Here is a marvelous satellite picture, taken 2:30 PM this afternoon. You can see the line-up for this weekend in this visible satellite image (click for a larger version). The first cyclone (low pressure center) is off the coast--you can see the spiraling clouds (the low center is in the middle of the spiral). A front radiates from the low and the clouds is rapidly approaching the coast.Further offshore you see a vigorous, younger system--note the spiral is not complete yet. The thin line of enhanced cloud extended roughly east-west south of the young system is a rope cloud, a line of cumulus and cumulonimbus that mark the position of the cold front. And north of the young system is a large field of open cellular convection, convective clouds associated with cold air moving over warmer water.
And here is another pretty graphic...the latest 24h precipitation ending 5 PM on Saturday. Heavy rain on the southwest side of the Olympics and the Willapa Hills of SW Washington (and Vancouver Island and the north Cascades) and a beautiful rain shadow to the northeast of those mountains. Those folks in Sequim may be golfing tomorrow while the rest of us get wet.
Bottom line: satellite imagery and model output are sometimes so attractive you could hang it up on your wall!
