While today’s snowfall was definitely less than originally predicted–the 6.8″ of snow measured at SeaTac Airport today fell short of the eight-plus inches recorded downtown in December 1996–it was more than enough to allow Seattleites to claim bragging rights over their East Coast brethren in one important category: winter 2011-2012 snowfall.
That’s because, as of 5 p.m. today, Seattle has officially received more snowfall than Boston and New York combined this winter! That’s right, the Emerald City–constantly mocked by East Coasters whenever the topic of snow is broached–has seen 9.3″ of snow this winter, more than Boston (2.9″) and New York (2.9)” together.
 |
| Snow-packed roads in Issaquah on Wednesday |
Our chance to get another leg up on Beantown and NYC, snow-wise, is pretty much over for now, as only light flurries and/or freezing drizzle are expected through the evening hours. Temperatures will fall into the upper 20s tonight as this morning’s snowmaker shifts east of us, leading to the potential for some very icy roads tomorrow morning. Northerly winds will also pick up, especially closer to Puget Sound and north of Seattle, as arctic air from the Fraser River Valley continues to filter in to the region.
Tomorrow, a warm front will swing by to our south, tossing up some light rain showers from Olympia to Portland. It’s doubtful that the metro area will see much moisture from this front, as the best dynamics will stay well to the south, but any moisture that does make it this far north will be in the form of snow or a rain/snow mix. Accumulations, in a best-case scenario, would be less than an inch for Seattle–think of it as icing on the cake after this morning’s storm.
As we get into Friday, temperatures will be on the upswing, as a much warmer (and wetter) system traverses the metro area. By Friday afternoon, temperatures will be in the mid 40s amidst a steady rain, in addition to some breezy winds. Any existing snow from this week’s storm will be all but gone by Saturday–vanquished to the record books, where the score remains the same: Seattle 9.3, Boston 2.9, New York 2.9.
