WeatherSystems

Not much new in the weather department mid-week other than we had a little sunshine Wednesday which was very pleasant before more clouds rolled in. Still haven't had an official freeze yet in Vancouver this month. Appears some clouds, some showers and some sun through the last day of January. Groundhog Day prediction: NO SHADOWS! So no worry, spring arrives early this year. "There will be six more weeks of winter" I have no idea why they say that when the poor critter is awakened so early in the morning and sees his shadow. Spring is six weeks or better away anyway you look at it. All for fun I guess.

Well now, after nearly 14 years we find out that there has been a higher wind gust that that measured atop MT. Washington in New Hampshire. The grueling spot in the continental  US. They held the wind speed record since 1934 of 234 mph. Seems like records were.  revealed that a wind gust of 253 mph wind gust measured on Barrow Island, Australia. For all the details read the latest on the Weather Underground Blog HERE.

Get ready for another fun and informative AMS meeting this Saturday in Portland! We are hoping to pack the place out yet again. Great pizza, great beverages, great AMS meeting! All public / all ages are welcome! We have experienced a few good weather events since we last met in mid November, so there will be a lot to chat about.  
When: THIS SATURDAY, JANUARY 23rd  2-4pm!
Where: STARK STREET PIZZA - 9234 SE Stark Street 
Topic: How to interpret weather charts and model soundings   This will be a great opportunity for beginning/amateur weather enthusiasts to learn about how to interpret weather charts and model soundings (good for potential snow events)!   Check for other updates at the Oregon AMS website: http://www.ametsoc.org/chapters/oregon/index.html

I have received many inquiries to the very low barometer reading today. Normally a reading below 29 inches would be rather alarming and could signal a windstorm or something very serious. Indeed there is a large low off the coast, but it is off the entire West Coast from California to British Columbia. So, there is not a large or rapid pressure change occurring. That is what we need for a wind storm, low pressure followed by rapidly rising pressure. The current low will rotate a little further north and then spin back westward out to sea.

Meanwhile record setting low readings in some locales. Medford Oregon registered 28.88 inches Wednesday breaking the old record low pressure of 28.93 inches on December 12, 1995.

I recorded 28.89 inches on my Vantage Pro2 weather station as well as my fancy wall barometer (LOL). On many of the old aneroid barometers they had weather phrases printed ion them and this time around it would be in the "stormy" category.

Station Elev MAX GUST HURRICANE Ridge 5200 ft 112 Mt. Hebo HEBOWX 3160 ft 86 Cape Mear MEARES 1421 ft 83 Garibaldi 0 ft 82 Garibaldi 75 ft 79 Lincoln C LINCON 187 ft 79 Rockaway ROCKWY 450 ft 73 Yaquina Bridge W 120 ft 72 Yaquina Bridge W 120 ft 72 Cape Disappointm 140 ft 72 Crystal Mtn-top 6870 ft 71 Hurricane Ridge 5151 ft 71 Pacific PACCTY-2 28 ft 69 Clatsop Spit 30 ft 66 Astoria 0 ft 62 Forest Gro N7NKE 200 ft 61 Port Townsend 0 ft 61 Astoria Regional 10 ft 60 Newport Municipa 161 ft 60 Hoquiam, Bowerma 13 ft 60 Road's E W7KKE-3 89 ft 59 Point Wilson 0 ft 58 Whidbey Island,  46 ft 58 Cape Foul NEWPRT 1024 ft 57 Everett, Snohomi 604 ft 56 Olympia Airport 203 ft 55 Sandy Pt. CW1394 10 ft 54 Kalama CW4910 404 ft 53 Kelso-Longview A 20 ft 52 South Beach 0 ft 52 Mount Baker-Pano 5000 ft 52 Newport DW1265 164 ft 51 Arlington Munici 138 ft 51 Lopez Vil CW6225 98 ft 51 Smith Island 50 ft 51 I-205 at Divisio 270 ft 50 Astoria AA7OA 240 ft 49 Longview 0 ft 49 McMinnville Muni 157 ft 49 Tillamook Airpor 36 ft 49 Tillamook WX7EM 26 ft 49 Long Beac CW9086 7 ft 49 Port Town CW8576 190 ft 49 Salem CW9266 410 ft 48 NERRS MET SITE A 5 ft 48 Quillayute State 194 ft 48 West Point 10 ft 48 Hillsboro DW3664 220 ft 47 Portland DW3557 750 ft 47 CEDAR 2220 ft 46 Portland Interna 26 ft 46 ROCKHOUSE 1 1797 ft 46 Warrenton W7LEO 39 ft 46 Cherry Point 0 ft 46 Fort Lewis / Gra 302 ft 46 Longview CW9604 896 ft 45 Newport WA7ZVY-4 128 ft 45 Aberdeen KD7FBT 285 ft 45 Buoy 46088 0 ft 45 Friday Harbor Ai 108 ft 45 HUMPTULLIPS 2400 ft 44 Ocean Par KD7PYN 26 ft 44 Aurora State Air 194 ft 43 Portland-Hillsbo 203 ft 43 White Pass-top 5909 ft 43 Bellingham Inter 157 ft 43 Boston Ha CW9783 16 ft 43 COUGAR MOUNTAIN 2400 ft 43 Camano Is DW3855 70 ft 43 Seattle CW8717 11 ft 43 Tacoma / McChord 322 ft 43 NOISY GLACIER 6591 ft 42 CANYON CREEK 2500 ft 41 Glen Jackson Bri 180 ft 41 Kalama CW4577 840 ft 41 Scappoose Indust 52 ft 41 Tigard DW2050 449 ft 41 Vancouver DW0710 300 ft 41 Chehalis-Central 177 ft 41 I-5 @ Nisqually 40 ft 41 Coldwater Ridge- 3199 ft 40 Cornelius CW9369 171 ft 40 Interstate Bridg 100 ft 40 MILLER 1031 ft 40 TILLAMOOK 11 ft 40

