March 2017 Observations and Model Discussion for the Pacific Northwest

[Jesse]

Go Cougs!  Alum myself.  I liked living in the Palouse, very nice break from the wet side.

 

Yeah it would be neat living out there. But I am going to attend in Vancouver.

[Deweydog]

Oh wow. Where in Wyoming? That is one thing I have heard about working for the USFS. They are famous for moving people around.

 

I would definitely take a good word getting put in. I think it is extremely hard to get hired by the Forest Service right now. With upcoming budget cuts looking possible, prospects could even be a bit worse when I graduate in a few years.

I'm not sure exactly where he's working now but they live just outside Laramie. We were thinking about taking a road trip this summer to see them if the scheduling stars align.

[Guest Dome Buster]

Snow at Government Camp right now. Albeit wet snow.

[Jesse]

I'm not sure exactly where he's working now but they live just outside Laramie. We were thinking about taking a road trip this summer to see them if the scheduling stars align.

Interesting. Maybe the Medicine Bow National Forest? That's a beautiful area. I could also totally get down with that climate.

 

One of our big goals this summer is to try to find a place to view the August 21st solar eclipse without battling major crowds. Thinking about camping somewhere in the mountain of Central Oregon a few days in advance. I'm not gonna say where though.

[Jesse]

Snow at Government Camp right now. Albeit wet snow.

12z Euro says there will be a decent amount of mountain snow over the next 7-10 days.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Interesting. Maybe the Medicine Bow National Forest? That's a beautiful area.

 

One of our big goals this summer is to try to find a place to view the August 21st solar eclipse without battling major crowds. Thinking about camping somewhere in the mountain of Central Oregon a few days in advance. I'm not gonna say where though.

Fortunately my house is directly in the path. About 2 mins of full eclipse. I am going to take the day off. Though I don't really give a . I'd trade the eclipse for a 3" snow fall.

[Front Ranger]

Some trees died up here as well... in a 2-month dry stretch in early summer of 2015.   

 

Oh well... trees die in windstorms as well.     

 

Circle of life.  

 

May-August 2015 was a very dry period overall.

 

2015-16 were the second driest back to back Mays at SEA, behind 1946-47.

[Jesse]

Fortunately my house is directly in the path. About 2 mins of full eclipse. I am going to take the day off. Though I don't really give a s**t. I'd trade the eclipse for a 3" snow fall.

I was thinking your house would be in a good spot. And I am super excited about it. Been looking forward to this for years. Apparently it's an incredible thing to witness, and the last one to cross our area was in 1979. So a pretty rare event.

[Deweydog]

Interesting. Maybe the Medicine Bow National Forest? That's a beautiful area. I could also totally get down with that climate.

 

One of our big goals this summer is to try to find a place to view the August 21st solar eclipse without battling major crowds. Thinking about camping somewhere in the mountain of Central Oregon a few days in advance. I'm not gonna say where though.

She really had issues with the elevation as their place is at about 8,500 feet. Made her pretty sick for a while but now they seem to love it. Even better is the fact property out there is incredibly cheap.

[Jesse]

She really had issues with the elevation as their place is at about 8,500 feet. Made her pretty sick for a while but now they seem to love it. Even better is the fact property out there is incredibly cheap.

Are you talking about your wife's friend?

 

My first run in with that sort of thing was when we stayed in Steamboat Springs, Colorado when I was about 15. The hotel was over 6,000 and most of the hiking spots were around 10,000. Definitely took a day or so for me to get acclimated.

[Deweydog]

Are you talking about your wife's friend?

 

My first run in with that sort of thing was when we stayed in Steamboat Springs, Colorado when I was about 15. The hotel was over 6,000 and most of the hiking spots were around 10,000. Definitely took a day or so for me to get acclimated.

Yeah, she had symptoms similar to vertigo and frequent headaches that persisted for what seemed like a few months.

[Front Ranger]

Yeah, she had symptoms similar to vertigo and frequent headaches that persisted for what seemed like a few months.

 

The elevation definitely affects everyone differently. Some people are barely affected when they first move/visit, a small minority experience symptoms like your friend's wife.

 

But once you get above 10,000', pretty much everyone has shortness of breath, etc on hikes.

[DareDuck]

One of our big goals this summer is to try to find a place to view the August 21st solar eclipse without battling major crowds. Thinking about camping somewhere in the mountain of Central Oregon a few days in advance. I'm not gonna say where though.

We'll probably be out there too. Looking to head out a couple days early and just do some good ol primitive camping at some cool location with good open views.

[Deweydog]

The elevation definitely affects everyone differently. Some people are barely affected when they first move/visit, a small minority experience symptoms like your friend's wife.

 

But once you get above 10,000', pretty much everyone has shortness of breath, etc on hikes.

We tried to go up to Pike's Peak years ago and my wife got violently ill. It was almost like flipping a switch once we got to probably around 10k. Good times.

[TT-SEA]

May-August 2015 was a very dry period overall.

 

2015-16 were the second driest back to back Mays at SEA, behind 1946-47.

Aug 2015 was very wet for King County and SEA.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

We tried to go up to Pike's Peak years ago and my wife got violently ill. It was almost like flipping a switch once we got to probably around 10k. Good times.

