March Weather in the Pacific Northwest

[SilverFallsAndrew]

I thought all hell broke loose down there last night?

 

I guess it was more like Grants Pass...

[ShawniganLake]

Wettest day since February 1st here. Over a 1/2” of liquid from mixed precip and non sticking wet snow.

[Jesse]

Wettest day since February 1st here. Over a 1/2” of liquid from mixed precip and non sticking wet snow.

How warm?

[TigerWoodsLibido]

Yeah, ready for next season. Bigtime disappointment for many this year so it can't get much worse next winter.  Only a handful of years I can remember were more lame than this one for this location since I moved here.  02-03, 04-05, 14-15 and 15-16.  First time I've lived here with 3 of 4 years having 1" or less between all 3 of them.  Fortunately 16-17 was quite good. 8-9 next year, we are due for a regional significant arctic front and major event at some point.

[Jesse]

[Timmy Supercell]

I thought all hell broke loose down there last night?

 

Last 2 winter weather advisories I was involved in were fails sort of.

 

In fact I was tagged on a FB post last night why I wasn't posting.

[TT-SEA]

Seattle Times has an article about spring today... quoting the SEA NWS office calling it our season of "disappointment".   

 

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/weather/the-season-of-disappointment-spring-like-weather-is-just-a-tease-weather-service-says/

 

But, as one forecaster at the National Weather Service in Seattle likes to say, the more accurate names for the four seasons around here are: summer, fall, winter and … disappointment.

 

“Our spring is slow and long. It’s a tease.”

[ShawniganLake]

How warm?

About 2F too warm for a decent snowfall here this morning.

[luvssnow_spokane]

Yeah, ready for next season. Bigtime disappointment for many this year so it can't get much worse next winter.  Only a handful of years I can remember were more lame than this one for this location since I moved here.  02-03, 04-05, 14-15 and 15-16.  First time I've lived here with 3 of 4 years having 1" or less between all 3 of them.  Fortunately 16-17 was quite good. 8-9 next year, we are due for a regional significant arctic front and major event at some point.

 

Oh yes it can...

[Jesse]

Seattle Times has an article about spring today... quoting the SEA NWS office calling it our season of "disappointment".

 

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/weather/the-season-of-disappointment-spring-like-weather-is-just-a-tease-weather-service-says/

 

But, as one forecaster at the National Weather Service in Seattle likes to say, the more accurate names for the four seasons around here are: summer, fall, winter and … disappointment.

 

“Our spring is slow and long. It’s a tease.”

Maybe someday we will go straight into very warm weather in March like California. We can only pray!

[Jesse]

At the risk of getting kicked out of the razor blade club I will say I didn’t hate this winter. The January torch sucked but at least the other two months were below average and had some snowfall. I have seen far worse in very recent years (2014-15, 2015-16).

[Timmy Supercell]

At the risk of getting kicked out of the razor blade club I will say I didn’t hate this winter. The January torch sucked but at least the other two months were below average and had some snowfall. I have seen far worse in very recent years (2014-15, 2015-16).

 

This winter was very outdoor-friendly for me so I'll say the same. Got some snow but this season will no doubt end up being well below normal level. Had 1 low temperature fairly close to zero recently so I guess this winter gets a few points.

 

The one thing I didn't like was the blatant lack of foggy mornings and good sunsets/sunrises. My cameras basically collected dust since December.

 

It may be late asking this; but was southern Oregon literally the only place that got a good winter in '15-'16 season?

[TT-SEA]

Good conditions at Snoqualmie Summit... 

 

[Front Ranger]

Seattle Times has an article about spring today... quoting the SEA NWS office calling it our season of "disappointment".

 

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/weather/the-season-of-disappointment-spring-like-weather-is-just-a-tease-weather-service-says/

 

But, as one forecaster at the National Weather Service in Seattle likes to say, the more accurate names for the four seasons around here are: summer, fall, winter and … disappointment.

 

“Our spring is slow and long. It’s a tease.”

Eh, depends how you look at it. Temps steadily warm and precipitation drops a lot between now and May.

 

2008, 2011, 2012, 2017...not normal springs.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

I actually had a high of 66 during the fabled March of 2012. 