Status of Proposed Weather Radar
for the
Washington Coast
(Updated December 21, 2009)
Background: On May 28, 2009 Senator Maria Cantwell announced Congress had
appropriated $2 Million for use to start a project for a new weather radar along the
Washington coast. On December 17, 2009 the President signed an FY2010 budget
bill with an additional $7 Million to buy the radar, prepare the land, and install the
radar. The radar will be a high-power, high-resolution long-range Doppler radar with
Dual Polarization.
Recent Activities (October -- November 2009):
- A National Weather Service (NWS) contractor completed an initial survey of
potential radar sites in Western Washington on 28 July
- NWS, in conjunction with the University of Washington, reviewed the
contractor’s preliminary siting study for locating the radar and selected three
sites for an Expanded Site Survey and Environmental Assessment (ESS/EA)
- Submitted Acquisition Plan to Department of Commerce Western Acquisition
Division for review
Planned Short-Term Activities (December 2009 – February 2010):
- Continue federal acquisition process; complete Statement of Work
- NWS contractor completes draft Expanded Site Survey and Environmental
Assessment (ESS/EA) by end of January
- ESS/EA preliminary draft submitted to NWS for 21-day review
Planned Long-Term Activities (January 2010 – September 2012)
- 2010
o Continue lengthy federal acquisition process
o Issue Request for Proposal for new radar– dependent on Congress
appropriating the $7 Million in the President’s FY10 budget
o Award contract
- 2011
o Contractor designs and begins producing radar
- 2012
o Contractor completes production and tests the radar
o Prepare land site for radar
o Radar installed, tested, and begins operations

I can hardly wait until this becomes a reality. Some much needed coverage here on the central coast and extending down to mouth of Columbia and west slopes of Olympics. I have been by one of the top sites and it is cool, not far from Ocean Shores.

Went for  a drive today to Aberdeen over to Raymond and Grayland and back. Lots of flooding in low lying areas, rivers and creeks at bank levels. Grays Harbor has had 6-8 inches of rain since Thursday.

OK on to wind. A low pressure system will deepen Sunday and move up the Washington coast to Vancouver Island. Could be breezy in Clark County and maybe 40-50 sustained with gusts to 75 here at OS. I am ready, so far this winter I keep missing the windstorms.
High Wind WatchURGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
940 PM PST SAT JAN 16 2010

...HIGH WIND WATCH NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL AND NORTH
WASHINGTON COAST...WESTERN STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA AND THE
OLYMPICS FOR SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY MORNING...

.A STRONG PACIFIC LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AND
INTENSIFY OFF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST COAST SUNDAY...TRACK NORTH
OFF THE COAST SUNDAY NIGHT AND MOVE INTO VANCOUVER ISLAND EARLY
MONDAY. THIS SYSTEM IS ANTICIPATED TO PRODUCE POTENTIALLY STRONG
DAMAGING WINDS ALONG THE WASHINGTON COAST...WESTERN STRAIT OF
JUAN DE FUCA AND IN THE OLYMPIC MOUNTAINS. NOW IS THE TIME TO
PREPARE FOR THE POTENTIAL OF STRONG DAMAGING WINDS IN THESE
REGIONS AND MONITOR FORECASTS AS THIS WEATHER SYSTEM DEVELOPS.

Wow, the weekend is upon us once again and several good weather events are lurking out in the Pacific. Coastal Wind storms late Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday could see winds hitting 100 mph at times. Maybe 50 or better in the western valleys depends of course on the track. Anyways, stormy with California getting copious amounts of rain and snow in the Sierras.

Hey, I got my weather station online here finally so if you ever want to see what it is like when I am down at the Beach House or any time, check it out. Ocean Shores SW.  I am about one mile north of the jetty at Grays Harbor, WA. And about two walking blocks from the beach and ocean.

