Published: Monday, October 25, 2010
A wet winter brewing
La Nina — and the law of averages — indicate rough weather is overdue
It's going to be a cold, wet winter in Western Washington.
This is a La Nina year, meaning the surface temperatures in Pacific waters are cooler than normal. That makes for colder air on land, said Mike McFarland, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Seattle.
This area is long overdue for a “great winter,” he said, but La Nina and El Nino years don't usually see the same extremes as “neutral” years. He warns people in the lowlands not to get too excited by the hype.
“It's all completely unpredictable,” he said, “but the odds are tilted in favor of a little more wintry weather than we normally get.”
McFarland isn't promising big storms, but they're certainly possible, he said.
The most important thing this winter is safe traveling in the mountains, he said. He recommends checking tires and packing extra warm clothes for each trip.
“If you're going to cross the passes, you should be prepared for it,” he said. “It will be a whole different ballgame this winter.”
This La Nina should get more interesting after the first few cold fronts, starting this week, he said. He recommends keeping extra sleeping bags and fresh water stored in the house.
“This isn't a little wimpy La Nina,” he said.
Outside the floodplains, the main concerns are snowy, icy roads and falling trees, said Tod Gates, an assistant fire chief in Lynnwood and a manager at a local emergency operations center.
Gates recommends making sure your workplace or school is open before leaving the house. He sees too many people leave a safe, warm haven at home only to end up stranded in the cold.
He urges people to stay home during and after storms.
“If people don't have to drive somewhere, they need to stay off the roads,” he said.
He also asks people to be patient with snow removal, as the plows have to clear critical roads near hospitals and schools before neighborhoods.
Around the county, people need to know which agency in their town will have the best winter information — and pay attention, he said.
Several regional agencies have set up the “Take Winter By Storm” campaign to remind people to make emergency preparedness plans. For everything you'll need, visit www.govlink.org/storm.
While making your plan, don't forget your animals.
Greta Cook is vice president and cofounder of the Washington State Animal Response Team, an Enumclaw-based nonprofit that responds to animal emergencies all over the state.
They definitely are expecting some flood calls in Snohomish County this year, Cook said.
In case of a flood, animal owners need to have a plan for two scenarios: evacuating or sheltering at home. A good plan will cover two weeks of feed and water either way, she said.
Make sure animals have experience loading up, and know which animals you want if time is short. Communicate with neighbors early in the season so everyone can help one another, she said.
Along with a family emergency kit, keep an additional waterproof emergency bag for your animals, including copies of identification and vaccination records. Keep emergency veterinarian and boarding contacts on your regular emergency contacts sheet.
Lastly, she warns people to make sure the whole family knows the emergency plan. Too often, people are clueless if their plan-maker — usually Mom — isn't around when trouble hits.
Major flooding aside, for the most part, and, people will be fine if they keep extra food and water around, and stay off the roads during rough weather, Gates said,.
“If you're ready for one storm, you're ready for all the storms,” he said.
Winter driving tips
Leave extra time for trips that may include lousy weather.
Remember, posted speed limits are for dry, sunny conditions.
Leave more room as stopping times and distances can increase drastically on wet roads.
Don't trust the weather at home for trips over the mountains. Check pass conditions before leaving home — and before returning home.
Keep some basics in the car in case you get stuck. You'll want warm clothes, including gloves, a window scraper, a small shovel, jumper cables, a tow chain and a bag of sand or cat litter. Also, road flares, blankets, boots and a flashlight with batteries.
Heavier vehicles take longer to stop, so don't be overconfident in a 4x4.
Don't use cruise control in bad weather.
Studded tires are allowed between Nov. 1 and April 1.
Source: Washington State Patrol
Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com
This is a La Nina year, meaning the surface temperatures in Pacific waters are cooler than normal. That makes for colder air on land, said Mike McFarland, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Seattle.
This area is long overdue for a “great winter,” he said, but La Nina and El Nino years don't usually see the same extremes as “neutral” years. He warns people in the lowlands not to get too excited by the hype.
“It's all completely unpredictable,” he said, “but the odds are tilted in favor of a little more wintry weather than we normally get.”
McFarland isn't promising big storms, but they're certainly possible, he said.
The most important thing this winter is safe traveling in the mountains, he said. He recommends checking tires and packing extra warm clothes for each trip.
“If you're going to cross the passes, you should be prepared for it,” he said. “It will be a whole different ballgame this winter.”
This La Nina should get more interesting after the first few cold fronts, starting this week, he said. He recommends keeping extra sleeping bags and fresh water stored in the house.
“This isn't a little wimpy La Nina,” he said.
Outside the floodplains, the main concerns are snowy, icy roads and falling trees, said Tod Gates, an assistant fire chief in Lynnwood and a manager at a local emergency operations center.
Gates recommends making sure your workplace or school is open before leaving the house. He sees too many people leave a safe, warm haven at home only to end up stranded in the cold.
He urges people to stay home during and after storms.
“If people don't have to drive somewhere, they need to stay off the roads,” he said.
He also asks people to be patient with snow removal, as the plows have to clear critical roads near hospitals and schools before neighborhoods.
Around the county, people need to know which agency in their town will have the best winter information — and pay attention, he said.
Several regional agencies have set up the “Take Winter By Storm” campaign to remind people to make emergency preparedness plans. For everything you'll need, visit www.govlink.org/storm.
While making your plan, don't forget your animals.
Greta Cook is vice president and cofounder of the Washington State Animal Response Team, an Enumclaw-based nonprofit that responds to animal emergencies all over the state.
They definitely are expecting some flood calls in Snohomish County this year, Cook said.
In case of a flood, animal owners need to have a plan for two scenarios: evacuating or sheltering at home. A good plan will cover two weeks of feed and water either way, she said.
Make sure animals have experience loading up, and know which animals you want if time is short. Communicate with neighbors early in the season so everyone can help one another, she said.
Along with a family emergency kit, keep an additional waterproof emergency bag for your animals, including copies of identification and vaccination records. Keep emergency veterinarian and boarding contacts on your regular emergency contacts sheet.
Lastly, she warns people to make sure the whole family knows the emergency plan. Too often, people are clueless if their plan-maker — usually Mom — isn't around when trouble hits.
Major flooding aside, for the most part, and, people will be fine if they keep extra food and water around, and stay off the roads during rough weather, Gates said,.
“If you're ready for one storm, you're ready for all the storms,” he said.
Winter driving tips
Leave extra time for trips that may include lousy weather.
Remember, posted speed limits are for dry, sunny conditions.
Leave more room as stopping times and distances can increase drastically on wet roads.
Don't trust the weather at home for trips over the mountains. Check pass conditions before leaving home — and before returning home.
Keep some basics in the car in case you get stuck. You'll want warm clothes, including gloves, a window scraper, a small shovel, jumper cables, a tow chain and a bag of sand or cat litter. Also, road flares, blankets, boots and a flashlight with batteries.
Heavier vehicles take longer to stop, so don't be overconfident in a 4x4.
Don't use cruise control in bad weather.
Studded tires are allowed between Nov. 1 and April 1.
Source: Washington State Patrol
Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com
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