[Frontal Snowsquall]

Yeah... very likely that it will be the warmest spring on record. In a Nina year.

The Weather Network thinks it's going to scorch for most of the country and I agree with them.

 

"While Florida will likely see a wetter pattern as we head into summer, no relief is expected for California or Texas as a hot and dry pattern will get established early and dominate the summer.

 

Preliminary look ahead to summer

 

We expect a hot summer for most of the country, with above-normal temperatures dominating the months of June, July, and August. The one region that appears least likely to see a hot summer is centered on the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes. To some extent, this resembles the pattern we saw last summer. However, we expect that this summer will be hotter than last summer across the Southeast, and even the Great Lakes region should experience more hot weather than they did last year.  

 

Potentially one of the biggest stories of the summer will be the worsening drought conditions across western and central parts of the United States, with a significant impact on agriculture and wildfires. As we develop our final summer forecast we will be closely analyzing the threat for these drought conditions to extend further north and east."

 

https://www.theweathernetwork.com/us/amp/news/2018-us-national-spring-forecast-next-three-months-of-weather-temperature-precipitation/96343

[TT-SEA]

The Weather Network thinks it's going to scorch for most of the country and I agree with them.

 

"While Florida will likely see a wetter pattern as we head into summer, no relief is expected for California or Texas as a hot and dry pattern will get established early and dominate the summer.

 

Preliminary look ahead to summer

 

We expect a hot summer for most of the country, with above-normal temperatures dominating the months of June, July, and August. The one region that appears least likely to see a hot summer is centered on the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes. To some extent, this resembles the pattern we saw last summer. However, we expect that this summer will be hotter than last summer across the Southeast, and even the Great Lakes region should experience more hot weather than they did last year.  

 

Potentially one of the biggest stories of the summer will be the worsening drought conditions across western and central parts of the United States, with a significant impact on agriculture and wildfires. As we develop our final summer forecast we will be closely analyzing the threat for these drought conditions to extend further north and east."

 

https://www.theweathernetwork.com/us/amp/news/2018-us-national-spring-forecast-next-three-months-of-weather-temperature-precipitation/96343

 

 

When its hot everywhere else... its usually cool and wet up here.

[MossMan]

At the risk of getting kicked out of the razor blade club I will say I didn’t hate this winter. The January torch sucked but at least the other two months were below average and had some snowfall. I have seen far worse in very recent years (2014-15, 2015-16).

I upgraded my February grade to an A+ Since we had a spectacular Sunday the 11th full of sun and warmth, and then snowmegeddon the weekend after that with snow that remained through the rest of the month with a few other small snow events mixed in. Oh sub freezing high and a low of 15! Jake and I were one of the lucky snow ones. 23” of snow for me for the season.

[jakeinthevalley]

When its hot everywhere else... its usually cool and wet up here.

Winter yes, but not necessarily during the Summer months. Jet is not strong enough to dictate the wintertime dynamics

[TT-SEA]

Winter yes, but not necessarily during the Summer months. Jet is not strong enough to dictate the wintertime dynamics

 

No... its even more likely in the summer.   In the winter it can be very wet here when the rest of the country is in the deep freezer as we saw in late January and early February. 

[Front Ranger]

Looking like a lot of partly sunny, cool days with occasional showers coming up. Nice early spring weather.

 

February ended up with only 2.16" of precip at SEA. 1.34" below normal, and about 6.7" less than last February. Driest February since 2013.

[ShawniganLake]

Looking like a lot of partly sunny, cool days with occasional showers coming up. Nice early spring weather.

 

February ended up with only 2.16" of precip at SEA. 1.34" below normal, and about 6.7" less than last February. Driest February since 2013.

Garbage station. What about Olympia?

[ShawniganLake]

Euro actually shows snow here next week. I’m a little surprised.

[MossMan]

Euro actually shows snow here next week. I’m a little surprised.

Really? How about elsewhere?

[TT-SEA]

Really? How about elsewhere?

Nada!

[ShawniganLake]

Really? How about elsewhere?

[Jesse]

31F5A48D-E16B-466F-8D97-D4FB625061DF.png

Nada!!

[Front Ranger]

Garbage station. What about Olympia?

 

Not for precip. 

