A New Month And A New Weather Pattern
Monday, March 31, 2008
This photo tells it all! Taken at 4pm Monday from the web cam at Johnston Ridge looking towards Mt. St. Helens. Don't worry, the mountain is still there somewhere.NOWCAST- Low clouds and fog will linger Tuesday before a mostly sunny day on Wednesday with temperatures getting back to seasonal normals. Still a risk of a shower tonight and somewhat cool Tuesday. The dry spell should last all week and an increased chance of showers over the weekend but it may stay dry as well.
OUTCAST - I will be compiling rainfall reports from around the region this week and will post them soon. It looks like we will be out of this very cold airmass and back to much more seasonal weather. Just in time for Washington spring break. There still were some showers and lots of clouds today however. Looking head, we my see yet another cold pool of air transition from Siberia out into the Gulf of Alaska for another bout of winter weather in 10-14 days or so. La Nina reigns.
Last week's weather was indeed crazy with sticking snow reported from the Ocean beaches three times or better. Enough to cover the ground and measure in inches! Inland Valley locations struggled to get a dusting so what gives?
March 2008 was Portland's second coldest March in 30 years.
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
455 PM PDT MON MAR 31 2008
...RECORD COLD FOR THE LAST WEEK OF MARCH AT SEATTLE AND
OLYMPIA...
THE AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURES FOR THE LAST WEEK OF MARCH AT SEATTLE
AND OLYMPIA WERE THE COLDEST ON RECORD.
AT SEATTLE TACOMA AIRPORT THE AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR THE LAST
SEVEN DAYS WAS 46.0 DEGREES. THE PREVIOUS RECORD FOR THE COLDEST
AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURES FOR THE LAST WEEK OF MARCH WAS 47.1
DEGREES SET IN 1967. THE RECORDS AT SEATTLE TACOMA AIRPORT BEGAN IN
1945.
INCLUDING THE RECORDS FROM THE FEDERAL BUILDING IN DOWNTOWN
SEATTLE...WHICH GO BACK TO 1891...THIS IS THE THIRD COLDEST LAST
WEEK OF MARCH FOR THE AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE. THE TWO COLDER YEARS
WERE 1936 WITH AN AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 43.6 AND 1917 WITH AN
AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 45.9 DEGREES.
THE NORMAL AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR THE LAST WEEK OF MARCH AT
SEATTLE TACOMA AIRPORT IS 54.9 DEGREES.
AT THE OLYMPIA AIRPORT THE AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR THE LAST
SEVEN DAYS WAS 45.4 DEGREES. THE PREVIOUS RECORD FOR THE COLDEST
AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURES FOR THE LAST WEEK OF MARCH WAS 48.0
DEGREES SET IN 1999. THE RECORDS AT THE OLYMPIA AIRPORT GO BACK TO
1948.
THE NORMAL AVERAGE HIGH TEMPERATURE FOR THE LAST WEEK OF MARCH AT
THE OLYMPIA AIRPORT IS 54.9 DEGREES.
-- posted by Pat Timm @ 4:01 PM,
Low Snow Levels Next Few Days!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Snow recently on the coast range pass to SeasideNOWCAST - A cold showery period for the rest of the week is in the cards with snow down to 1,000 feet and to 500 feet mixed with any heavy showers that may occur. There may also be a thunderstorm or an ice pellet shower. The mountains will get some nice spring powder snow. So bottom line, chance of showers and clearing periods, highs 48-53 and lows 30-38 depending on any clearing overnight.
OUTCAST - How late has it officially snowed here in the valley? George Taylor had this to say: " I was looking at the last historic dates for snowfall in the Valley. In Portland and Eugene, it's today (3/25) -- PDX in 1965, EUG in 1972. Interestingly, both were legitimate La Nina years (not surprisingly!) -- see this
Special Weather Statement
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR
345 AM PDT TUE MAR 25 2008
SNOW AND UNSEASONABLY COOL WEATHER WILL AFFECT THE REGION THIS
WEEK. A WEATHER SYSTEM ARRIVING LATE TODAY WILL BRING SNOW TO
THE CASCADES...THE CASCADE FOOTHILLS...AND TO THE COASTAL MOUNTAINS
TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL WILL
BE IN THE CASCADES WHERE ABOUT A FOOT OF NEW SNOW IS POSSIBLE FROM
THE SYSTEM. SIGNIFICANTLY LESSER AMOUNTS WILL FALL IN THE CASCADE
FOOTHILLS AND IN THE COAST RANGE...BUT SNOW LEVELS WILL BE LOW
ENOUGH TO AFFECT TRAVEL ON SOME OF THE MAIN PASSES AND CORRIDORS.
