March 2017 Observations and Model Discussion for the Pacific Northwest

[Jesse]

Yes... I know the rain shadow works. Thanks for the update.

Jared should become a superhero named Caveat Man. Or maybe the Masked Asterisk. I can see it now. Giant asterisk symbol on his cape. Asterisk shaped throwing stars. It could be a popular comic*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*Unless you are someone who doesn't read comic books. In which case you may not know about it. I figured this was worth wasting all of your time to needlessly clarify.

[TT-SEA]

Jared should become a superhero named Caveat Man. Or maybe the Masked Asterisk. I can see it now. Giant asterisk symbol on his cape. Asterisk shaped throwing stars. It could be a popular comic*

 

 

 

 

Yeah... widespread significant rain event in SW flow.   But you know that Arlington and Sequim were shadowed so it was not really a widespread event!  

 

Pretty sure you can always find a rain shadow with every major precipitation event in the PNW.   

[Jesse]

Breezy out.

[Phil]

I wish I could live underwater.

 

Dry land is overrated. If everything we did outside involved being drenched it would be truly awesome.

Judging from your posts, one would think you already live underwater.

[DareDuck]

Just looked at the WRCC precip maps for the last month. All of WA and w OR are 150-200% above average, while here in central OR we are between 25-50% of normal. It's actually been exceptionally dry here the last month.

[stuffradio]

You'll be thankful for it in July when the summer drought starts to hit. Hasn't been incredibly rainy here, just over 0.4" on the day so far but even with light rain falling it was nice enough to take a walk around town today without getting drenched or freezing.

 

I had almost 2" of rain yesterday. Just because it's very dry in places on Van Island, doesn't mean everywhere in SW BC/PNW is very dry. It's going to be the wettest March in 80 years. That's unbearable.

[Jesse]

I had almost 2" of rain yesterday. Just because it's very dry in places on Van Island, doesn't mean everywhere in SW BC/PNW is very dry. It's going to be the wettest March in 80 years. That's unbearable.

It's not unbearable if you are a Sitka spruce or a western red cedar!

[stuffradio]

It's not unbearable if you are a Sitka spruce or a western red cedar!

I'm not a tree though. Trees need sun too. I was running around the block yesterday, and some ditches were almost overflowing onto the driveway. It's too wet, and there is not going to be a drought this year.

[Jesse]

I'm not a tree though. Trees need sun too. I was running around the block yesterday, and some ditches were almost overflowing onto the driveway. It's too wet, and there is not going to be a drought this year.

Ok, fine. I'll make the rain stop.

[Front Ranger]

Yes... I know how the rain shadow works.   Thanks for the update.  

 

Doesn't always work like that.

 

Sometimes SEA gets more snow than most places. And sometimes they get more rain.

[stuffradio]

Ok, fine. I'll make the rain stop.

Thank you, that's all I wanted to hear. Was that hard!?

[Front Ranger]

Jared should become a superhero named Caveat Man. Or maybe the Masked Asterisk. I can see it now. Giant asterisk symbol on his cape. Asterisk shaped throwing stars. It could be a popular comic*

 

[Front Ranger]

Interestingly though, Orlando proper is less than half the size of Portland with a population of only about 250,000. The metro area has nearly 2.5 million though.

 

 A large percentage of those are transient cartoon characters, though.

[stuffradio]

Yesterday I got 1.75" of rain, today I'm at over 1" of rain. I'm at 16+" of precip for the month of March now.

[Front Ranger]

Can really see the enhanced Olympic shadow effect recently.

 

[BLI snowman]

I heard there were watering restrictions up in eastern Clallam County.

[Phil]

Drama... its coming!

 

And I am pretty sure we will not die if it stopped raining for 2 consecutive days.

Not a single cloud in the sky here today. Cherry blossoms are blooming, birds are singing, and spring is springing.

 

http://i724.photobucket.com/albums/ww243/phillywillie/Mobile%20Uploads/AEA8EAE0-180A-4214-AD93-2D4E14A8108C_zpsf6qqnqb4.jpg

 

http://i724.photobucket.com/albums/ww243/phillywillie/Mobile%20Uploads/D57BB78C-D959-4111-8A7B-EF6F09D2BBDD_zpsnqehvfqd.jpg

 

http://i724.photobucket.com/albums/ww243/phillywillie/Mobile%20Uploads/C531CE42-27F3-4715-8C2D-B3F619DFE9A2_zpsis3gjhg0.jpg

[TT-SEA]

Judging from your posts, one would think you already live underwater.

 

Because I have been tracking SEA setting a rainfall record?   Looking for a couple dry days after almost daily rain for 2 months?   

 

Shocking stuff.     I am the only one in the PNW who has noticed that its been unusually wet.   

[TT-SEA]

Not a single cloud in the sky here today. Cherry blossoms are blooming, birds are singing, and spring is springing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hideous.   Are you able to breath in dry air?   I hope the trees survive today.

 

I also hope your body survives.    We are salamanders out here.   If it stops raining for more than 2 hours we die.   I assume all humans are like this correct?

[TT-SEA]

Doesn't always work like that.

 

Sometimes SEA gets more snow than most places. And sometimes they get more rain.

 

Again.. thanks for the amazing details on PNW weather.   

[Phil]

Hideous. Are you able to breath in dry air? I hope the trees survive today.

