May Weather in the Pacific Northwest

[TT-SEA]

I know, it's utter insanity how people like me root for warmer weather after 6 months of low sun angles, gloomy days and endless troughing...

 

Even ridging is often gloomy in the winter... hard to really notice the difference sometimes.   Many times its actually worse under flat ridging.  

 

That is just the way it is here.  

 

I understand what you are saying... temperature anomalies and ridging/troughing details are not important to us.   We just crave nice weather at this point.   

[TT-SEA]

So summer is over....

 

Everyone knows most of our summers last from mid-April to mid-October. Having any troughing in that time period at all is unusual and worthy of bitter complaining.

 

Of course then from mid-October to mid-April it is either dry and cold or snowing. 40s/50s and rain is what we see most infrequently by far, and we should set our expectations as such.

 

Are you feeling OK?

[Geos]

Was a surprise to have 70 degrees and partly sunny skies almost all day. Got a measly 0.01" of rain last night. 

[TT-SEA]

Was a surprise to have 70 degrees and partly sunny skies almost all day. Got a measly 0.01" of rain last night. 

 

The entire Seattle area was in a favorable rain shadow situation today.   

 

Its been raining off and on here all day... was just dumping rain again in the last 15 minutes.   I could hear it pounding on the roof.   Well over half an inch since yesterday.   No watering necessary here!

[Geos]

The entire Seattle area was in a favorable rain shadow situation today.   

 

Its been raining off and on here all day... was just dumping rain again in the last 15 minutes.   I could hear it pounding on the roof.   Well over half an inch since yesterday.   No watering necessary here!

 

I see you got into the action today.

One shower trying to push into the rain shadow now.

 

[Jesse]

Are you feeling OK?

If my Tim impression makes you think I might be sick that says a lot.

[Jesse]

Prolly not.

70 at PDX today.

 

Despite no hourly readings above 67, of course.

[TT-SEA]

70 at PDX today.

 

Despite no hourly readings above 67, of course.

Good call yesterday!

[Jesse]

Good call yesterday!

 

They've been running a fever lately. A good rule of thumb is to take whatever you would reasonably expect with the pattern and add 3-4 degrees.

[Jesse]

The next 15 days probably will be warm. But the pattern change is already ongoing by d10-15 on the 12z EPS. So it won’t be long until the transition, from that point.

 

My gut says to expect it during the last few days of May, but I might be too slow again. The Baffin Bay vortex/+NAO collapses during week two, as the anticyclone moved towards Greenland from Eurasia, and the slow retrogression of ridging to the Aleutians begins right afterwards.

 

 

So happy to hear that the death of this awful pattern may be in sight soon.

[TT-SEA]

So happy to hear that the death of this awful pattern may be in sight soon.

 

Awfully pleasant!

 

But pouring rain here once again.   

[TT-SEA]

If my Tim impression makes you think I might be sick that says a lot.

 

No... its your ranting.   

[Jesse]

No... its your ranting.

I prefer to call it Timming.

[TT-SEA]

I prefer to call it Timming.

 

Nice cover for your intense anxiety about temperature anomalies!     I just want it to be nice for my own activities.   Very simple. 

 

Being constantly anxious about temperature anomalies during pleasant periods of weather is a little different.   That is Jesseing.       

[Jesse]

Nice cover for your intense anxiety about temperature anomalies! I just want it to be nice for my own activities. Very simple.

 

Being constantly anxious about temperature anomalies during pleasant periods of weather is a little different. That is Jesseing.

There’s the Timming I was talking about!

[Deweydog]

70 at PDX today.

 

Despite no hourly readings above 67, of course.

Little more sun than I imagined today. Nice day!

[TT-SEA]

There’s the Timming I was talking about!

Two peas in a pod buddy. Only you can't see it.

[Deweydog]

If my Tim impression makes you think I might be sick that says a lot.

[Jesse]

Two peas in a pod buddy. Only you can't see it.

 

I thought you were just saying your ranting was different and more moral than mine?

[Jesse]

 

Have you watched the Universe one? That is my favorite.

[TT-SEA]

I thought you were just saying your ranting was different and more moral than mine?

 

No... you are probably more moral.   You are worried endlessly about the environment.   I just want nice weather for myself.    I assume the environment will take care of itself... its been much hotter and colder in endless cycles forever and that will go on for billions of years into the future.   We are only here for a short time though.  

[TigerWoodsLibido]

Been a nice trip so far.

[Jesse]

Been a nice trip so far.

I see clouds. How are you not dead?

[TT-SEA]

I see clouds. How are you not dead?

Hyperbole!

[Guest happ]

No... you are probably more moral.   You are worried endlessly about the environment.   I just want nice weather for myself.    I assume the environment will take care of itself... its been much hotter and colder in endless cycles forever and that will go on for billions of years into the future.   We are only here for a short time though.  

 

I'm sorry but your statements are totally irresponsible.  

[Front Ranger]

Anxiety Battle 2018!

 

Exactly like every anxiety battle since time began, only warmer and wetter.

[Deweydog]

Have you watched the Universe one? That is my favorite.

Good stuff. I'm a big Tim and Eric fan.

