Storms a comin.....

[The empressof all]

I've been totally out of touch so was surprised when I heard of impending storm late last night. I usually get myself a twitter about these kinds of things. I'm low on wood and I have no milk. Looks like I'm going to have to get myself moving.

I live in the ex-burbs and I always lose power with even the slightest wind. Damn... I love a good snow but I'm hoping they're wrong about this one. I have too much other crap going on to deal with this on top of everything else.

[uppityperson]

1. Here is the NWS pge for W.WA. Pretty colors!

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/sew/
I hate wind. High winds, followed by freezing temps = bad news in my opinion, esp for those who rely on electricity for heat.

We have wood in, gas for chain saw, just called clients at work to ask to come in earlier so I can get home earlier since I live in the woods. I remember the yr they are talking about (1990) when the last big arctic freeze came down here. I was traveling across the country and family here told me it was cold. Hopefully this won't last too long though, looks like a wk and it'll be over. Barely time for ponds to freeze deep enough to be safe to go on.

[The empressof all]

3. Hey-Thanks for that link

It looks like my area won't be hit as bad with the winds anyway and they are predicting only about three inches. That's good. I'm on a single line for electric so when the power goes out I'm usually on the bottom of the list for repair. I just had a major flood in my house on Monday and I'm dealing with the insurance, restoration, and contracting folks. My down comforter got water damage so I'm making do with some old ones I had. It's a good lesson to remember to always keep a few blankets around because you never know what can happen.

As long as power stays on I'm good with the snow. Not having heat though is another story. Not having heat and not being able to get out of your driveway is a nightmare I never want to re-visit. Thank god I have a decent wood stove so I can at least heat one room and even boil some water.

I remember one year we were away and came back the day after an ice and snow storm hit. I have never seen such ice. Do you remember that one. I think it was about 5 or 6 years ago. It was beautiful but driving was frightening. I was sure my pipes had frozen...but other than some branches we survived the after effects of that one pretty well even without power for over a week.

Just goes to show you everything passes and then you die. That's my husbands new line in trying to keep me calmer in the midst of my own personal disaster misery. Makes me want to punch him.

[uppityperson]

4. I don't remember a particular ice storm. There was that 3 ft overnight snow yrs back.

Between x-mas and new yrs I think, 11 yrs ago. I got stuck at work (night shift) for an extra day/night. Then made it home to sleep and wake up to 2 inches of snow left due to the warm rain. Bah.

I really hate winds. We have underground elect here but some jerk did a couple clearcuts down the rd a couple yrs ago, leaving a few trees to blow down and take out the main road power lines. We used to be on an offshoot of an offshoot powerline, last on the list. That was bad. Now our offshoot is underground and the main line goes to a developed community so it gets fixed pretty fast.

THIS yr I am not driving up the hill to my house when the road freezes as 2 yrs ago I almost made it, front wheels over the last hump. Got the car repainted when they replaced the front quarter panel though. Much nicer color but I don't want to do that again.

Off to work, hopefully to get home early enough to see the way around the trees.

[uppityperson]

2. 10:05 update...

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/total_forecast/getprod.php?wfo=sew&pil=WSW&sid=sew&version=0
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
1005 AM PST FRI DEC 12 2008

...SUBTLE CHANGE IN TRACK OF INCOMING STORM HAS RESULTED IN A
SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE SNOW FORECAST...

.THE EXPLOSIVELY DEVELOPING LOW PRESSURE CENTER IS NOW EXPECTED TO
TRACK ACROSS NORTHERN WASHINGTON INSTEAD OF SOUTHERN WASHINGTON.
THIS WILL RESULT IN WARM AIR HANGING ON LONGER FOR MANY LOCATIONS
WITH A SIGNIFICANT LOWERING IN THE AMOUNT OF FORECAST SNOW IN THE
PUGET SOUND REGION. COLD CANADIAN AIR IS STILL EXPECTED TO POUR
OUT OF THE FRASER VALLEY STARTING LATE TONIGHT.
(clip)


A CHANGE IN THE TRACK OF AN INCOMING STORM HAS ELIMINATED THE
EXPECTATION OF SNOW FOR PORT ANGELES AND SEQUIM THROUGH THIS
EVENING.
------------------------


Edited to add, for my area, blech: WIND
WILL BE A BIGGER ISSUE AROUND THE STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA THAN
EARLIER THOUGHT.

COLD NORTHEAST WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP LATE TONIGHT AND
SATURDAY MORNING...PUSHING COLD AND MOISTURE-LADEN AIR OFF THE
STRAIT AND BANKING UP AGAINST THE NORTH SIDE OF THE OLYMPIC
MOUNTAINS LATE TONIGHT AND SATURDAY. THIS COULD RESULT IN LOCALLY
HEAVY SNOW LATE TONIGHT AND SATURDAY.

