Weather with Cliff Mass

Snow on the third day of spring has some people wondering: what gives?

Well, actually, spring here began a long time ago, says KPLU weather expert Cliff Mass.

“The problem we have here in the Northwest is spring lasts too long,” says Mass, professor of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Washington.

Expect more of what we've been seeing all week — "clouds, showers, breaks," says KPLU weather expert Cliff Mass, a professor of atmospheric science at the University of  Washington.

"Wear Gore-Tex or some raincoat," says Mass, adding, "There will be plenty of breaks."

The temperatures will remain mild until Saturday evening when colder air will head into the region. The new front will bring some welcome snow to Cascade ski areas, says Mass.

"The freezing level will drop from 4,000 to 5,000 feet, to 1,000 – 1,500 feet," he says. "They can easily get 2 to 6 inches."

Fog burns off, leaving sunshine in its wake, this weekend. That's the forecast for Friday and Saturday, says Cliff Mass, professor of Atmospheric Science at the University of Washington and KPLU's weather expert.

Fires, on the other hand, leave us with smoke, and in this week's weather conversation, Mass explains how that can affect the flavor of wine. (Click the "listen" button above, and check-out Mass' blog.)

Winter is over, if you consider the threat of snow in the cities of Puget Sound a marker of winter, says KPLU weather expert Cliff Mass, a professor of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Washington.

It's nothing like the major storms across the midwest and eastern U.S., but western Washington is tasting a little bit of winter, finally.

"After one of the most boring winters that I can ever remember, we are going to be getting heavy rain, good snow. We'll be getting some winds gusting up to 30 to 50 miles per hour, and big waves along the coast," says KPLU weather expert Cliff Mass, a professor of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Washington.

Morning clouds should give way to afternoon sunshine Friday in many Puget Sound neighborhoods. But some unpleasant weather is headed our way for Saturday, especially in the Seattle-to-Everett area.

That's the immediate forecast from KPLU weather expert Cliff Mass, a professor of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Washington.

  [Feb. 11th Update -- Audio problem fixed]

While the Northeast struggles with a massive snowstorm, the same forces are keeping it mild on the West Coast, says KPLU weather expert Cliff Mass, a professor of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Washington.

What are those forces? High pressure and low pressure. Okay, it's more complicated than that, but there is a high pressure "ridge" over the west, which forces a "trough" toward the east.