I take my kids to Colorado Springs for a week every summer, always want to go up Pikes Peak, but we never get to it. One of these years. They ll enjoy it more when they are older anyways.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

I was thinking your house would be in a good spot. And I am super excited about it. Been looking forward to this for years. Apparently it's an incredible thing to witness, and the last one to cross our area was in 1979. So a pretty rare event.

I'm a little excited. I confess

[TT-SEA]

I'm a little excited. I confess

Watch... we will have a dark, gloomy, drizzly August day.

[Front Ranger]

Aug 2015 was very wet for King County and SEA.

 

Whoops, meant April - July 2015.

[Jesse]

Watch... we will have a dark, gloomy, drizzly August day.

 

It's in late August too so the odds are higher!

 

That is one reason we are going east of the Cascades. As much as I love them, it would be a shame to have a marine layer day ruin the viewing.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Almost an inch of rain so far today. Some sunshine peaking out now. 

 

10.19" of rain on the month! 

[Jesse]

Almost an inch of rain so far today. Some sunshine peaking out now. 

 

10.19" of rain on the month! 

 

You should get a good freeze tonight. Pretty cold airmass moving in at 850mb with some clearing expected.

[Jesse]

Next week has trended much wetter and cooler. The 12Z Euro definitely continues this theme.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

You should get a good freeze tonight. Pretty cold airmass moving in at 850mb with some clearing expected.

 

Possibly. 46 currently. Was 52 at midnight and dropped to 41 around noon with the heavy rain. 

[Dave]

I was planning on watching the eclipse in Detroit.  Unfortunately, those plans just got canceled by the property owner after he figured out he could make a bunch of $.  Now I'm probably gonna join Jesse somewhere in Central Oregon.  I'm worried about traffic apocalypse.  If a couple of hundred thousand people come from WA and CA, Oregon will probably see the biggest traffic jam in its history.

[Jesse]

I was planning on watching the eclipse in Detroit.  Unfortunately, those plans just got canceled by the property owner after he figured out he could make a bunch of $.  Now I'm probably gonna join Jesse somewhere in Central Oregon.  I'm worried about traffic apocalypse.  If a couple of hundred thousand people come from WA and CA, Oregon will probably see the biggest traffic jam in its history.

 

That's why I'm planning to go a few days early and camp out. Although something tells me I am not the only one with that idea. Still, the traffic spread out a few days leading up to the event shouldn't be as bad as the morning of or the day before.

[snow_wizard]

I was thinking your house would be in a good spot. And I am super excited about it. Been looking forward to this for years. Apparently it's an incredible thing to witness, and the last one to cross our area was in 1979. So a pretty rare event.

I clearly remember the one in 1979. I was at school and it got pitch dark outside. It was cloudy, but still an amazing thing to witness. I had no idea how rare that actually was at the time of course.

[Geos]

The elevation definitely affects everyone differently. Some people are barely affected when they first move/visit, a small minority experience symptoms like your friend's wife.

 

But once you get above 10,000', pretty much everyone has shortness of breath, etc on hikes.

 

Yeah for me the elevation really starts affecting me near and above 11k feet. Start getting a nasty headache above 12k. 10k feet not too bad really.

[TT-SEA]

I clearly remember the one in 1979. I was at school and it got pitch dark outside. It was cloudy, but still an amazing thing to witness. I had no idea how rare that actually was at the time of course.

 

I remember watching that one as well... in 3rd grade class.    We all went outside with our eclipse viewing boxes we made.   It was a bright, sunny day in MN.

[Geos]

Racked up 1.33" of rain in the last 48 hours. Ground has definitely stayed saturated lately.

[TT-SEA]

Racked up 1.33" of rain in the last 48 hours. Ground has definitely stayed saturated lately.

 

 

It will dry out in July.   Andrew will be complaining within a week of that happening.   He is sort of like Anthony on here years ago.   

[DareDuck]

Yeah for me the elevation really starts affecting me near and above 11k feet. Start getting a nasty headache above 12k. 10k feet not too bad really.

I used to get a nasty headache my first day in high elevations, but now that I work between 6-8000' I feel pretty good up to 11,000'.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

It will dry out in July. Andrew will be complaining within a week of that happening. He is sort of like Anthony on here years ago.

Wouldn't mind a few dry days. And it is always dry in W. Oregon during July and August. Just hope we can have more of a persistent marine layer this year.

[MikeInEverett]

It's been raining for pretty much 24 hours straight here. Saw some splats on the windshield when I was out a few hours ago.

[MikeInEverett]

It'd be nice to get one of these long lasting convergence zones when it's cold enough for snow!

[Geos]

Had a few ice pellets as the convergence zone sagged south a little this evening. Yeah would have been cool if it was cold enough to snow earlier.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Down to 37 as skies clear. I probably have an outside shot at the upper 20s tonight. 

[TT-SEA]

It's been raining for pretty much 24 hours straight here. Saw some splats on the windshield when I was out a few hours ago.

 

Thankfully the models were correct in depicting the situation today.   Rain ended here at 1 p.m. and it turned partly sunny and a little windy.   We were in Issaquah earlier this afternoon running errands and we ended up at a park with my daughter because it was so nice.    

 

Looks like the c-zone is inching northward now... 38 here with some clouds.   Hopefully it stays at least partly cloudy until morning to avoid a hard freeze and then sunny all day.   We have an entire day of work in the yard planned and don't want any more rain/snow right now.

[ShawniganLake]

35F here with some wet snow flakes in the air.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

29 this morning. Score!