Northwest Winter Weather 12-13

[greenkat]

Hit by a sudden hailstorm here in Central Seattle... And now it's sunny... Jeez! This never happens here in October! Hail a 1/4 inch wide...

[greenkat]

Hit by another round of hail/graupel from 5:58-6:03PM with 1/6-1/4 inch hail. If it seems like I'm freaking out more than I should, it's probably because I am. This kind of thing only happens about 3 or 2 times a year here, and that's in the winter months. So I think I have a good excuse to freak out.

[NoCalGal]

Here in far No. California, we were "supposed" to be having a bad bad 3/4 day storm. What a bust!!! Got alot of wind and a bit of rain, but nothing like projected.
So much hype make people not pay much attention next time.

[ravyrn]

Bumping this thread. I'll be traveling to Vancouver Island on the 7th and staying til the 18th. I was raised in Louisiana and have been living in Texas for the past couple years. So I'm hoping to see some snow up that way while I'm visiting. However, I'm having a hard time reading the models for island because elevation changes and moderation by sea are two areas I'm fairly unfamiliar with reading the models pertaining to the white stuff. Can anyone more seasoned/educated please give me a run down of what to expect? I'll mostly be in Victoria, with a 4 day stay a little up island @ Lake Cowichan. Thank you.

EDIT: Looking at the GFS and EURO, it seems temps hover right above and below freezing for the most part. This is a mountainous island so I'm not exactly sure which map I should be looking at on the models. Looks like I may get a couple of shots @ snow while in Cowichan, but none in Victoria. Does this assessment of the models seem accurate? Any advice, insight, evaluation would be greatly appreciated.

[SaskatchewanScreamer]

NOT a weather expert here but as a Canadian I can tell you that snow falling in Victoria is a very rare event. Head to the hills if you want to see the white stuff.

[vbhoutex]

I have not looked at the models yet, but SS is right concerning Victoria and snow since it is right on the water. If I see something in the models I will post back.

edit: It looks like at least one very wet period during your stay(not surprising) with basically normal temps for that area which pretty much supports "head for the hills" if you want snow.

[ravyrn]

Thanks guys! Much appreciated! I'm not getting my hopes up too high, but if worse comes to worse, I'll visit Mt. Washington in the center portion of the island. I believe its about 3,000 ft @ at its base and 5,000 ft @ its peak. If worse comes to worse, I'll stop by there for an afternoon to get my snow fix I have never been snowboarding or skiing, so I'll just go tubing for the day lol. Tubing can't be that hard

[ravyrn]

NOT a weather expert here but as a Canadian I can tell you that snow falling in Victoria is a very rare event. Head to the hills if you want to see the white stuff.

Yeah I reckon I might! Luckily my girlfriend is an islander so she knows where to take me to see the white stuff. If you don't mind though, you could turn one fan to your west. I'm sure my friends and neighbors in Texas won't mind. Looks like they've got plenty headed their way already

[Ntxw]

Yeah, I suspect it's not much different than Seattle. Cloudy and drizzly, I will say keep an eye on the cold blast effecting North America by then. The -PNA can sometimes deliver snow even to sea level in the Pacific NW

[ravyrn]

Some beautiful photos taken around Lake Cowichan, Vancouver Island, BC.









I'll try to post some more pics later of higher quality. Just doing whats quick and easy at the moment from my cellphone. Forgot my cord for the camera.

[Ntxw]

Great photos, keep em coming! I've always wanted to visit that part of the world, been as close as Oregon. Skiing at Whistler would be something...

[ravyrn]

Went snowshoeing yesterday morning. Here's the pics.