April 2022 (April 2008/2011 redux)

[Phil]

I never worry about cold damaging foliage. I’ve researched spring weather here during the Little Ice Age..it was frigging nuts. Some years had accumulating snow in May and subfreezing lows into **JUNE**. Which is unthinkable now.

The trees here were growing during the LIA and any cold/wind thrown at them now is weak sauce compared to that. They do just fine. It’s the heat and humidity that causes problems now..mostly due to out of control fungus.

[TacomaWaWx]

Another cell with our name on it. Hopefully it doesn’t fizzle like the last one. 

[Timmy Supercell]

I think the largest contributer to later bloomings/greening is lack of moisture. 2021 was the only Spring I remembered looking so dull in K-Falls because it hadn't rained for weeks at a time. 

Easter 2015, which landed on a date nearly 2 weeks earlier than this year, looked quite green and some lawns were due to be mowed around that time period. 

[SilverFallsAndrew]

7 minutes ago, TT-SEA said:

Still... extended cold like this might be different.  It's pretty rare.  But then northern MN can have crazy weather through May and the trees are fine every summer.    Of course everything is still dormant until May too.

I just don’t see how plants that have evolved in a cool wet climate will be negatively impacted by some cool wet weather. It’s almost like you are projecting your preferences onto our native vegetation.

[TacomaWaWx]

My brother was out in graham with my grandparents and they had a dusting of snow this afternoon at 900’ elevation. 

[Meatyorologist]

I did not mean earlier that the cold was damaging, I meant that the slowdown of vegetative growth caused by the cold just made June 2021 damage look even worse. 

We will not be a dead brown landscape this summer. I’d just expect less leaves overall and a few dead ones like last year. Could be wrong, I’m not an expert arborist!

[TT-SEA]

4 minutes ago, Meatyorologist said:

I did not mean earlier that the cold was damaging, I meant that the slowdown of vegetative growth caused by the cold just made June 2021 damage look even worse. 

We will not be a dead brown landscape this summer. I’d just expect less leaves overall and a few dead ones like last year. Could be wrong, I’m not an expert arborist!

I want it to warm up so I can see the full leaf out... so strange to have everything pause at the current stage.

[TT-SEA]

10 minutes ago, SilverFallsAndrew said:

I just don’t see how plants that have evolved in a cool wet climate will be negatively impacted by some cool wet weather. It’s almost like you are projecting your preferences onto our native vegetation.

I would not say it about 40 and 50 degree rain which is normal in April and May... just the unusual cold and snow.

[Phil]

8 minutes ago, Meatyorologist said:

I did not mean earlier that the cold was damaging, I meant that the slowdown of vegetative growth caused by the cold just made June 2021 damage look even worse. 

We will not be a dead brown landscape this summer. I’d just expect less leaves overall and a few dead ones like last year. Could be wrong, I’m not an expert arborist!

Maybe it works differently up there in the NW. Down here, the coolest/wettest springs/summers also have the greenest foliage. By far.

Meanwhile hot springs/summers begin to trigger stress responses in many trees by late July. Shedding foliage, slower growth, etc. Depressing to watch.

[TT-SEA]

3 minutes ago, Phil said:

Maybe it works differently up there in the NW.

Down here, the coolest/wettest springs/summers also have the greenest foliage. By far.

Meanwhile hot springs/summers begin to trigger stress responses in many trees by late July. Shedding foliage, slower growth, etc.

Cool and wet springs are usually lush green here.    But what we have had lately is normal mid winter weather.    In my area... its usually lush green until July.   

[Phil]

4 minutes ago, TT-SEA said:

Cool and wet springs are usually lush green here.    In my area... its usually lush green until July.   

Your trees will be fine. I promise.

In 2014 we had snow and hard freezes in April and it was the greenest summer I’ve ever experienced here. May 2020 was even crazier with snow showers and 50mph winds. Trees were also very happy that summer.

The late season cold beat back both insects and fungus that are so damaging trees. I think it was a net positive, actually.

[Timmy Supercell]

25 minutes ago, TT-SEA said:

Still... extended cold like this might be different.  It's pretty rare.  But then northern MN can have crazy weather through May and the trees are fine every summer.    Of course everything is still dormant until May too.