[Suich]

6. Anything happening up your way yet?

We had some wind earlier but it's pretty quiet now.

:hi:

[uppityperson]

7. wind, wind gusts, sideways rain and snow showers.

Nearer the water there is less snow, and at our place, facing the straits, more wind. Fire is going, checking nws.

Friend went over Hood Canal bridge to Silverdale earlier, said it wasn't bad down there, aside from, as he put it, "Chicken little weather forcasts". I had to laugh when he left my work place inland a couple miles and it was snow/raining. Have a friend staying here with us rather than trying to drive down to Quilcene.

i am hoping for snow, but don't like the big wind then cold temps combo for people relying on electricity.

[Suich]

8. I don't think this is one of the "chicken little" forecasts as far as

the temperature goes! I don't like the combo of wind and cold temps either! The weather we were supposed to get tonight is coming tomorrow, me thinks.

I'll check with you tomorrow...stay warm!

[uppityperson]

9. Just read the updated forecast discussion and some snow tonight, tomorrow, except

for the north edge of the Olympic peninsula where we may get more!!! Cool.

http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/total_forecast/getprod.php?wfo=sew&pil=AFD&sid=SEW&version=0

THE CENTER OF A DEEP MATURE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM
ALONG WITH THE STRONG OCCLUDED FRONTS ASSOCIATED WITH IT...HAS BEEN
MOVING EAST ACROSS WESTERN WASHINGTON THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
THE SURFACE LOW MADE LANDFALL NEAR FORKS ON THE NORTH COAST EARLY
THIS AFTERNOON...TRACKED EAST-NORTHEAST ACROSS THE OLYMPIC PENINSULA
AND THE NORTH PUGET SOUND REGION...AND IS MOVING INTO THE CASCADES
EAST OF ARLINGTON THIS EVENING. AS MENTIONED IN EARLIER DISCUSSIONS
THE TRACK OF THE SURFACE LOW WAS A BIT FARTHER NORTH THAN EARLIER
EXPECTED...ELIMINATING THE THREAT OF LOWLAND SNOW FOR THE SHORT
TERM. REALLY COLD AIR IS STILL WELL NORTH OF THE FORECAST AREA THIS
EVENING.

THE LOW PRESSURE CENTER WILL CONTINUE SLOWLY EASTWARD TONIGHT AND
SATURDAY MORNING...BUT A SURFACE TROUGH EXTENDING WESTWARD FROM THE
SURFACE LOW WILL MOVE SOUTHWARD ACROSS WESTERN WASHINGTON. AS THE
SURFACE TROUGH MOVES ACROSS THE PUGET SOUND REGION...THE
PRECIPITATION ASSOCIATED IT WILL BE ENHANCED BY THE CONVERGENCE ZONE.
COLDER AIR -- BUT NOT YET THE REALLY COLD ARCTIC AIR -- WILL
BE MOVING SOUTHWARD INTO THE AREA OVERNIGHT WITH THE SNOW LEVEL
AROUND 500 FT SO IT PROBABLY WON`T BE COLD ENOUGH FOR GENERAL
LOWLAND SNOW IN THE PUGET SOUND AREA TONIGHT OR SATURDAY MORNING
WHILE THE HEAVIER PRECIPITATION WITH THE TROUGH IS OCCURRING. OF
COURSE THERE IS ALWAYS A CHANCE THE AIR MASS WILL GET COLDER
FASTER...BUT AT THIS TIME I WOULD SAY THE CURRENT FORECAST FOR LOCAL
ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES MAINLY ON HIGHER HILLS AND NORTH OF
SEATTLE LOOKS RIGHT.

ARCTIC AIR WILL BEGIN PUSHING INTO THE FORECAST AREA SATURDAY...AS A
SURFACE HIGH MOVES SOUTH ACROSS BRITISH COLUMBIA AND FORCES THE COLD
AIR THROUGH THE FRASER RIVER VALLEY AND INTO WESTERN WASHINGTON. BY
SATURDAY MIDDAY IT WILL LIKELY BE COLD ENOUGH TO SNOW ACROSS THE
WESTERN WASHINGTON LOWLANDS...BUT THE PRECIPITATION WILL BE LIGHTER
ACROSS THE AREA FOR THE MOST PART. SO AGAIN THE FORECAST FOR LOCAL
ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES WITH THE SHOWERS LOOKS GOOD. THE
NORTH SIDE OF THE OLYMPIC PENINSULA COULD BE AN EXCEPTION TO THIS...
AS THE NORTHEAST WINDS THERE WILL BE UPSLOPING AGAINST THE OLYMPICS
AND THE AIR MASS WILL CARRY MOISTURE IT PICKED UP CROSSING THE
NORTHERN INLAND WATERS. THERE IS A WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT
THERE FOR TONIGHT AND SATURDAY MORNING...WHICH I WILL KEEP IN EFFECT
BUT POSTPONE FOR SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT.


