PNW February 2023 Weather Discussion - Meteorological winter finale

[RentonHill]

16 minutes ago, SilverFallsAndrew said:

In the mid-valley it seemed like February 1989 was more well remembered than December 1990. I growing up whenever people would talk about February 1989, I would point out that statistically December 1990 was more impressive in terms of duration. But it came in with a massive snow event in the valley and I think that's what point remember. 

We have an old home video somewhere of December 1990. We're all huddled around the fireplace under blankets and the power is out. My dad mentions the temperature at some point....I really need to find that one. We had just moved to our new house in Issaquah from the bay area earlier that year. My mom dropped me down the stairs during the WS earthquake and that was that for us in California. 

[Gradient Keeper]

Day 5

[umadbro]

The best valley snow event I’ve experienced was 02/14 and DEC 2008.  Jan 17 I saw a grand total of 3-4 inches. When i moved to Ridgefield. Feb 2021 was awesome. April 22 was also undeniably a fascinating event. I tend to toss out years like Dec 2008 and February 2021 because Clark county just isn’t considered “valley” call it a character flaw. Of all snow events. February 21 and April of 22 will always stand out to me. Excluding my pre teenage years living in Lynnwood.

[Gradient Keeper]

Day 6

[Gradient Keeper]

Day 7

[SilverFallsAndrew]

7 minutes ago, RentonHill said:

We have an old home video somewhere of December 1990. We're all huddled around the fireplace under blankets and the power is out. My dad mentions the temperature at some point....I really need to find that one. We had just moved to our new house in Issaquah from the bay area earlier that year. My mom dropped me down the stairs during the WS earthquake and that was that for us in California. 

We had just moved up here from San Diego when the bay area earthquake hit in 1989. I remember my Dad coming out in the backyard and telling me about it, and not really being able to understand what he was talking about until I saw the scenes of devastation on TV. 

[SilverFallsAndrew]

16 minutes ago, umadbro said:

The best valley snow event I’ve experienced was 02/14 and DEC 2008.  Jan 17 I saw a grand total of 3-4 inches. When i moved to Ridgefield. Feb 2021 was awesome. April 22 was also undeniably a fascinating event. I tend to toss out years like Dec 2008 and February 2021 because Clark county just isn’t considered “valley” call it a character flaw. Of all snow events. February 21 and April of 22 will always stand out to me. Excluding my pre teenage years living in Lynnwood.

When I lived in the valley, February 1993 is hands down the best event I experienced. Also great because it was completely unforeseen. Went to bed with Jim Bozley telling us about a potential inch of snow, and then we ended up getting 13". 1/1/2004 is also a personal favorite. Forecast was for 1500' snow levels and ended up getting 6". 

[Gradient Keeper]

Day 8

[Gradient Keeper]

La Nina returns on this Euro run

[Gradient Keeper]

Day 9'er

[umadbro]

11 minutes ago, SilverFallsAndrew said:

When I lived in the valley, February 1993 is hands down the best event I experienced. Also great because it was completely unforeseen. Went to bed with Jim Bozley telling us about a potential inch of snow, and then we ended up getting 13". 1/1/2004 is also a personal favorite. Forecast was for 1500' snow levels and ended up getting 6". 

January 2004 is the one event I can’t say one way or the the other. I was in Buffalo that Christmas and on the way home we got stuck in Denver for a couple days. I arrived at the a** end of that so I can’t be honest about it.

[Gradient Keeper]

Day 10

[Gradient Keeper]

00z ECMWF 10 Day Rainfall, Snowfall totals

[snow_wizard]

TPV says bye bye on tonight's ECMWF.  Booted and then shredded.  Maybe due to the SSW (that maybe was or wasn't an SSW).

[Gradient Keeper]

Jim wins!

[snow_wizard]

15 minutes ago, Gradient Keeper said:

Day 10

Major potential...especially when looking at the very deep NW Pacific low.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Just now, snow_wizard said:

Major potential...especially when looking at the very deep NW Pacific low.

Is it coming?!

[WeatherGeek2022]

Just now, SilverFallsAndrew said:

Is it coming?!

by the power of miracle magic just maybe.

[snow_wizard]

1 hour ago, Gradient Keeper said:

I have not yet been fortunate enough to visit the Steens. Looks jaw dropping. Amazing how they just seemingly abruptly rise up from the southeastern Oregon deserts.

Pretty mind blowing that even the flat area there is at least 4000 feet elevation.  That part of OR is very high indeed.

[snow_wizard]

Crazy temperature range tonight.  From 25 in OLM to low 40s in the U District of Seattle.  Currently 31 here.  Freezing low number 51 looks to be in the bag!

[RentonHill]

[RentonHill]

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Jim, did you catch my post about Burns putting up a -11/-45 day in December 1924? 

Another thing I would mention for folks unfamiliar with Burns, is it is quite a bit bigger than Winthrop/Twisp, etc... Not that it matters, but though isolated from the rest of the world, it is not a remote place out in the desert or high in the mountains where no one lives, their current population is 2750. 

Another fun fact. Though the county is over 10,000 square miles, 60% of people live in Burns/Hines (The towns are connected.). These are the only two incorporated towns in the county. Crane is a "census designated place," with a population of 115. Crane also has a K-12 school, which is also a public boarding school. 

