PNW January 2023 Observations and Discussion

[MossMan]

7 minutes ago, TT-SEA said:

Grass is in deep dormancy there.   Very, very brown.   

Even at home I have new growth in a dead patch from last summer, 

[TT-SEA]

1 minute ago, MossMan said:

Even at home I have new growth in a dead patch from last summer, 

Balderdash... there is never any new growth until at least the end of May per our sheep herder down south.  

[MossMan]

I cannot remember the last time we were at 56 degrees…Late October? Or maybe Thanksgiving as that was a warm day? January delivers once again! 

[Cascadia_Wx]

Gloomy wet day here. Picked up over 1/4” precip since midnight with some heavy rain earlier. High of 49 so far.

[Rubus Leucodermis]

 

[Rubus Leucodermis]

37 minutes ago, MossMan said:

Even at home I have new growth in a dead patch from last summer, 

Same here. Even unwatered lawns that were totally brown last October now have quite the distinct greenish tinge, and are getting greener every day.

[Anti Marine Layer]

49 minutes ago, Cold Snap said:

Great day in Leavenworth! Besides the fact it’s 39 with light rain. Tons of snow on the ground though! 

Rain makes messy snow.

[TT-SEA]

5 minutes ago, Rubus Leucodermis said:

Same here. Even unwatered lawns that were totally brown last October now have quite the distinct greenish tinge, and are getting greener every day.

I started noticing it a week ago up here and now its obviously greening up more every day.     

[Timmy]

This will probably happen because I’ll be on a cruise until Saturday…

Edited January 14, 2023 by Timmy

[SouthHillFrosty]

It will hit Mossman, don’t worry

[TT-SEA]

8 minutes ago, Timmy said:

This will probably happen because I’ll be on a cruise until Saturday…

If you want the definition of First World Problem... its this post.  

[Doinko]

1 minute ago, SouthHillFrosty said:

It will hit Mossman, don’t worry

4" of snow for me!

[MossMan]

I have all the windows in the house open! Another January 2019 analog! 

[snow_wizard]

14 minutes ago, SouthHillFrosty said:

It will hit Mossman, don’t worry

He was having some problems getting a lot of snow out of some of the earlier events.  It's never guaranteed even there.

[snow_wizard]

Pretty nice GFS run.

[Doinko]

A few chilly troughs on the 18z GFS and then it tries to drop an arctic airmass over the CONUS towards the very end

[snow_wizard]

31 minutes ago, Rubus Leucodermis said:

Same here. Even unwatered lawns that were totally brown last October now have quite the distinct greenish tinge, and are getting greener every day.

I like the old saying...a January spring ain't worth a thing....

[Doinko]

1 minute ago, Doinko said:

A few chilly troughs on the 18z GFS and then it tries to drop an arctic airmass over the CONUS towards the very end

[TT-SEA]

7 minutes ago, snow_wizard said:

I like the old saying...a January spring ain't worth a thing....

Oh... its a very enjoyable break and that is definitely worth something.    I love this aspect of our winters.    

[snow_wizard]

2 minutes ago, TT-SEA said:

Oh... its a very enjoyable break and that is definitely worth something.    I love this aspect of our winters.  

I'm just thrilled the entire month isn't going to be a waste this year.  Can't wait to see how the second half plays out.

[TT-SEA]

Just now, snow_wizard said:

I'm just thrilled the entire month isn't going to be a waste this year.  Can't wait to see how the second half plays out.

Warm periods like we have had recently is why it greens up so much faster here in the spring than other places at our latitude.   We avoid deep dormancy.  

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Seems like we will be in a great spot for the retrograde. 

[snow_wizard]

Looks like the SSW is pretty likely to happen before the month is over, and it could be a big one.

[TacomaWx]

54/43 here today. Was very sunny this morning but starting to cloud up. Could even see Mt.Baker to the north of here…not a very common occurrence in mid winter. 