TEMPERATURES WILL FALL INTO THE 20S SATURDAY NIGHT AS COLD AIR
CONTINUES TO POUR INTO WESTERN WASHINGTON...AND ON SUNDAY THE HIGHS
WILL ONLY CLIMB TO AROUND THE FREEZING MARK. AN UPPER LOW MOVING
NEARLY DUE SOUTH FROM BRITISH COLUMBIA ALONG THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST
COAST WILL BRING ANOTHER CHANCE FOR LOWLAND SNOW. THE AIR MASS WILL
REMAIN JUST AS COLD MONDAY...BUT THE AIR MASS WILL PROBABLY DRY OUT
AS THE UPPER LOW MOVES SOUTH AND DRY NORTHEAST FLOW DEVELOPS ALOFT.

AS FOR THE WIND...I WILL LIKELY END THE HIGH WIND WARNINGS CURRENTLY
IN EFFECT AS THEY HAVE EASED THIS EVENING. THE NORTHEAST ARCTIC
OUTFLOW WILL PRESENT A NEW POTENTIAL FOR HIGH WIND IN WESTERN
WHATCOM COUNTY...WESTERN SKAGIT COUNTY...AND THE SAN JUAN ISLANDS
SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING. WE HAVE A HIGH WIND WATCH ALREADY
IN EFFECT FOR THAT EPISODE...AND I WILL UPGRADE IT TO A WARNING THIS
EVENING.

[LisaM]

5. There's a few flakes mixed with snow outside my window.....right now....

I'm 39 floors up, downtown.

I, too, hate wind. I remember when the winds a couple years ago were almost a Cat 1 hurricane. I never want to hear that whistling noise again. Made me really appreciate what the Katrina victims endured.

[uppityperson]

10. 7:30 am Mon, 14 degrees. brrrr.

No wind, snow still on trees here, beautiful and cold. Damn. MrUP just reported out water pressure tank is frozen so we only have trickle of water. Heater is out in water house now (we've a well, big storage tank and pressure pump)

[The empressof all]

11. It is pretty nippy out there

I have a sheet of ice under some crunchy remnants of snow in Snohomish County. At least it's dry now.

[uppityperson]

12. At least it isn't raining and turning into thick ice.

[uppityperson]

13. kicking for snow days. How are you all doing?

I got 3 inches, then it decreased to 2, then it snowed again. I made it to work today and barely back home, canceled work tomorrow because it is snowing again and the roads will be icy under that snow. Frozen slush=crappy driving.

It sure is pretty!

[suffragette]

14. At home for the snow day

Right in Seattle, so wasn't sure if we'd get any after yesterday, but coming down steady now.
Just watched a jeep slide sideways down the hill. It was a slow, partly forward slide and they seem to have made it ok, but was wondering if they were going to bop into my apartment building for awhile.

[The empressof all]

15. It's snowing again in Snohomish Co.

I got over two inches last night and I've been seeing steady light snow for the past hour now. I'm not venturing out today.

[pnwmom]

17. How are you doing with your snow? We got nothing yesterday (Wed.) in my

part of Bellevue, but today we must have had 6 inches already, and it's still snowing. I'm just staying inside where it's warm, but my husband had to drive in to Kent to work. Hope you're doing fine!

:hi:

[uppityperson]

19. It has been snowing on and off for days. Looks like you guys just got caught up.

I left, briefly, yesterday and barely made it up our hill. Today I called in snowed in, not sure what I will do tomorrow. While I enjoy being snowed in, am self employed so income dives when it happens.

It is very pretty out. And having snow made us aware that someones were cruising our area yesterday, checking out houses that no one was home at. They were seen at 1 place, but ran/drove away fast.

Now, the chickens aren't happy "where did the ground GO?"

My kid is in Seattle and was moaning about no snow, will have to check in tonight. Hope you stay warm, and don't have to go anywhere early tomorrow after today's snow and slush freezes.

[LisaM]

16. We're open, but it's a ghost town here

Lots of people working from home. It will stop for a second (downtown) but then it starts right back up. I'm supposed to fly out of Sea-Tac tonight at 11:30. I am not looking forward to the trip to the airport.

