Anyone familiar with Glenhaven's climate?

[Bryant]

I know Glenhaven is higher in Elevation compared to BLI (current location), but it's also further south inhibiting the Fraser Outflow potential. Looking at buying a home in the area, anyone have any input? Thanks!

[BLI snowman]

I know Glenhaven is higher in Elevation compared to BLI (current location), but it's also further south inhibiting the Fraser Outflow potential. Looking at buying a home in the area, anyone have any input? Thanks!

 

This is a little south of Lake Whatcom, correct?

 

Elevation trumps all, and in spite of the milder temperatures in strong CAA events, that part of Whatcom County makes out extremely well. They get a ton of orographic enhancement obviously, and in onshore or strong offshore flow will simply do way better.

 

I can't actually think of too many snowfall events where it would benefit you to be in the Bellingham area compared to down there. Even a weak Fraser River outflow driven event like February 22-23, 2014 still delivered pretty respectable totals down to about the Whatcom/Skagit County line.

[Bryant]

This is a little south of Lake Whatcom, correct?

 

Elevation trumps all, and in spite of the milder temperatures in strong CAA events, that part of Whatcom County makes out extremely well. They get a ton of orographic enhancement obviously, and in onshore or strong offshore flow will simply do way better.

 

I can't actually think of too many snowfall events where it would benefit you to be in the Bellingham area compared to down there. Even a weak Fraser River outflow driven event like February 22-23, 2014 still delivered pretty respectable totals down to about the Whatcom/Skagit County line.

Thanks for the reply. Glenhaven is just North of the Whatcom/Skagit line by a few miles, and they sit at about ~450 feet in elevation. I've heard their climate is similar to Sudden Valley, much more moisture in general and cooler temps overall. Just seems difficult to achieve those aspects being how far south it sits, but I suppose I'm trained from living in Bellingham my whole life

[bainbridgekid]

Thanks for the reply. Glenhaven is just North of the Whatcom/Skagit line by a few miles, and they sit at about ~450 feet in elevation. I've heard their climate is similar to Sudden Valley, much more moisture in general and cooler temps overall. Just seems difficult to achieve those aspects being how far south it sits, but I suppose I'm trained from living in Bellingham my whole life

I think their elevation and the added orographic lift from being nestled against the hills/Mountains make a pretty big difference and definitely more than make up for being slightly further South. I remember multiple times when that area got hammered and we only got a few inches in Bellingham.

 

Should also be largely protected from any strong Outflow which makes snow a lot more enjoyable IMO. Everything stays caked.

[Brennan]

I think their elevation and the added orographic lift from being nestled against the hills/Mountains make a pretty big difference and definitely more than make up for being slightly further South. I remember multiple times when that area got hammered and we only got a few inches in Bellingham.

 

Should also be largely protected from any strong Outflow which makes snow a lot more enjoyable IMO. Everything stays caked.

I can remember soooo many times with heavy bands of showers/convergence zones formed along the south end of Lake Whatcom over the years and the north end stayed dry. They get nailed down there in that area. 

[bainbridgekid]

I can remember soooo many times with heavy bands of showers/convergence zones formed along the south end of Lake Whatcom over the years and the north end stayed dry. They get nailed down there in that area. 

Yeah it seems like a hotbed for convergence.

 

I think they got nearly a foot in February 2011 while I got a wind blown trace at WWU.

[snow_wizard]

Thanks for the reply. Glenhaven is just North of the Whatcom/Skagit line by a few miles, and they sit at about ~450 feet in elevation. I've heard their climate is similar to Sudden Valley, much more moisture in general and cooler temps overall. Just seems difficult to achieve those aspects being how far south it sits, but I suppose I'm trained from living in Bellingham my whole life

 

I'm sure much of it has to do with being in a better location to achieve good radiational cooling.  Sometimes being in a place where Arctic air seeps in is better than being blasted by it.  BTW I have seen strong NE winds just north of Mount Vernon during Fraser outflow events.  I'm not sure where the gap is to allow that.  I can see why Glanhaven would be in a good spot for many scenarios.  The one time it would be a bummer is where the Arctic outflow is weak, such as in December 1980.  I still remember seeing Bellingham get buried during that on the news while places a few miles south had nothing.

[bainbridgekid]

It's a few miles North of Glenhaven and at 650 feet, but this station has pretty good data going back to 2009.

 

Should be pretty easy to compare it to BLI for different events.

 

http://www.wunderground.com/personal-weather-station/dashboard?ID=KWABELLI33#history/s20101119/e20101119/mdaily

[Brennan]

It's a few miles North of Glenhaven and at 650 feet, but this station has pretty good data going back to 2009.

 

Should be pretty easy to compare it to BLI for different events.

 

http://www.wunderground.com/personal-weather-station/dashboard?ID=KWABELLI33#history/s20101119/e20101119/mdaily

it's too bad they don't have snowfall information