November 24, 2020

Forecast: November 24th, 2020

By Calen Randall

Hey Huskies,

Stop me if you have heard this before, but another cold front is about to roll through the region. It comes as no surprise that during our rainiest month, the gaps between weather systems grows shorter. Just yesterday morning a cold front added another third of an inch of precipitation to the UW campus rain totals and another third of an inch is expected tonight. Snoqualmie Pass is likely to see another six inches of snow overnight.

While today’s cold front will be stronger than Monday morning’s, do not expect this system to be as powerful as the front that brought 50 mph winds to the Puget Sound last Tuesday. Wind speeds are currently topping out in the teens and are expected to peak in the 20-30 mph range this afternoon. Highs around 50 are forecast, with seasonal overnight temperatures of around 40.

After strong cold fronts pass through the region, the atmosphere tends to be quite unstable. The atmosphere is expected to be unstable enough that there is a chance of thunderstorms tonight. Hail and local downpours are likely if those thunderstorms materialize.

The atmosphere will soon swap the stormy cold fronts for calm clear weather. A ridge of high pressure is forecast to enter the area tomorrow night and should stick around through Thanksgiving and into Friday. After potential rain on Friday night, the forecast looks clear and dry for the rest of the weekend.

Some might find the clouds and rain gloomy, but one creature in particular loves our frequent November cold fronts and rains: salmon! Every fall, Chinook, Pink, Coho, Chum, and Sockeye alike, make a final journey from the ocean to their birthplace streams to spawn. The persistent precipitation fills our rivers and streams just enough for the salmon to fight their way up the spawning creeks, and the wind storms blow down branches and trees that provide shelter for the salmon to rest as they navigate up the rocky creeks. It is quite amazing how our pacific northwestern flora and fauna are so in tune with our weather! If you are looking for something to do this holiday weekend, go check out King County’s 2020 Salmon SEEson for places to watch the spawning salmon in the flowing creeks and streams of our Cascade foothills!

Enjoy the holiday weekend!

 

Reach forecaster Calen Randall at theuwdawgcast@uw.edu. 

FORECAST TONIGHT	12-HR PRECIPITATION EXPECTED