Shannon O'Donnell

2 weeks ago | komonews.com | Shannon O'Donnell

Warmest day of the year brings May Day sunshine and highs near 80 degreesSEATTLE — What a marvelous May Day!Highs on Thursday jumped into the middle 70s around the metro area and closed in on 80 degrees in some of the foothill spots and the South Sound, making it the warmest day of the year so far. FRIDAYWhile Friday will still be fantastic, it will already feature some noticeable changes.

Jan 31, 2025 | komonews.com | Shannon O'Donnell

Lowland snow brings unpredictable mix of sun and icy showers to western WashingtonLOWLAND SNOW TIMELINEWASHINGTON STATE — Once in a while, a snow forecast is an easy, slam dunk, sure thing winter white out. That happened in February of 2019 when I told you to be wherever you wanted to go by a certain time because once that snow started, it wasn't going to quit. That infamous snowy February of 2019 kicked off with a very defined FRONT.

Jan 22, 2025 | local12.com | Shannon O'Donnell

"Wood fungus, wood fungus, let down your hair!"You don't have to rattle off any magic words to coax this whimsical weather treat to show itself, but you do need to patiently wait for just the right winter conditions. The criteria needed came together around our region this week, resulting in the semi-unusual frozen phenomenon called "hair ice" showing up around the Puget Sound region. We're used to "garden variety frost and ice" this time of year.

Jan 22, 2025 | komonews.com | Shannon O'Donnell

Hair today, gone tomorrow: the fleeting beauty of 'hair ice'SEATTLE — "Wood fungus, wood fungus, let down your hair!"You don't have to rattle off any magic words to coax this whimsical weather treat to show itself, but you do need to patiently wait for just the right winter conditions. The criteria needed came together around our region this week, resulting in the semi-unusual frozen phenomenon called "hair ice" showing up around the Puget Sound region.

Nov 18, 2024 | komonews.com | Shannon O'Donnell

WASHINGTON STATE — A so-called "bomb cyclone" is on the way to the Northwest on Tuesday, but what does that mean? You've no doubt heard the term bandied online in the last few days, as it started trending on social media over the weekend. A "bomb cyclone" is nothing new--we've documented the passing of similar storms here for decades. The term, referring to "an area of low pressure that drops at least 24 millibars in 24 hours," was originally used in an academic paper and presentation in the 1970s.