 

It was also quite a bit drier than normal at OLM, about 2" below. Driest February since 2009 there.

[Front Ranger]

Nada!!

 

And Tim said the Euro makes him look smart...

[Jesse]

12z Euro looks to delay any warm period, fortunately. Nice to see it trend away from the 00z.

[Jesse]

Eh, depends how you look at it. Temps steadily warm and precipitation drops a lot between now and May.

 

2008, 2011, 2012, 2017...not normal springs.

Neither were 2014, 2015, 2016.

[TT-SEA]

Nada!!

 

Most of that snow in the lowlands of OR and SW WA shown on the 10 day snowfall map happens in the first 6-hour period of the run which was 4-10 a.m. today.     

 

And that very light gray shading on the accumulated snowfall map is usually nothing in reality.    

[Frontal Snowsquall]

When its hot everywhere else... its usually cool and wet up here.

Well Dr. Doug Gillham Meteorologist,PhD did say if there's a region that's least likely to get a hot summer it would be the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes areas. So I could envision a ridge building directly overhead or nearby and rule the PNW for most of the summer. As a fan of extreme weather I will welcome multiple heat waves and 100+ tempermatures with open arms. Maybe this summer PDX can finally set an all time record high of 108 or above.

[TigerWoodsLibido]

Well Dr. Doug Gillham Meteorologist,PhD did say if there's a region that's least likely to get a hot summer it would be the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes areas. So I could envision a ridge building directly overhead or nearby and rule the PNW for most of the summer. As a fan of extreme weather I will welcome multiple heat waves and 100+ tempermatures with open arms. Maybe this summer PDX can finally set an all time record high of 108 or above.

 

Some parts of the Willamette Valley did set their all-time high.  We hit 109 here.  It'll keep being more and more regular as it continues to warm.  4 straight inferno summers, I doubt it changes.

[TT-SEA]

Well Dr. Doug Gillham Meteorologist,PhD did say if there's a region that's least likely to get a hot summer it would be the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes areas. So I could envision a ridge building directly overhead or nearby and rule the PNW for most of the summer. As a fan of extreme weather I will welcome multiple heat waves and 100+ tempermatures with open arms. Maybe this summer PDX can finally set an all time record high of 108 or above.

 

A cool Midwest would be a good sign for a warm summer in the PNW.

[ShawniganLake]

Well Dr. Doug Gillham Meteorologist,PhD did say if there's a region that's least likely to get a hot summer it would be the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes areas. So I could envision a ridge building directly overhead or nearby and rule the PNW for most of the summer. As a fan of extreme weather I will welcome multiple heat waves and 100+ tempermatures with open arms. Maybe this summer PDX can finally set an all time record high of 108 or above.

Finally? When did they set that 108F record?

[TT-SEA]

Nam shows close to a foot of snow here over the next couple days

 

 

Good Lord.

 

The 00Z ECMWF showed 51 at PDX this afternoon and again tomorrow afternoon and 49 on Saturday afternoon.   Hard to believe you will have that much snow with those temperatures around Portland.  

 

 

 

As PDX approaches 50 this afternoon... my assumption above proved to be accurate.   It did not make sense that Timmy would see a foot of snow with the ECMWF showing highs around 50 at PDX.     There is a big difference between his location and PDX... but not usually that big.  

[wx_statman]

Looks like Norway set its national record low for the month of March yesterday. A reading of -41.8 C (-43 F) in a town called Folldal. Previous record was -39.5 C (-39 F) on March 5, 1949 in a town called Drevsjo. 

 

Cool video of the blizzard that hit Dublin airport (in March!):

 

https://twitter.com/DublinAirport/status/969368265662267393

 

 

[TigerWoodsLibido]

Looks like Norway set its national record low for the month of March yesterday. A reading of -41.8 C (-43 F) in a town called Folldal. Previous record was -39.5 C (-39 F) on March 5, 1949 in a town called Drevsjo. 

 

Cool video of the blizzard that hit Dublin airport (in March!):

 

https://twitter.com/DublinAirport/status/969368265662267393

 

Feels like we will never set cold/snow records here anymore.

[Jesse]

Feels like we will never set cold/snow records here anymore.

We just set a few last week.