[Phishy Wx]

1 hour ago, TT-SEA said:

Grass is in deep dormancy there.   Very, very brown.   

whatever grass we have never turns completely brown, always some shade of green/tan even in dead of winter and when snow covered

[TT-SEA]

6 minutes ago, snow_wizard said:

Looks like the SSW is pretty likely to happen before the month is over, and it could be a big one.

Probably take until almost March for that to have an impact.  

[Meatyorologist]

Just now, TT-SEA said:

Probably take until almost March for that to have an impact.  

That's not necessarily true? Sometimes the effects take only a couple days to manifest from what I've heard. Then there are extreme cases like Dec 2018 that took until the turn to February to make a difference. Regardless, with -ENSO/+QBO I doubt we'll need one. @Phil could probably explain it.

[TT-SEA]

Just now, Meatyorologist said:

That's not necessarily true? Sometimes the effects take only a couple days to manifest from what I've heard. Then there are extreme cases like Dec 2018 that took until the turn to February to make a difference. Regardless, with -ENSO/+QBO I doubt we'll need one. @Phil could probably explain it.

I don't think we need one.   And I am the complete opposite of an expert.   I am just repeating what they said in the Ag Weather update yesterday.   

[MR.SNOWMIZER]

2 hours ago, TT-SEA said:

Yeah... big crash in 1996 then back into 60s in the middle of February.   Reached 70 at Snoqualmie Falls and 65 at SEA.

I think its really nice to go back and forth between spectacular weather like this and cold/snow during the winter.    Good variety.

It has been extremely difficult for my area to crack 50 this winter. Just one since November 4th and today we only hit 48. 

[MWG]

I guess is stormy out there. Winds have picked up and from 46F it went to 43F in like 5 minutes at home.

[TT-SEA]

6 minutes ago, MR.SNOWMIZER said:

It has been extremely difficult for my area to crack 50 this winter. Just one since November 4th and today we only hit 48. 

Amazing... today is the 11th 50+ day in a row in North Bend!    And the 17th 50+ day since Christmas.

[VancouverIslandSouth]

2 hours ago, MossMan said:

I cannot remember the last time we were at 56 degrees…Late October? Or maybe Thanksgiving as that was a warm day? January delivers once again! 

More like Junuary at this point.

[TT-SEA]

Today is also the 15th 50+ SEA at SEA since Christmas.   And with 5 days at 49 in that period so really close to being more.

[snow_wizard]

11 minutes ago, MR.SNOWMIZER said:

It has been extremely difficult for my area to crack 50 this winter. Just one since November 4th and today we only hit 48. 

East wind here again today.  No doubt there is a connection.

[snow_wizard]

This year my yard is still brown from last summer.  The cold came so suddenly after the dry weather ended it never got a chance to come back.  50s are done after today for a long time it appears.

[TT-SEA]

1 minute ago, snow_wizard said:

This year my yard is still brown from last summer.  The cold came so suddenly after the dry weather ended it never got a chance to come back.  50s are done after today for a long time it appears.

That is the way it was here when the snow melted in early January... but the last couple weeks have made a really noticeable difference.  

[Meatyorologist]

1 hour ago, Cascadia_Wx said:

Gloomy wet day here. Picked up over 1/4” precip since midnight with some heavy rain earlier. High of 49 so far.

Sounds lovely. Hoping for similar weather patterns in July.

[Deweydog]

6 minutes ago, snow_wizard said:

This year my yard is still brown from last summer.  The cold came so suddenly after the dry weather ended it never got a chance to come back.  50s are done after today for a long time it appears.

Ours is pretty similar. It was about as rough a July-Dec stretch you could draw up.

[TT-SEA]

5 minutes ago, Meatyorologist said:

Sounds lovely. Hoping for similar weather patterns in July.

Today was 11 degrees warmer than normal on the high at SEA... that would be 90 degrees in July.    

[Meatyorologist]

1 minute ago, TT-SEA said:

Today was 11 degrees warmer than normal on the high at SEA... that would be 90 degrees in July.    

Speaking literally, today's weather pattern in July would have the Puget Sound region looking down the barrel of a huge thunderstorm complex.