More Northwest nastiness expected
Snow lingers as Alaska, Hawaii see odd patterns
SEATTLE — Schools closed across Washington state and the Legislature canceled all hearings Monday as a large weather system wreaked havoc in the Pacific Northwest and even brought snow to Hawaii.
Seattle’s metro area had already been hit by three snowstorms this month, and the National Weather Service reports that Seattle-tacoma International Airport has received 14 inches of snow in February, more than twice the annual average.
The storm that hit Seattle on Sunday dumped up to 4 inches of snow, and forecasters said more snow or rain was expected Monday and Tuesday as a lingering jet stream drives cold arctic air into the normally temperate region.
As far away as Northern California, Humboldt County beaches that have not had snow in more than 15 years received a dusting, and blizzard conditions caused whiteouts on mountain roads.
In Seattle, the snow’s effects were amplified by a stretch of low temperatures.
“You’ve got storm after storm sliding down the sweet spot to produce low-level snow,” said Kirby Cook, a meteorologist at Seattle’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration office.
When snow falls in the area, normally enough warm air is drawn from over the Pacific to melt it, but the steady stream of cold air has kept normally mild western Washington colder than normal — and let the snow build up.
Joe Zagrodnik, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Washington, said the position of a cold jet stream was also driving warm conditions in Alaska and unusual weather in Hawaii.
With a north-south ridge of high pressure off the coast of Washington and Canada, Zagrodnik said, cold air being drawn south inland is being replaced by warm air moving north offshore, driving temperatures up in parts of Alaska.
And a chunk of cold, low-pressure air separated from the main flow is also drifting farther west. Known as a Kona Low, the system caused unusual snow on Maui.
Hawaii officials said the blanket of snow at Polipoli Spring State Recreation Area is likely the first for any state park. Polipoli is at 6,200 feet and is possibly the lowest-elevation snow recorded in the state.