More proof of global warming climate change global climate disruption has been seen with this latest snowstorm in Seattle.
Readers may recall this story from 2008 from where the mayor even refused to bring out salting/snowplowing for fear of environmental damage to Puget Sound.
Two feet of snow has never before been seen in Seattle, it dwarfs the SUV in the photo.
Photo by: Jackie Nichols Gladish of FEMA
Gotcha! Consider this a Friday Funny bonus extra.
h/t to Glenda Barker, the Good Witch of the North
Yes! I knew it was serious. there has been a huge coverup that will require emergency grants from the federal government to get to the bottom of this. The science must be put on a firm foundation before we can take strides to walk the people of the world forward into a new baseline of understanding.
For Gods sake isnt it time you meteorologists pounced on this one and got the AMS to change its statement on AGW? Here is your chance
http://ametsoc.org/policy/draftstatements/index.html#writing
Don’t be too quick to rush to judgement – we get a lot of snow here in Seattle and it has been well documented in this dramatic trailer.
I’m serial.
Maybe these are the feet used to measure the anticipated sea level rise…
Seattle snow is wet and heavy. Also, since it is not always an annual occurrence, people are not prepared for it. This round we had freezing rain hit following the heavy snow, something that has not happened since 1997. So lots of limb/power-line interactions.
Oh yeah, and way to many Californians immigrants that are often clueless…
Fond memories of Bus Sliding sideways down Captiol hill heading for my rental car…
Something is missing, but I can’t put my finger on it. Maybe it’s Gore’s Chakra.
Just the PDO working:
http://jisao.washington.edu/pdo/
LOL — got me
I was having a conversation last night with my, otherwise, intelligent wife about the new iBooks Author application and its logical use for viral marketing. During the conversation, she pointed out that Coke was saving the Polar Bears with their campaign. I know — Anthony had fun with this a while back. But it occurred to me — what are they using the money for?
Are they air lifting cargo bays of seals to drop on Polar Bear grounds, hiring Navy Seals to drop into semi-frozen waters to help them swim to shore (good luck with that one), …
http://youtu.be/4yP9goLLXHU
Andrew says:
Seattle snow is wet and heavy.
Rotten snow attracts polar bears. Be afraid.
I am south of Seattle, so I am not worried…the polar bears will encounter Hershel the Sea Lion and his friends at the Ballard Locks first…and you thought the WTO riots in Seattle were bad…
I wanted to humiliate America for being impressed by modest two feet of snow – and even those turned out to be unreal.
Across Romania, they have 10 feet of snow:
http://blogs.voanews.com/breaking-news/2012/01/26/romania-is-digging-out-from-a-blizzard/
I was wondering about the “two feet” comment – seeing as how I work up here – until I made the jump. Nice.
The storm came in a little south of prediction, so Seattle got lucky. South Sound area got 12 – 21 inches. I know because I drove up thru it on Weds and two days later was back down there trying to get service back up to people. Some folks were without power for 8 days.
Who knew Bigfoot lived in Seattle…
That is not Bigfoot, that is probably the Fremont Troll’s little brother or something.
Bigfoot does live around Seattle…but further south and east. The problem is…”Bigfoot is blurry”…and I can prove it, all based on the research done by Mitch Hedberg…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjO63r0HhjI
Just for the record, not to challange the point of the post, but the actual city of Seattle (the downtown area, where the space needle is, the sports stadiums, etc) received a lot less then that, probably about 3-4 inches. SeaTac airport, well south of Seattle and north of Tacoma, had about 7 inches. Points to the south of that, such as Olympia, the state capitol and other towns, had quite a bit more. The reason why some got more then the city of Seattle was simply where the moisture was. Had the moisture been just a bit further north, Seattle would have had a lot more snow.
One of the reasons why there is a new mayor in Seattle is the way they mishandled the 2008 event, which outraged many in the city and why they do now use salt and other chemicals.
How Cordillaran.
Remember weather in NOT climate, except when it can be used to “Prove” Global Warming!!!! 😉
Two feet of snow from two yards of snow.
Ha Ha! I needed a good laugh!