There hasn't been as severe an arctic blast as Dec 2013 in some locations, growth was normal the year after that.
Near a couple weeks in a row the temperature stayed under freezing and 6 mornings straight below -0. 

20-21 Winter didn't have a single low reaching 0 (coldest was 8!) at KLMT and that following Spring was the dullest I saw in that area.

[Meatyorologist]

14 minutes ago, TT-SEA said:

I want it to warm up so I can see the full leaf out... so strange to have everything pause at the current stage.

Your warmth is coming. Given anything I’d say you have 80/20 odds of a tenth consecutive warmer than average summer.

The trees were fine in 2011 and 1955.

[Meatyorologist]

Thunderstorm in west seattle!

[Phil]

This was an interesting read.

https://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/sciencef/scifi93.pdf

[RentonHill]

@Perturbance welcome back

[TigerWoodsLibido]

41F and partly cloudy. Pretty moonrise through some thin clouds. Beautiful spring weather.

[Blizzard777]

2 hours ago, T-Town said:

One more. 

Just like eating chips….you can’t just post one

38* 

.15 precipitation 2.02 for the month 

 

[ShawniganLake]

The only thing really susceptible to much damage that I can think of would be fruit trees that have blossoms that have opened up already.  They are good down to about 29-30F but damage increases sharply below that. 
 

“After the blooms have opened, all fruit trees will lose 90 percent of their fruit if the temperature drops to 25 degrees Fahrenheit. Damage begins to occur to full blooms at 28 degrees Fahrenheit.”

[snow_wizard]

3 hours ago, SilverFallsAndrew said:

It’s an absolutely absurd worry. There is plenty of historical precedent for what we ve had this week. PDX and sea tac

didnt even hit freezing. Lol. 117 degrees in the willamette valley is much more damaging than 46 degree highs in April. 

You kind of sell this cold snap short.  It has been extraordinary.  SEA did drop to freezing BTW.

[TigerWoodsLibido]

4 minutes ago, snow_wizard said:

You kind of sell this cold snap short.  It has been extraordinary.  SEA did drop to freezing BTW.

Depends on location. It was notable here, and we did set some records. But I wouldn't call it extraordinary. Probly a different story up in Washington.

[snow_wizard]

2 hours ago, Meatyorologist said:

I did not mean earlier that the cold was damaging, I meant that the slowdown of vegetative growth caused by the cold just made June 2021 damage look even worse. 

We will not be a dead brown landscape this summer. I’d just expect less leaves overall and a few dead ones like last year. Could be wrong, I’m not an expert arborist!

This made me think of one scenario that could cause trouble for plants.  If the foliage is too retarded we could see a heatwave while the new leaves are in a very early stage vulnerable to heat.  They did have problems in 1955 when a very cold spring gave away to an extreme heatwave very early in the summer.  That same year saw major plant damage in November as well with the extreme early season cold wave.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

3 minutes ago, TigerWoodsLibido said:

Depends on location. It was notable here, and we did set some records. But I wouldn't call it extraordinary. Probly a different story up in Washington.

The departures were similar, if anything it was more impressive further south. 

[SilverFallsAndrew]

11 minutes ago, snow_wizard said:

You kind of sell this cold snap short.  It has been extraordinary.  SEA did drop to freezing BTW.

Absolutely nothing I have said this week has sold this cold snap short. I merely asserted the fact this was not as anomalous as the June heatwave. We are talking about a cold snap much more in line with our historical climo. -10 departures compared with +35. 

Edited April 17, 2022 by SilverFallsAndrew

[snow_wizard]

1 hour ago, TigerWoodsLibido said:

Depends on location. It was notable here, and we did set some records. But I wouldn't call it extraordinary. Probly a different story up in Washington.

Up here we had one of the coldest weeks ever recorded in the month of April.  Probably top 3 in the last century after the first week of the month.

Also interesting to note that OLM, SEA, and BLI have all recorded record lows with this event now.  It has also lasted in excess of one week which is quite rare.

[snow_wizard]

4 minutes ago, SilverFallsAndrew said:

The departures were similar, if anything it was more impressive further south. 

Actually the Seattle area has been more below normal.  Areas south had more snow though.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

3 minutes ago, snow_wizard said:

Actually the Seattle area has been more below normal.  Areas south had more snow though.

