Cascades hit with burst of heavy snow
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SEATTLE (AP) - Heavy snow in the Cascades is common this time of year, but forecasters were surprised by sudden, heavy bursts of snow.
Six inches of snow fell between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Thursday at Snoqualmie Pass and 8 inches fell between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at Stevens Pass.
That made driving through the highway passes tough.
"Snow plows can't keep up with that," said meteorologist Andy Haner in the Seattle National Weather Service office.
Twenty-four hour totals ending at 5 a.m. Friday were 14 inches at Snoqualmie Pass, 21 inches at Stevens Pass and Mount Baker, and 18 inches at Paradise on Mount Rainier.
Total snowfall so far this year at Mount Baker is 102 inches, Haner said.
Snow also fell Friday in the eastern third of the state, including Spokane. But a "rain shadow" kept the Columbia Basin, including Moses Lake, in the clear.
The snow should taper off for a drier weekend across Washington, Haner said Friday. More rain and mountain snow are forecast to move in to Western Washington Sunday afternoon and spread east by evening.
The heavy snow Thursday afternoon closed eastbound lanes of Interstate 90 at Snoqualmie Pass for a time. Chains were required for a spell Friday morning, even on four-wheel drive cars, on the state's main east-west highway. The Transportation Department changed that to a traction tire advisory for Snoqualmie Pass, as well as for Stephens and White passes. Big rigs still had to chain up, and oversize loads were prohibited until the roadways cleared.
The snow is good news to skiers and snowboarders and Cascade ski resorts.
The White Pass ski resort opened Friday. Stevens, Mount Baker and Crystal Mountain were already open but waiting for fresh snow. The most convenient resort to Seattle, the Summit at Snoqualmie, said that Summit West would open this weekend.
Six inches of snow fell between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Thursday at Snoqualmie Pass and 8 inches fell between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at Stevens Pass.
That made driving through the highway passes tough.
"Snow plows can't keep up with that," said meteorologist Andy Haner in the Seattle National Weather Service office.
Twenty-four hour totals ending at 5 a.m. Friday were 14 inches at Snoqualmie Pass, 21 inches at Stevens Pass and Mount Baker, and 18 inches at Paradise on Mount Rainier.
Total snowfall so far this year at Mount Baker is 102 inches, Haner said.
Snow also fell Friday in the eastern third of the state, including Spokane. But a "rain shadow" kept the Columbia Basin, including Moses Lake, in the clear.
The snow should taper off for a drier weekend across Washington, Haner said Friday. More rain and mountain snow are forecast to move in to Western Washington Sunday afternoon and spread east by evening.
The heavy snow Thursday afternoon closed eastbound lanes of Interstate 90 at Snoqualmie Pass for a time. Chains were required for a spell Friday morning, even on four-wheel drive cars, on the state's main east-west highway. The Transportation Department changed that to a traction tire advisory for Snoqualmie Pass, as well as for Stephens and White passes. Big rigs still had to chain up, and oversize loads were prohibited until the roadways cleared.
The snow is good news to skiers and snowboarders and Cascade ski resorts.
The White Pass ski resort opened Friday. Stevens, Mount Baker and Crystal Mountain were already open but waiting for fresh snow. The most convenient resort to Seattle, the Summit at Snoqualmie, said that Summit West would open this weekend.
Yep, looks like good ol' Snocrummy Pass. What an uninspiring ski area. But hey, love the snow!!
I like how this makes headlines when it's just another normal occurrence up in the mountains.
I love that one of the if not the snowiest areas in the continental United States is within an hour drive of my house. I wonder how much snow the Washington Cascades get compared to other snowy areas across the world. I think I read that Mt. Baker had the snowiest year on record for anywhere in the world (1998-1999). Although I hear there are areas in Alaska that probably receive more, but lack good recording equipment. With all this snow, I wonder if Washington might ever be considered for the Winter Olympics...Wink wink nudge nudge.
Expect to see Danger Jim Foreman and the Yellow Jackets up at Snoqualmie Pass reporting from StormKing on the "Storm 2012". This is serious, cause it never snows at the top of Snoqualmie Pass.
@northwestsurfer I want to see Danger Jim doing a report from up there and see a snow plow just blanket him with snow. He'd probably dig himself out and keep talking without missing a beat!
Legend has it that Foreman was embedded with a combat infantry unit in Afghanistan and was shot 5 times by 7.62mm ammo from the Taliban. He picked himself up and kept reporting; refusing medical attention until after his segment. At this time, he cussed out the medic who tried to treat him for interrupting his report. Danger Jim Foreman is not someone I would want to upset.
@northwestsurfer Danger Jim Foreman is a legend!
 @northwestsurfer I think it will be more dramatic than that. Perhaps "Snopocalypse 2012! Doomstorm!"
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Gotta love the YellowJackets.