THE HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL PREDICTION CENTER

COLLEGE PARK, MD


STORM SUMMARY MESSAGE



STORM SUMMARY NUMBER 03 FOR WESTERN U.S. STORM
NWS HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD
700 AM PST MON DEC 17 2012

...STRONG PACIFIC STORM MOVING ACROSS THE NORTHWESTERN U.S. WITH
RAIN...SNOW AND WIND...      

BLIZZARD WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FOR THE OLYMPICS AS WELL AS THE
CASCADES AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS IN WASHINGTON AND OREGON.

WINTER STORM WATCHES...WARNINGS...AND WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES
ARE IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE AREA OF THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE
NORTHWESTERN STATES...THE SIERRA NEVADA...NORTHERN AND CENTRAL
ROCKIES...AS WELL AS INTO THE GREAT BASIN.

COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT FOR AREAS ALONG THE PUGET
SOUND.

HIGH WIND WATCHES AND WARNINGS AS WELL AS WIND ADVISORIES ARE IN
EFFECT FOR MANY AREAS IN THE NORTHWESTERN STATES...INCLUDING THE
COASTAL REGIONS AND HIGHER ELEVATIONS...PARTS OF NORTHERN
CALIFORNIA AND NORTHERN UTAH...MUCH OF THE NORTHERN ROCKIES INTO
PARTS OF THE HIGH PLAINS...AS WELL AS SOUTHERN NEW MEXICO INTO
WESTERN TEXAS.

FOR A DETAILED GRAPHICAL DEPICTION OF THE LATEST
WATCHES...WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES...PLEASE SEE WWW.WEATHER.GOV

THE CENTER OF A STRONG PACIFIC LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM HAS MOVED
ONSHORE ACROSS VANCOUVER ISLAND IN THE EARLY HOURS THIS MORNING. 
AT 6 AM PST...IT WAS LOCATED IN BRITISH COLUMBIA CANADA NEAR THE
BORDER OF NORTHWESTERN WASHINGTON WITH A CENTRAL PRESSURE OF 984
MB...29.06 INCHES.  NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADARS AND SURFACE
OBSERVATIONS INDICATED A LARGE AREA OF PRECIPITATION MOVING ACROSS
THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST INTO THE INTERMOUNTAIN REGION. IN COASTAL
AREAS...THE PRECIPITATION WAS FALLING AS LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN.
AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS...SNOW WAS FALLING. IN NORTHERN
CALIFORNIA...AREAS OF LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN WERE OBSERVED WITH
SNOW FALLING IN THE NORTHERN SIERRA. HURRICANE FORCE WIND GUSTS AS
HIGH AS 101 MPH WERE REPORTED AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS...NEAR 80 MPH
AT SOME COASTAL LOCATIONS OF WASHINGTON AND OREGON.

...SELECTED STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL IN INCHES FROM 400 AM PST SAT DEC
15 THROUGH 600 AM PST MON DEC 17...

...CALIFORNIA...
SIMS 2 NW                             8.0                    
ALTURAS                               5.0                    

...IDAHO...
BELLEVUE 4 NW                         8.0                    
NAPLES 2 NW                           7.2                    
COLBURN 3 W                           7.0                    
HOLDEN VILLAGE                        7.0                    
LOOKOUT PASS                          6.0                    
NEWMAN LAKE 9 N                       5.0                    
MOSCOW 5 NNE                          4.0                    
VICTOR 2 SW                           4.0                    
GARDEN VALLEY 2.7 NW                  3.9                    

...MONTANA...
HERON 6 NE                            7.5                    
EAST PORTAL 5 NW                      6.0                    
LIBBY 1 ESE                           6.0                    

...OREGON...
SANTIAM PASS                         20.0                    
TIMBERLINE LODGE                     14.0                    
MOUNT HOOD MEADOWS                   12.0                    
HOOD RIVER 5.1 SW                     7.0                    
ELGIN 9.8 N                           5.0                    
PARKDALE 3.5 NE                       4.8                    
BURNS 1 E                             4.0                    

...WASHINGTON...
SURPRISE LAKES                       16.0                    
SWIFT CREEK                          16.0                    
CHIEF JOSEPH DAM                      8.0                    
YAKIMA 5 WSW                          6.2                    
ENTIAT 1 WNW                          6.0                    
LEAVENWORTH 1 S                       6.0                    
NW PLAIN                              6.0                    
SHELTON 28 NNE                        6.0                    
SPOKANE NWS                           4.8                    
PESHASTIN 5.3 SSW                     4.0                    

...SELECTED STORM TOTAL RAINFALL IN INCHES FROM 400 AM PST SAT DEC
15 THROUGH 600 AM PST MON DEC 17...

...OREGON...
DALLAS 0.3 NE                         2.28                    
ASTORIA                               1.54                    
FLORENCE 5.9 NNE                      1.43                    
NEHALEM 4.1 ESE                       1.35                    
BROOKINGS 4.2 ENE                     1.23                    

...WASHINGTON...
ROCHESTER 1.3 NNE                     2.06                    
QUILLAYUTE                            1.47                    
YACOLT 9 N                            1.30                    

...SELECTED PEAK WIND GUSTS IN MILES PER HOUR EARLIER IN THE
EVENT...

...OREGON...
MARYS PEAK                           101                    
MT HEBO                               82                    
LINCOLN CITY                          81                    
PORT ORFORD 5 SE                      78                    
NEWPORT                               76                    
VALLEY FALLS 3 NE                     74                    

...WASHINGTON...
CAPE DISAPPOINTMENT                   84                    
BENTON CITY                           83                    
HOQUIAM                               60                    
SEA-TAC                               59                    


WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE ACROSS THE
PACIFIC NORTHWEST INTO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AND THE INTERMOUNTAIN
REGION TODAY BEFORE THE STORM MOVES FARTHER INLAND AND WEAKENS. 
THE LOWER ELEVATIONS SHOULD RECEIVE UP TO AN ADDITIONAL INCH OF
RAIN. AT THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS...HEAVY SNOW ACROSS THE CASCADES
AND THE INTERMOUNTAIN STATES WILL BEGIN TO TAPER OFF BY EARLY
TUESDAY.  AN ADDITIONAL 1 TO 2 FEET OF SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE
THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

THE NEXT STORM SUMMARY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL
PREDICTION CENTER AT 100 PM PST. PLEASE REFER TO YOUR LOCAL
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS
EVENT.

KONG




Last Updated: 1014 AM EST MON DEC 17 2012