It’s not a meaningful difference. 

[Skagit Weather]

40 minutes ago, snow_wizard said:

You kind of sell this cold snap short.  It has been extraordinary.  SEA did drop to freezing BTW.

SEA has had 18 days where the temperature has dropped to freezing or lower later than April 10th and 37 days where it has dropped to 33F or lower. However this is the latest freeze since 1985.

OLM has had 51 lows that been colder later in the season (below 28F after April 10th) plenty of which have occurred within the last decade.

BLI has had 44 lows as cold or colder later in the season (30F or below after April 10th) including a couple from last year.

On the other hand, as has been noted, this period has featured some of the coldest average temperatures this late in the season, but cold average temperatures probably don't do much damage to plants as already discussed. It may delay their development, but the damage is caused by subfreezing temps (especially in the 20s) which have not been that frequent this past week.

The duration of the cold spell and the frequent cloud cover which has kept highs lower than they may have otherwise been has been historic, but fortunately most plants (save perhaps orchards buried in snow) will probably emerge mostly unscathed.

[The Blob]

My husband said we had snow this afternoon. I was asleep so I can't confirm if it was snow or graupel.

[MossMan]

It appears I have some positive splats going on with a temp of 36.9. Pretty heavy slop coming down and already up to .13” on the day which just started a bit ago. 

[Skagit Weather]

Interestingly, it looks like SEA (through yesterday 4/15) is having the most anomalous April so far out of the major I-5 stations (based on average temperature departure). I wonder if this is somehow related to the warmer 1991-2020 norms or some other weather factor (like maybe increased convection in that area?).

BLI: -2.9F
PAE: -2.6F
SEA: -4.8F
OLM: -3.9F

PDX: -3.5F
SLE: -3.1F
EUG: -3.0F
MFR: -3.3F

[Meatyorologist]

1 minute ago, Skagit Weather said:

Interestingly, it looks like SEA (through yesterday 4/15) is having the most anomalous April so far out of the major I-5 stations (based on average temperature departure). I wonder if this is somehow related to the warmer 1991-2020 norms or some other weather factor (like maybe increased convection in that area?).

BLI: -2.9F
PAE: -2.6F
SEA: -4.8F
OLM: -3.9F

PDX: -3.5F
SLE: -3.1F
EUG: -3.0F
MFR: -3.3F

A combination of both. The airport's been luckier than the north side of the city in clearing out at night, while the generous new normals are certainly giving a boost.

[TT-SEA]

00Z ECMWF shows fairly pleasant spring weather from Wed-Sat of this coming week in the Seattle area... maybe into the low 60s and decently dry during the days.

[Meatyorologist]

On 4/22/2014 at 8:58 PM, BLI snowman said:

Going to be a lot of snow tonight in the OR and southern WA Cascades. Low snow levels, too.

It actually looks dry

[TT-SEA]

Add Sunday too on the 00Z ECMWF. 

[BLI snowman]

55 minutes ago, Meatyorologist said:

It actually looks dry

I guess it didn't 8 years ago 

[Omegaraptor]

5 hours ago, SilverFallsAndrew said:

Yes. I agree on the heatwave last year. We ll notice any permanent conifer damage in the next month. If anything what we’ve seen this April is good for

native plants.

I seriously doubt temperatures have caused any damage to native vegetation. Think the 4”+ of wet snow on leafed out deciduous trees in SW WA causing collapsed branches is the main concern as far as vegetation goes. Kind of like the Feb 2021 ice storm.

[Timmy Supercell]

I'd like to know when Klamath last had 3.5" in one day in April! I've only ever seen 2" in a 24 hour period.

[Timmy Supercell]

7 hours ago, Skagit Weather said:

Interestingly, it looks like SEA (through yesterday 4/15) is having the most anomalous April so far out of the major I-5 stations (based on average temperature departure). I wonder if this is somehow related to the warmer 1991-2020 norms or some other weather factor (like maybe increased convection in that area?).

BLI: -2.9F
PAE: -2.6F
SEA: -4.8F
OLM: -3.9F

PDX: -3.5F
SLE: -3.1F
EUG: -3.0F
MFR: -3.3F

I'd like to see May and June at least around average Mean temperature along that stretch of stations. 

[TacomaWaWx]

Nice morning…low of 35 here.