Sunrise this morning with Mount St. Helen's in background taken by photographer Tyler Mode of Vancouver
-- posted by Pat Timm @ 1:34 PM,
Coolest Winter Since 2001
Saturday, March 15, 2008
The following is from the NOAA web site. Press release 3/13/08 in its entirety.
NOAA: Coolest Winter Since 2001 for U.S., Globe
March 13, 2008
The average temperature across both the contiguous U.S. and the globe during climatological winter (December 2007-February 2008) was the coolest since 2001, according to scientists at NOAA's National Climatic Data Center in Asheville, N.C. In terms of winter precipitation, Pacific storms, bringing heavy precipitation to large parts of the West, produced high snowpack that will provide welcome runoff this spring.
A complete analysis is available online.
U.S. Winter Temperature Highlights
+ High Resolution (Credit: NOAA)
- In the contiguous United States, the average winter temperature was 33.2°F (0.6°C), which was 0.2°F (0.1°C) above the 20th century average – yet still ranks as the coolest since 2001. It was the 54th coolest winter since national records began in 1895.
- Winter temperatures were warmer than average from Texas to the Southeast and along the Eastern Seaboard, while cooler-than-average temperatures stretched from much of the upper Midwest to the West Coast.
- With higher-than-average temperatures in the Northeast and South, the contiguous U.S. winter temperature-related energy demand was approximately 1.7 percent lower than average, based on NOAA's Residential Energy Demand Temperature Index.
U.S. Winter Precipitation Highlights
+ High Resolution (Credit: NOAA)
- Winter precipitation was much above average from the Midwest to parts of the West, notably Kansas, Colorado and Utah. Although moderate-to-strong La Niña conditions were present in the equatorial Pacific the winter was unique for the above average rain and snowfall in the Southwest, where La Niña typically brings drier-than-average conditions.
- During January alone, 170 inches of snow fell at the Alta ski area near Salt Lake City, Utah, more than twice the normal amount for the month, eclipsing the previous record of 168 inches that fell in 1967. At the end of February, seasonal precipitation for the 2008 Water Year, which began on October 1, 2007, was well above average over much of the West.
- Mountain snowpack exceeded 150 percent of average in large parts of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Oregon at the end of February. Spring run-off from the above average snowpack in the West is expected to be beneficial in drought plagued areas.
- Record February precipitation in the Northeast helped make the winter the fifth wettest on record for the region. New York had its wettest winter, while Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Vermont, and Colorado to the West, had their second wettest.
- Snowfall was above normal in northern New England, where some locations posted all-time record winter snow totals. Concord, N.H., received 100.1 inches, which was 22.1 inches above the previous record set during the winter of 1886-87. Burlington, Vt., received 103.2 inches, which was 6.3 inches above the previous record set during the winter of 1970-71.
- While some areas of the Southeast were wetter than average during the winter, overall precipitation for the region was near average. At the end of February, two-thirds of the Southeast remained in some stage of drought, with more than 25 percent in extreme-to- exceptional drought.
- Drought conditions intensified in Texas with areas experiencing drought almost doubling from 25 percent at the end of January to 45 percent at the end of February.
Global Highlights
+ High Resolution (Credit: NOAA)
- The combined global land and ocean surface temperature was the 16th warmest on record for the December 2007-February 2008 period (0.58°F/0.32°C above the 20th century mean of 53.8°F/12.1°C). The presence of a moderate-to-strong La Niña contributed to an average temperature that was the coolest since the La Niña episode of 2000-2001.
- While analyses of the causes of the severe winter storms in southern China continues, NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory scientists are focusing on the presence of unusually strong, persistent high pressure over Eastern Europe, combined with low pressure over Southwest Asia. This pattern directed a series of storms across the region, while northerly low level flow introduced cold air from Mongolia. Unusually high water temperatures in the China Sea may have triggered available moisture that enhanced the severity of these storms.
- Record Northern Hemisphere snow cover extent in January was followed by above average snow cover for the month of February. Unusually high temperatures across much of the mid- and high-latitude areas of the Northern Hemisphere in February began reducing the snow cover, and by the end of February, snow cover extent was below average in many parts of the hemisphere.
