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Monday, January 27, 2014

FINALLY - Showers End Stale Pattern


 SHOWERS!  Rain starts Tuesday, Snow by Friday

TODAY: Morning clouds, afternoon sun, light NW wind, afternoon warmest temperature mid 30s.
TONIGHT: Partly cloudy, light easterly wind, lowest temperature mid 20s.
TUESDAY: Mostly cloudy with llight rain showers beginning late day (about 4pm). high temp near 40 degrees.
TUESDAY NIGHT: Rainy  - barely .02 inches total rainfall expected before midnight.  SE wind 5-10mph, low temp mid 30s.
WEDNESDAY: Rainy - ¼” to ⅓” total rainfall expected.  West wind to 15mph, Morning low temp mid 30s. Afternoon high temp mid 40s.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Light rain or drizzle.
THURSDAY: Mostly cloudy with light rain totalling about 1/10”.
THURSDAY NIGHT: light snow overnight as temps dip below freezing (near 30 degrees).
FRIDAY: Chilly start with about ¼ inches of snow. Becoming Mostly cloudy with highs near 40 degrees.
SATURDAY: Partly sunny. Morning low upper 20s, afternoon high near 40.
SUNDAY: Partly sunny. Morning lows near 30, afternoon high upper 30s.

This Morning's Weather Map...

national weather service spokane - graphical forecast
click link below to access afternoon, tonight, tomorrow weather forecast
http://graphical.weather.gov/sectors/otx.php

Just Cool...Fog Lid Over Pac NorthWest - as seen from space

How long can this stagnant weather go on?

Inland Northwest Weather Blog

By now, most of you may be getting tired of our boring, foggy weather.  On the positive side, you haven't had to shovel any snow, and the roads have been in decent shape, except for some occasional icy spots from freezing drizzle.  But the gray skies do tend to wear on some folks.  Here's what it looks like from space.

 The Columbia Basin is bordered by the Cascades to the west, the Selkirks to the north, the Panhandle mountains to the east, and the central-Oregon mountains to the south.    A perfect bowl.  Note in the above picture of the western US, the Central Valley of California also provides a nice elongated topographic bowl.

Second, you need moisture in order to form fog.  And while we have been very dry, we still have had weather systems providing some moisture.  Coupled with the cold nights, and you get fog and stratus to form.  The Central Valley of California has been so dry this winter, they can't even produce fog! 

The third ingredient is a lid to put on the bowl of fog, to prevent it from going anywhere.  This is provided by the ridge of high pressure.  High pressure results in sinking air.  Sinking air warms. So while at the surface we're stuck in cold, sub-freezing temperatures, the air above us is much warmer.  Locations in the mountains as high as 5000-6500'' have been reaching the mid-40s each day.   The high pressure also keeps storms away from our area.  Storms mean wind, and wind mixes the air which dissipates fog.
for ful article: inlandnorthwestweather.blogspot.com

Rain/Snow Tuesday Night

natonal weather service spokane
A midweek storm system will finally bring a taste of winter to portions of the region. Snow, rain and freezing rain will likely all be on display around the Inland NW. Location will be the biggest factor as to what form of precipitation you will see. Snow is expected for areas north of a line from Deary to Sprague to Wilbur. Freezing rain will be possible for portions of the Columbia Basin along with rain and snow. Rain with periods of snow is possible for the Palouse while the LC Valley is expected to see all rain. The heaviest of the precipitation with this system is expected to occur Tuesday Night. More details will come on this system as we get closer to the event.  http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/FXC/wxstory.php

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