Two feet or more of snow has occurred in Seattle. I recall the winter of 1949 during which we had about three feet on the ground for about one month. I know because I am 81 and lived in the Seattle area all of my life except for a two year all expense paid trip to Germany in 1953-55 courtesy of the US Army and tree years on the East coast during WWII. I am a life long skier and pay close attention to winter weather conditions.
@Paddy
The ’85 Apple Cup was an icy affair as I recall…and the winds were sure howling in Bellingham in 1989…every school in the state was closed, except Western Washington U…windchill way below zero, emergency diesel generator trying to warm the dorm…and we had class. I wore my ski clothes to class!
We don’t get it often, but it can be bad. What we call hills are called mountains east of the Mississippi, lol.
Impressive feet.
Couldn’t build that here in Buffalo, where we’ve had a grand total of 18.8″ for the entire season to date … 40″ below normal. Ground is bare and Lake Erie is ice-free and winter festivals have been cancelled for lack of snow and ice. Let’s see if we get hit with 2 feet of snow on Easter…
Nice feet.
They look a bit like mine looked a year or so ago, when I removed my boots after a walk with the dog, through two actual feet of snow. The dog was not happy – but who would be, walking in snow up to their belly …
You want a more serious story, the Swiss Avalanche Service http://www.slf.ch reported that on 25th January 2012, the snow on top of the Weissfluhjoch mountain was the deepest on any 25/1 day since records began in 1936. The snow depth in the town of Davos below was 2cm below the 1951 record also.
Western Europe has been mild and wet this year, which means the Alps have a load of snow on them but the lower valleys are snow free.
Back in the late 1970s, as I remember it, we lived in Terre Haute, Indiana. After several mild winters, the mayor of the city sold all the snow removal equipment. Of course, that next winter was a doozy, with several huge storms and bitter cold. State police closed the Interstates and arrested anyone who tried to drive on them. The city was paralyzed. People reportedly mobbed a city council meeting at which the mayor spoke. The question came, “You sold all the snow removal equipment! What are you going to do about all this snow?” The mayor loftily replied, “In His infinite wisdom, God has sent the snow. In His own good time, He will take it away.” The mayor was retired by the voters at the next election.
He later did my taxes. It was one of only two years in my life I have ever been audited.
dp says:
January 27, 2012 at 10:20 am
I’m serial.
———————-
Don’t you mean you’re theoryous?
It’s the two greatest feet of snow I’ve ever seen. Wish there were more artistic people doing stuff like that, kind of brightens the local.
Andrew says:
. This round we had freezing rain hit following the heavy snow, something that has not happened since 1997.
. . . . .
huh? where were you in 2008? We had a nice layer of “freezing” rain then too.
@ked5
Very true, that was a good one, but I had WAY more tree damage in ’97. Also, as you are no doubt aware, with our topography, mountains islands and Puget Sound, we can have radically different conditions within a few miles. My reality 97 was worse that 08.
Heck, last year on the Kitsap Peninsula I was without power for 10 days, and the power surge fried the pump in the well so no water for another 5. But that was mostly wind damage, lol.
“They” will have no trouble explaining it: I can see the headlines right now;
‘Global warming causes Global Cooling!”
(Based on the marketing principle that you can sell anything if you say it convincingly and often).
On North Whidbey we ended up with about 8-9 inches once all was said and done. That’s about 70 miles north of Seattle, for those who are unfamiliar.
Call the toe truck
@tchannon
….ummm…did you know what you were actually saying? lol
Google wait, this is Seattle….BING…Seattle Toe Truck and look at the images!
https://www.google.com/search?q=toe+truck+seattle&hl=en&safe=off&rlz=1C1TSNF_enUS442US442&prmd=imvns&source=lnms&tbm=isch&ei=C3IjT826I-eUiAKsycWHCA&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=2&ved=0CCUQ_AUoAQ&biw=1366&bih=667
Andrew says:
I had WAY more tree damage in ’97. Also, as you are no doubt aware, with our topography, mountains islands and Puget Sound, we can have radically different conditions within a few miles. My reality 97 was worse that 08.
. . . .
we were snowed in in for nearly a week in 2008 with 22 inches of snow, so this storm was “what’s the fuss about?”. It boggled the mind. I think i’d have to go back to 1968 to get near that amount here. The previous “record” here was 14″ (possibly that ’97 storm), and we’ve been in this house nearly 30 years. I’m on a steep hill, and the only way off to a main street is up and over. We parked one car at the top of the hill, before the snow hit. four-wheel drive with chains weren’t going up. The city DOT tried to plow our hill twice, but by the time they made it out, it was solid ice and they didn’t even make a dent.