[Jesse]

67/51 here today. One of my favorite days of the month so far with relatively low humidity, cool breezes and puffy clouds.

[TT-SEA]

I'm sorry but your statements are totally irresponsible.  

 

Probably.   

 

But I really think humans are just a blip on the Earth's radar.   The universe is a brutal place all on its own.   I am not out intentionally destroying the environment.   I am just not going to lose sleep about a little global warming when the Earth has gone through much more wild extremes for billions of years and this will continue for billions of years into the future.   One comet strike and its nuclear winter and we are all dead anyways.  

 

And if we enter a period like the LIA again then any greenhouse effect we can muster will be a small benefit.  

[Jesse]

After the discussion about PDX running warm yesterday, I e-mailed the local NWS to get their thoughts on the disparity between there and nearby stations last evening. Here was the reply I got. Seems reasonable.....it sounds like they just maintained the station on 5/7.

 

Jesse,

 

We think wind speed and direction is the cause of the temperature differences.  If the winds are southerly (SE-S-SW), the warm dry air passes over the PDX sensor first, then pass over the Columbia River (about 60 deg F) cooling off the air, then over VUO. Could easily account for a 3 degree difference.  Troutdale Airport is at the mouth of the Columbia River Gorge, which can have significant impacts on the Troutdale winds and temperatures.  Southerly winds with warm, dry days also increase about the time you are talking about.
 

   Yesterday, peak temperatures were around 3 PM.  Winds at that time were:  PDX 220 degrees at 14 gusting to 23 knots.  VUO  variable at 3 knots.  TTD 200 degrees at 11 knots.
 

   PDX and VUO temperature sensors are unchanged since March.  PDX did have routine maintenance May 7th, but no real change.

 

   That is our thoughts.  Hope this helps.
 

   Jerry, NWS Portland

[Deweydog]

After the discussion about PDX running warm yesterday, I e-mailed the local NWS to get their thoughts on the disparity between there and nearby stations last evening. Here was the reply I got. Seems reasonable.....it sounds like they just maintained the station on 5/7.

Jesse,

 

 

We think wind speed and direction is the cause of the temperature differences. If the winds are southerly (SE-S-SW), the warm dry air passes over the PDX sensor first, then pass over the Columbia River (about 60 deg F) cooling off the air, then over VUO. Could easily account for a 3 degree difference. Troutdale Airport is at the mouth of the Columbia River Gorge, which can have significant impacts on the Troutdale winds and temperatures. Southerly winds with warm, dry days also increase about the time you are talking about.

Yesterday, peak temperatures were around 3 PM. Winds at that time were: PDX 220 degrees at 14 gusting to 23 knots. VUO variable at 3 knots. TTD 200 degrees at 11 knots.

 

PDX and VUO temperature sensors are unchanged since March. PDX did have routine maintenance May 7th, but no real change.

That is our thoughts. Hope this helps.

Jerry, NWS Portland

Haha! Another spot on Tim impression. You're on a roll!

[Jesse]

Haha! Another spot on Tim impression. You're on a roll!

Tim e-mails the NWS?

[TigerWoodsLibido]

I see clouds. How are you not dead?

My soul died after this past winter where I was the sad bullseye, now I just enjoy the chaos.

[Deweydog]

Tim e-mails the NWS?

He has a well-documented international airport fixation.

[Front Ranger]

 

After the discussion about PDX running warm yesterday, I e-mailed the local NWS to get their thoughts on the disparity between there and nearby stations last evening. Here was the reply I got. Seems reasonable.....it sounds like they just maintained the station on 5/7.

 

Jesse,

 

We think wind speed and direction is the cause of the temperature differences.  If the winds are southerly (SE-S-SW), the warm dry air passes over the PDX sensor first, then pass over the Columbia River (about 60 deg F) cooling off the air, then over VUO. Could easily account for a 3 degree difference.  Troutdale Airport is at the mouth of the Columbia River Gorge, which can have significant impacts on the Troutdale winds and temperatures.  Southerly winds with warm, dry days also increase about the time you are talking about.

 

   Yesterday, peak temperatures were around 3 PM.  Winds at that time were:  PDX 220 degrees at 14 gusting to 23 knots.  VUO  variable at 3 knots.  TTD 200 degrees at 11 knots.

 

   PDX and VUO temperature sensors are unchanged since March.  PDX did have routine maintenance May 7th, but no real change.

 

   That is our thoughts.  Hope this helps.

 

   Jerry, NWS Portland

 

 

Sure, Jerry.

 

#insidejob

[MossMan]

Today turned out much nicer than I thought it was going to be. No rain and got downright warm again!

[Deweydog]

Looks like the 00z had a layover at PDX.

[TT-SEA]

Looks like the 00z had a layover at PDX.

 

 

GEM as well.  

[VancouverIslandSouth]

Was a surprise to have 70 degrees and partly sunny skies almost all day. Got a measly 0.01" of rain last night. 

 

Same here, this has been pretty disappointing for an event that initially looked like it could dump over an inch in the region.

[BLI snowman]

This summer is looking like 2015 sprinkled with a dab of 1992 and 1958 and 1967 and 1906.