 

I also hope your body survives. We are salamanders out here. If it stops raining for more than 2 hours we die. I assume all humans are like this correct?

Luckily there's enough humidity here to substitute. Our gills still work.

[TT-SEA]

Breezy out.

Here too.

[Front Ranger]

Again.. thanks for the amazing details on PNW weather.

Didn't someone say recently we should be allowed to talk about the weather here?

 

I think that applies to both rain and rain shadows. The map shows that the Olympic shadow has been more pronounced than usual with the recent pattern. Just as I said.

[Bryant]

Because I have been tracking SEA setting a rainfall record? Looking for a couple dry days after almost daily rain for 2 months?

 

Shocking stuff. I am the only one in the PNW who has noticed that its been unusually wet.

Someone sure seems touchy! Why not take a break from the forum? There is plenty more rain to come, which means there will be plenty more complaining from you!

[DareDuck]

Didn't someone say recently we should be allowed to talk about the weather here?

 

I think that applies to both rain and rain shadows. The map shows that the shadow has been more pronounced than usual with the recent pattern. Just as I said.

Only allowed to post about record rain. If you mention that certain areas have actually been dry this month, you get posts mocking about trees drying and a drought.

[Jesse]

0efe972df9aa1ed9a8bd4e44074596ff.jpg

Mine was way more clever.

[TT-SEA]

Someone sure seems touchy! Why not take a break from the forum? There is plenty more rain to come, which means there will be plenty more complaining from you!

 

I think its about to become a little more decent.   That will be nice.  I am not asking for 85 and sunny every day.   

 

Nothing wrong with talking about the noteworthy and persistence nature of one type of weather.

 

I should tell every news person and meteorologist in the PNW to take a break when they mention that its been unusually wet.   Like the SEA NWS who was asking a couple weeks ago "who will stop the rain?".   

[TT-SEA]

Only allowed to post about record rain. If you mention that certain areas have actually been dry this month, you get posts mocking about trees drying and a drought.

 

Pretty obvious that very wet and persistent SW flow will result in a pronounced rain shadow on the NE side of the Olympics.    More of a testament to how persistent the pattern has been for the last couple months.

 

But it is interesting.   And I know that a very wet pattern at SEA is usually dry in Sequim.

[stuffradio]

When we're breaking precipitation records for most amount of precipitation for March in over 80 years, why can't we talk about it? We do it all the time for drought records.

[Jesse]

When we're breaking precipitation records for most amount of precipitation for March in over 80 years, why can't we talk about it? We do it all the time for drought records.

I don't think anyone is stopping you. You are talking about it right now.

[stuffradio]

I don't think anyone is stopping you. You are talking about it right now.

But there are mind tricks where I am being stopped somewhere. I can feel it.

[ShawniganLake]

Interesting to see that Shawnigan Lake has actually been drier both in March and Feb/March this year than it was in 2016. Last year the faucet turned off in mid March, however the first half was exceptionally wet.

[Bryant]

I think its about to become a little more decent. That will be nice. I am not asking for 85 and sunny every day.

 

Nothing wrong with talking about the noteworthy and persistence nature of one type of weather.

 

I should tell every news person and meteorologist in the PNW to take a break when they mention that its been unusually wet. Like the SEA NWS who was asking a couple weeks ago "who will stop the rain?".

Talking about it is fine. You take it further than that though

[TT-SEA]

Talking about it is fine. You take it further than that though

 

Not really.   

 

If I mention anything about rain then everyone jumps on me and creates the impression of all this activity on the forum.

 

But I will talk about record setting rain because it is interesting and noteworthy and also my hope for a pattern change... just like EVERYONE talks all winter about they WANT the weather to do.   

[DareDuck]

Pretty obvious that very wet and persistent SW flow will result in a pronounced rain shadow on the NE side of the Olympics. More of a testament to how persistent the pattern has been for the last couple months.

 

But it is interesting. And I know that a very wet pattern at SEA is usually dry in Sequim.

Yes it's not a surprise that Sequim and here in central OR are dry, but just as you want to talk about how wet it is around you, we can talk about how dry it is around us. You and others have made comments about how are our trees are doing and asking about a drought when some of us mention it's not all that wet. We're only around 33% of average the last month, it would be a shame to for us to waste a great winter on a dry spring.

 

Edit: Us as in eastern OR, clearly WA and western OR are set.

[Front Ranger]

I think its about to become a little more decent.   That will be nice.  I am not asking for 85 and sunny every day.   

 

Yeah, looks like a couple sharp troughs with small ridges in between. Should be a lot more sun than the past week.

[bainbridgekid]

Turned into a surprisingly nice afternoon here.

 

Despite the 20-30 mph wind, mid-50's and mainly blue sky feels pretty nice after all the low clouds and drizzle.

[Phil]

Not really.

 

If I mention anything about rain then everyone jumps on me and creates the impression of all this activity on the forum.

 

But I will talk about record setting rain because it is interesting and noteworthy and also my hope for a pattern change... just like EVERYONE talks all winter about they WANT the weather to do.

You've used the word "rain" 474 times in this thread..

[Front Ranger]

Turned into a surprisingly nice afternoon here.

 

Despite the 20-30 mph wind, mid-50's and mainly blue sky feels pretty nice after all the low clouds and drizzle.

 

#olympicrainshadowFTW

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Absolutely pouring for the past hour. Approaching an inch of rain on the day.