- While there has been little trend in snow cover extent during the winter season since records began in the late 1960s, spring snow cover extent has been sharply lower in the past two decades as global temperatures have increased.
February Temperature Highlights
- February was 61st warmest in the contiguous U.S. and 15th warmest globally on record. For the U.S., the temperature was near average, 0.2°F (0.1°C) above the 20th century average of 34.7°F (1.5°C), which was 2.0°F (1.1°C) warmer than February 2007.
- Globally, the February average temperature was 0.68°F/0.38°C above the 20th century mean of 53.8°F/12.1°C.
-- posted by Pat Timm @ 3:43 PM,
The Long Tentacles of Winter
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Clouds appear to be swirling around Hamilton Mountain in the Columbia River Gorge. Photo taken last Wednesday by Tyler Mode of VancouverNOWCAST - The weather pattern looks like it will be changing back to a much cooler and wetter pattern like we had in January and early February. So, increasing rains Thursday through Sunday and temperatures getting down to more seasonal normals and below. Click forecast in side panel for latest.
OUTCAST - It finally looks like we may be entering a cool and wet pattern for some weeks, perhaps until early April. Computer models show arctic air over the northland with most of it dropping down into the Midwest, but some may come our way via the ocean waters with low snow levels once again. At least low for March. Most of the very low elevation snows have melted off so now it's time to get some more. Boy, I was just getting used to the string of 60 degree weather the past couple of weeks. Anyways, stay tuned and prepare for some chilly blustery weather the next couple of weeks . . .if the longer range models are correct!
January was a very wet month but February was a complete turn around ending up as a very dry month in many locales around the state and also in Clark County. So let's review some rainfall reports from your friends and neighbors around the region for last month. I recorded 2.39 inches here in north Salmon Creek; Pearson Field, Vancouver, 2.39 inches; Gary Collins, Brush Prairie, 4.06 inches; Claudia Chiasson, Carson, 8.49 inches; Judy Darke, Felida, 2.65 inches; Tyler Mode, Minnehaha, 2.12 inches; Bud Maddux, Home Valley, 5.51 inches; Pete Conrad, Tukes Mountain, Battle Ground, 3.58 inches; Jim Knoll, Orchards, 3.38 inches; Bob Starr, Cougar, 13.77 inches; Robin Ruzek, Lakeshore, 2.28 inches; Phil Delany, above Dole Valley, 8.9 inches; Irv St. Germain, SW Prune Hill, 3.57 inches; Phil Harris, Washougal, 2.81 inches; Ellen Smart, Ridgefield, 2.20 inches; Larry Lebsack, NE Hazel Dell, 2.38 inches; Will Hayden, Five Corners, 4.57 inches; Tom Brown, Battle Ground, 2.17 inches; Dan Hein, one mile north of Camas, 4.30 inches; Linda Roberts, Prindle, 5.10 inches; Nick Peck, Yacolt 7.46 inches; and Murphy Dennis, Rawson Road next to Clark Rifles, 9.28 inches.
Professional photographer Chad Trettin of Bozeman Montana put together this impressive photograph of the recent lunar eclipse. He writes: "This is last night's total lunar eclipse as seen from 8 miles west of Bozeman. It was 3.5 hours from start to finish. Hope all of you got to see it in person. For those of you on the other side of the planet or who missed it, there will be another one in about 3 years."
HOOTIE-HOO DAY MAR. 10 OR 11 OR 12 -
This is the first day mountain folk can get out the front door. They flap their long johns in the fresh air since they wore the same ones all winter...also, in order to find who lived through the winter and didn't, they yell hootie-hoo and it echoes down the hills, around the valleys and, hopefully is answered by others. If someone doesn't answer, people have to go there & check it out. (Okay, is this for real? Someone sent this to me)
DailyTech Blog site reports from various sources that the past 12 months around the globe have been cooling. See Graph and read here.
By the way, there is a man (Anthony Watts) with a mission checking out over 1200 NOAA official weather observing stations and he his finding some very interesting information. Like stations mounted in parking lots? Next to air conditioners, etc. Much of the automated stations which came on line in 1989 and later may be situated incorrectly. Hey , didn't our temperatures start rising about this time across the US? Ha! Watch this for starters. And read his site!
Where's The Beef (Al Gore?)- Watch this.
-- posted by Pat Timm @ 8:08 PM,