My husband drove all the way from Bellevue to Sea-tac on 405 on a saturday night – with CHAINS. (dh has lots of snow driving experience from before he moved here and doesn’t generally bother with chains.). It hadn’t been plowed, and it was still coming down. Cars were few and far between. I was checking traffic cams the entire way.
We lost power for a couple hours the saturday before the storm arrived. It was calm, and sunny.
I personally think the “feet” are about the size of the troll’s baby nephew’s feet. love that troll.
ROFL!!! Yep, you got me! There I was, thinking, ‘how could 2 feet of snow possibly dwarf an SUV, unless they’re meaning drifts…’ Clicked thru, and got a good laugh! Those are about the best 2 feet of snow I’ve seen also. :0)
At one time the entire puget sound was under thousands of feet of snow – in fact that is what made the puget sound.
@noaaprogrammer…so has the sea level risen or fallen in the Seattle area since then? ( this was a Friday Funny bonus thread so I am in full ‘thread hog’ sarcastic mode tonight…)
Doesn’t Washington have the deepest canyon in North America…from the top of Bonanza Peak to the bottom of Lake Chelan…over 10,000 feet…500 feet below sea level…deeper than Puget Sound…I think.
Its a strange place, lol.
Groan, 10/10 Anthony 🙂 (That has to be criminally bad punning as well).
Willis – the Healy is a cripple:
http://www.alaskadispatch.com/article/build-new-icebreakers-or-repair-aging-fleet
I’m pretty slow. I was half way down the replies before I caught on to the pun.
John T says:
January 27, 2012 at 11:37 am
Who knew Bigfoot lived in Seattle…
———————————
John, I believe this might be his older cousin “Big Feet” not the younger “Bigfoot”
Rhys Jaggar says:
January 27, 2012 at 1:14 pm
Western Europe has been mild and wet this year, which means the Alps have a load of snow on them but the lower valleys are snow free.
Ahhhhhhhhh February will take revenge now you have said that! I was enjoying the mild winter.
They got two feet of snow in Seattle
The alarmists are losing the battle.
“It is only weather”
It’s cold, warm, whatever.
Please move on, there’s no science to settle.
RE: Main Article
“Readers may recall this story from 2008 from where the mayor even refused to bring out salting/snowplowing for fear of environmental damage to Puget Sound.”
I seem to recall that sand was usually used in place of salt in the Seattle area. A vehicle with under-body salt-corrosion damage was usually associated with an East-Coast origin.
Modeled Return of warm air to Puget Sound; 17-20 Jan 2012
http://www.atmos.washington.edu/~ovens/loops/wxloop.cgi?mm5d1_slp+2012011712//84/3
Oops – wrong thread RE the Healey icebreaker.
I live in Shoreline, two miles north of the Seattle city limits.
6″. Yawn.
Spector says:
January 28, 2012 at 8:31 am
RE: Main Article
“Readers may recall this story from 2008 from where the mayor even refused to bring out salting/snowplowing for fear of environmental damage to Puget Sound.”
I seem to recall that sand was usually used in place of salt in the Seattle area. A vehicle with under-body salt-corrosion damage was usually associated with an East-Coast origin.
I don’t live in Seattle, but close enough, I seem to recall the Major’s excuse for not using salt had to do with fears of the salt getting into Puget Sound (its pretty salty already, btw)…and some of the nearby lakes…THAT ARE HUGE and being flushed with tons of fresh snow melt from the Cascades…
Also, most cars around here do not have the undercoating that cars in the east.
Here’s how Seattle drivers handled their actual two inches of snow:
h/t my sister Carla who lives on Vashon
Well, weather varies and eventually varies to some extreme.
Victoria BC, not far from Seattle, had two feet of snow in December 1996, and it stayed for several days.
Cause was warm moist air from the direction of Hawaii meeting cold air from the north.
So right in the middle of the second warmest decade in the history of accurate temperature records Victoria had its worst _weather_ in half a century or more.
This January, Victoria was only on the edge of a weather system that hit Seattle hard.