
: : Cliff Mass Weather Blog This blog discusses current weather , weather prediction , climate issues , and current events November 12, 2023 The Pacific Northwest : Where Fronts Come to Die The Pacific Northwest is a meteorological kill . zone The place where fronts come to . die Time and time again , there is a relatively strong Pacific front offshore approaching the coast , with a dramatic wind shift , strong gusty winds , and often very heavy frontal precipitation . nbsp On the coast , it is a real . barn-burner But over the interior of western Washington and Oregon , it is profoundly weaker , and then almost imperceptible over the Columbia . Basin Let me show you an example during last Wednesday afternoon . nbsp At 1:05 PM an intense front was offshore , made evident by the radar image
: Cliff Mass Weather Blog This blog discusses current weather , weather prediction , climate issues , and current events November 10, 2023 A Very Windy Night Ahead If you live along the Washington coast or in NW Washington , I would charge up all your electronics during the next 6 hours . a decent blow will occur . overnight And portions of Seattle might get a piece of it . nbsp No . this will not be another Columbus Storm , but winds will gust to 40-60 mph in locations , and early-season storms always have enhanced impacts since leaves are still on . trees Consider Seattle , where the UW WindWatch application supported by Seattle CityLight provides the most high-tech wind forecast in the . region All models the individual lines predict a rapid acceleration this evening Friday with peak: Cliff Mass Weather Blog This blog discusses current weather , weather prediction , climate issues , and current events November 08, 2023 A Strong El Nino This Winter The developing El Nino is swinging for the fences and will almost certainly be in the strong category this winter , with its effects having an enhanced chance of being . significant An El Nino is considered strong when the sea surface temperature difference from normal in the central equatorial Pacific is more than 1.5°C for at least three months in a row . nbsp The observations suggest this is already happening . nbsp The area used to define El Nino and La Nina events is the Nino 3.4 zone in the central tropical Pacific see map below The observed sea surface temperature in the Nino 3.4 area see below has been at or above
Today’s Forecast Good morning and happy Wednesday! I hope everyone has had an amazing week so far and enjoyed these more fall-like temperatures. Today will be another sunny, warm day with near-record temps. Highs will reach into the lower 80s … Continue reading →
: : Cliff Mass Weather Blog This blog discusses current weather , weather prediction , climate issues , and current events November 06, 2023 The Most Beautiful Weather Imagery Imaginable : Steam Fog over Lake Washington Last week a student in my Atmospheric Sciences 101 class , a member of the UW Crew Team Marc Tennesen showed me some pictures of steam fog taken early last week over Lake . Washington I was stunned by their beauty and I want to share them with you . nbsp Surreal , magical , ethereal . nbsp Here are a . few This is steam fog season around Lake Washington . nbsp Steam fog generally occurs when the air temperature is at least 20F cooler than the water temperature . nbsp Such a condition is most frequent in fall when the water is relatively warm after a summer of . sunshine
: Cliff Mass Weather Blog This blog discusses current weather , weather prediction , climate issues , and current events November 02, 2023 The First Significant Wind Event of the Season It's November . nbsp The protecting ridge is gone . nbsp And the first of a line-up of storms just went . through A modest low center is moving across southern BC now see surface map for 8 AM this morning a low that has enhanced the north-south pressure difference across the region . nbsp That means winds from the south over western . Washington Some of the winds were impressive , but this was not a major windstorm by any means see the maximum winds today Up to around 40 mph around Puget Sound and 50-60 mph over the coast . nbsp 60 mph near Hoquiam . nbsp Almost as strong near the Oregon Washington . border