Well, it is late so I should skidoo, more this weekend I'm sure.
Take care,

Pat

While the majority of the state had started on a good foot with snow pack in November, the dry December has put the snow water equivalent for most of the state below normal for this time of year. The Washington State Climate office says, "Most of the basins have snow water equivalent between 70 and 89% of normal. The Spokane Basin in the northeastern portion of the state only has 69% of normal. The Lower Yakima Basin has average snow pack, however, with 94% of normal. The Olympic Peninsula is above normal, with 127% of normal." Check out their January newsletter here.graph.

As long as we are talking rain, let's review some rainfall reports from your friends and neighbors around the region for December. Gary Collins, Brush Prairie, 6.12 inches; Murphy Dennis, near Clark County Rifles, 6.50 inches; Claudia Chiasson, Carson, 8.72 inches; Tyler Mode, Minnehaha, 4.08 inches; Judy Darke, Felida, 5.34 inches; Larry Lebsack, NE Hazel Dell, 5.54 inches; Irv St. Germain, SW Prune Hill, 6.08 inches; Bud Maddux, Home Valley,7.35 inches; Pete Conrad, Tukes Mountain, Battle Ground, 4.84 inches; Bob Starr, Cougar, 12.82 inches; Robin Ruzek, Lakeshore,5.25 inches; Dan Hein, Camas, 6.48 inches; Phil Delany, above Dole Valley, 9.3 inches; Chuck Houghten, Hockinson  Heights, 6.02 inches; Tom Dixon, Amboy, 6.50 inches; Phil Harris, Washougal, 4.60 inches; Bill Sobolewski, Livingston Mountain, 6.74 inches; Merle Moore, two miles west of Yacolt, 5.76 inches; 4.27 inches; Ken McGowen, one mile NE of the Fairgrounds, 4.79 inches; Jim Knoll, Five Corners, 5.73 inches; Nancy Ellifrit, Mt. Vista, 6.35 inches; and Ellen Smart, Ridgefield, 6.80 inches.

2009 rainfall totals varied from 27.79 inches in the Minnehaha neighborhood as reported by Tyler Mode to 102.01 inches measured by Bob Starr of near Cougar. 

I know it is the dead of winter so to speak but those easterly winds are back this evening gusting upwards of 40 mph at Troutdale after a brief one day let-up and temperatures around 50 degrees . Arctic air is driving southward from Canada tonight heading towards the mid US but enough will spill over west of the Rockies to give us a chill. Winds at 10 pm were gusting strongly at Bellingham with lowering dewpoints. Rain will change to snow in eastern Washington overnight and in the gorge a wintry mix. Dropping temperatures Wednesday and freezing overnight into Thursday.  If we had any overrunning moisture we could get a shot of snow once again but models are not picking up on this. Seen it occur in times past as cold air advances westward further than models depicted and rain change to snow but we will run out of moisture quickly. Another storm moves in on Thursday/Friday but cold air may not have been here long enough to have much of an impact. So interesting times once again. Bah humbug El Nino. Stay tuned in case things change. I see most TV mets were mentioning the gorge winter weather of course after missing the snow last week. Gun shy maybe? Oh well, take a deep breath. Later ~ Pat
 

Well the holidays are over and a start of a new year. The Washington State Climatologist will be issuing this week their January newsletter with a recap of last month's weather around the state. Check the highlighted link to check in on that tidbit.

Steve Peirce local weather observer and councilor on the local chapter of the AMS has compiled some statistics for Decembers cold weather as recorded at PDX. Here is his report:

Headlines: December 2009 was the coldest month in nearly 20 years at the Portland International Airport!   Summary: Here are some of December 2009's record setting numbers, as recorded at the Portland International Airport --- 

 * December 2009's monthly mean temperature at the Portland International Airport (PDX) was35.6 degrees, nearly 5 degrees below normal. This is the 4th coldest December in history at PDX, trailing only 1990, 1985 and 1978.

* December 2009 also saw the coldest stretch of overnight low temperatures in Portland Airport history, this early in the winter season, averaging 13.25 degrees from 12/8 to 12/11. This barely edges out the exact same time frame in 1972 (12/8/72 to 12/11/72) when PDX averaged 13.75 degrees.   

* PDX recorded the single highest number of sub-freezing (32 or colder) December overnight low temperatures in nearly 25 years. There were 19 days with overnight lows at or below 32 degrees at PDX in December of 2009. The last time PDX saw more sub-freezing overnight lows in the month of December was in December 1985 when PDX recorded 25 days at or below 32 degrees.  

* December 2009's mean temperature at PDX is in stark contrast to what is typical of an El Nino. Neither 1978, 1985 nor 1990 were El Nino's.   

Note - The period of record use for this analysis is 1940-2009.
Thanks Steve for the data research.

On the same website you can read a summary of the 'surprise snowstorm' that we had last week. Click here.