When I left home at 9:00 a.m., it was ok. Now it's really coming down and has been for almost two hours.

[pnwmom]

18. Good luck with getting to the airport! I'm hoping this gets better before

my daughter flies in on Saturday. . .

[SeattleGirl]

20. I got out yesterday morning; virtually no snow from where I live

to Valley Medical Center, where I had to go meet with some clients.

Then, it started snowing again, and I didn't go into the office Thursday at all.

I'm able to work from home, if necessary, which is good. But I do need to get to my office to pick up some more files. Hopefully, tomorrow will allow me a window to get into the office, pick the files up, and scoot on back home.

Snow is beautiful, but it sucks for driving.

[uppityperson]

21. Reading StlTimes and looks like lots of buses are out, people stranded.

There is a new front coming in late tomorrow (sat) with winds for the hillsides west of cascades, and more snow (esp, at this point) Olympia, Kitsap peninsula areas, but all over some.

It is beautiful but it sucks for driving. I got my car partway down our hill today, only got into 1 soft bushy tree, then parked it. My problem is not just the ice but the hills. I can't afford to lose most of a week's income, but can't afford the deductible on my car or having it in the body shop for a month either.

More cold, winds, snow coming.

[The empressof all]

22. I'm worried about my driveway more than the roads

I need to take the dog to the vet this afternoon. I feel pretty confident I can make it down the driveway but not so sure about getting back up. There's no where to park on my road and I'm on crutches so I won't be able to make it up the driveway even if I'm dropped off there. SO has gotten in and out fine in his Jimmy but I'm not so sure about my 2 wheel drive. We'll see. Worse comes to worse I'll get to a Starbucks and wait for him to rescue me. I'll have the dog with me so he'll get there sooner. :)

[uppityperson]

23. Buses slide into barrier over I-5

A couple of charter buses with more than 50 people aboard slid and crashed into each other on Capitol Hill and crashed into the guardrail on Melrose Street.

(StlTimes story says all the people are off, but this was the best picture I found).

[SeattleGirl]

24. I saw that today, while driving on I-5.

Managed to get out to my office today to pick up some more files, and as I was approaching the Mercer St. exit, the traffic really slowed down. I looked up, and saw the blue bus hanging over the side of the retaining wall. Holy socks, but that was a sight! Sounds like there were only minor injuries, thank goodness, but I couldn't help wondering, what were those two huge vehicles doing on those small streets? (Well, I guess at some point, they had to, to get to where they were going, but sheesh! Scary, scary!).

[uppityperson]

25. here's a link to some more pictures. I don't think the drivers knew what they were doing.

I don't live in Seattle, but have walked that area a fair bit visiting family there (walking to downtown from cap hill, and hitch hiking out of town back when I was young, nimble and naive)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/photogalleries/localnews2008540440/16.html

[SeattleGirl]

26. Unfortunately, on of the main roads off the hill was closed because

of the weather. They were trying to find another way off the hill, but unfortunately, they didn't make a good choice.

I'm just glad no one was killed.

[uppityperson]

27. We have a "blizzard warning" on the Olympic peninsula, very odd.

The snow is pretty but I moved away from blizzards many yrs back. Ah well, keeps me from spending any money. If I had any to spend, that is.

I'm glad they didn't go over and no one was seriously hurt or killed.

[tavalon]

28. The weather channel said this is a going to be a very rare event

called a winter hurricane. I've been through many a hurricane in Florida and Texas but never would I have thought I would go through one in Washington and especially in winter. How bizarre, how bizarre!

[SeattleGirl]

29. That doesn't sound good at all!

I've never even heard of winter hurricanes.

[The empressof all]

30. I'm starting to kind of freak out already

The SO is over at our old house that we are renting out right now. Pipes are frozen. I'm kind of already annoyed that the renter didn't pay enough attention to let the water run a little overnight to prevent this.

I have my heat cranked up here already and it's still cold. My trash from last week still hasn't been picked up and when I was being dragged out of my driveway last night where I got stuck the full cans were knocked over into the ditch.

I just noticed the SO needs to split some wood because the hunks we have are too big for the wood stove.

Last night my little dog snagged a protein bar with some manitol in it so she has the poopies. I don't need to be snowed in with no heat, a poopie dog, bags full of rotten garbage and no useable wood.

This is all on top of the fact that I had a fericken flood in my house a week and a half ago and half my house is now torn up, I lost my bed and all my bedding and we are now sleeping in our front room which use to be the garage and has the worst heat in the house.

The storm hasn't even hit and I'm getting cranky already


Oh and to top it off....I'm suppose to be flying to Florida on Tues. There just better be a plane for me to get on or somebodies gonna hear about it.