Weather notices intended to assist travelers
Traveling during the holidays? Pay attention to the advisories and warnings.
Since our weather patterns have become more active since the first week of November, we have seen various types of advisories and warnings.
During the winter, we typically see statements, such as a winter weather advisory, a winter storm watch, or a winter storm warning. There have been rare occasions when a blizzard warning has been provided by the National Weather Service.
On Dec. 15, a strong storm brought high-wind warnings to the Spokane, Spokane Valley and Coeur d’Alene area.
A blizzard warning is more common in the mountains, but at lower elevations, that type of warning is issued about two or three times a decade. Travel should not be attempted during these conditions, as visibilities are predicted to drop to a quarter-mile or less and winds are forecast to exceed 35 mph on a sustained basis.
Sometimes, a blizzard warning is in effect even after the snow has stopped, because wind can lead to extremely hazardous white-out conditions, especially in the passes.
A blizzard warning typically follows a winter storm watch. Such a statement is issued when major storms in our region are expected to include heavy snows, heavy sleet and significant freezing rain within 12 to 36 hours.
When we or other areas are experiencing this type of severe weather, the watch is usually upgraded to a winter storm warning.
A winter weather advisory is much more common in the Inland Northwest. This is issued when a combination of various weather hazards may affect travel, particularly mixed precipitation such as freezing rain, sleet, snow or a combination of all three dangerous conditions.
A winter weather advisory often will be upgraded to a winter storm warning or even a blizzard warning if expected snowfall amounts may exceed 4 inches in a 12-hour period. For that same warning in the mountains, however, expected snowfall must exceed 8 inches in 12 hours.
On Dec. 15, the Inland Northwest was hit by a major storm that brought severe winds of hurricane force in some areas. A high-wind warning was issued.
That particular warning means that sustained winds of 40 mph with gusts over 60 mph are occurring or are very likely.
About 1 a.m. on that stormy Friday, the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport clocked a record wind gust of 69 mph, breaking the record of 65 mph in 1993. In Spokane, gusts were as high as 56 mph.
Coeur d’Alene had a peak wind of 57 mph.
In the Spokane Valley, an incredible 73 mph gust was reported.
The highest gusts reported to our weather offices included; 135 mph at the Mission Ridge Ski Resort southwest of Wenatchee. Lincoln City, Ore., which sustained massive amounts of property damage, felt a 110 mph gust early Thursday evening as the potent storm system pushed onto the Northwest coastline. ‘
Westport, Wash., also on the coast, gauged a 90 mph gust and record sustained winds of 60 mph.
Between now and New Year’s Day, I look for additional moisture across the Inland Northwest. Because of the warm El Nino in the south-central Pacific Ocean, we’ll see periods of rain along with some snow, especially at the lower elevations.
I still believe that January will become both our snowiest and coldest month of the winter.
February should turn dry again, as it’s been for the past several years. Only scattered, quickly melting snows will fall across the area lowlands in March and early April.
Then I see another in a long series of very wet and cool spring seasons.