Former Oregon Duck and 11 year NFL Quarterback Kellen Clemens is from Burns, in 2001 he led Burns to the state championship game against Scappoose and former Oregon State and NFL QB Derek Anderson. 

[snow_wizard]

1 minute ago, SilverFallsAndrew said:

Jim, did you catch my post about Burns putting up a -11/-45 day in December 1924? 

Another thing I would mention for folks unfamiliar with Burns, is it is quite a bit bigger than Winthrop/Twisp, etc... Not that it matters, but though isolated from the rest of the world, it is not a remote place out in the desert or high in the mountains where no one lives, their current population is 2750. 

Another fun fact. Though the county is over 10,000 square miles, 60% of people live in Burns/Hines (The towns are connected.). These are the only two incorporated towns in the county. Crane is a "census designated place," with a population of 115. Crane also has a K-12 school, which is also a public boarding school. 

Former Oregon Duck and 11 year NFL Quarterback Kellen Clemens is from Burns, in 2001 he led Burns to the state championship game against Scappoose and former Oregon State and NFL QB Derek Anderson. 

That is insanely cold!

[snow_wizard]

3 minutes ago, RentonHill said:

Now that is improvement!

[RentonHill]

2 minutes ago, SilverFallsAndrew said:

Jim, did you catch my post about Burns putting up a -11/-45 day in December 1924? 

Another thing I would mention for folks unfamiliar with Burns, is it is quite a bit bigger than Winthrop/Twisp, etc... Not that it matters, but though isolated from the rest of the world, it is not a remote place out in the desert or high in the mountains where no one lives, their current population is 2750. 

Another fun fact. Though the county is over 10,000 square miles, 60% of people live in Burns/Hines (The towns are connected.). These are the only two incorporated towns in the county. Crane is a "census designated place," with a population of 115. Crane also has a K-12 school, which is also a public boarding school. 

Former Oregon Duck and 11 year NFL Quarterback Kellen Clemens is from Burns, in 2001 he led Burns to the state championship game against Scappoose and former Oregon State and NFL QB Derek Anderson. 

What is it about small town quarterbacks named kellen leading their teams to state championships?

[Gradient Keeper]

3 minutes ago, RentonHill said:

Ohhhhhhhhh...... Okay then.

[RentonHill]

[RentonHill]

[RentonHill]

Hmm

[ShawniganLake]

25 minutes ago, snow_wizard said:

TPV says bye bye on tonight's ECMWF.  Booted and then shredded.  Maybe due to the SSW (that maybe was or wasn't an SSW).

Was there a wind reversal in the stratospheric polar vortex?  If not, then it won’t be classified as an SSW. 

[umadbro]

30 minutes ago, Gradient Keeper said:

Jim wins!

It still isn’t coming though.

[RentonHill]

Incoming!

[RentonHill]

[SilverFallsAndrew]

2 minutes ago, RentonHill said:

What is it about small town quarterbacks named kellen leading their teams to state championships?

My nephew is actually named after Kellen Clemens. He plays WR though. 

Last Harney County plug of the night here, but I remember hearing about this when it happened. Pretty wild story. 

https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=19990727&slug=2974005

I also attended the Frenchglen Rodeo back in August 2019, Frenchglen is a very small community at the north entrance to the Steens Mountain Loop road. By small community, maybe 10-15 full time residents. The rodeo is a basically a community event for folks who live around the desolate reaches of southern Harney County. It was cool, the event seemed to be put on by locals and the riders appeared to be from local ranches and families too. Many of the events were kids competing too which was pretty impressive. It is a very edge of the world type of place, I cannot imagine what it would be like to live there. Or out on the sprawling ranches on the SW side of Steens or towards Hart Mtn Antelope Refuge. 

Hart Mountain is an amazing area about 40-50 miles west of Steens Mountain, kind of a miniature Steens Mtn. Cool hot springs on there too. I would say there are no more than 3-4 ranches in that 50 mile stretch between Frenchglen and Hart Mtn. Once you go about 10-15 mile south of Frenchglen you turn off the paved road and its at least 30 miles of gravel to Hart Mountain. 

The Steens Mountain Loop road is also incredible. One can drive close to the summit, but the south end of the loop road can be close to impassable sometimes depending on recent weather and or maintenance/lack thereof. 

[Skagit Weather]

21 minutes ago, snow_wizard said:

Crazy temperature range tonight.  From 25 in OLM to low 40s int he U District of Settle.  Currently 31 here.  Freezing low number 51 looks to be in the bag!

38 freezes here so far, although most of those were in Nov/Dec. Only managed to scrape 6 together in January.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

4 minutes ago, RentonHill said:

Incoming!

Looks really cold in Nevada. Might be time for another road trip. 

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Currently 28 at SLE. KOLD.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Checking out the extended GEFS, just have to say, it is time for this winter to put up or shut up. 

[snow_wizard]

13 minutes ago, ShawniganLake said:

Was there a wind reversal in the stratospheric polar vortex?  If not, then it won’t be classified as an SSW. 

Not sure.  What I do know is there was a dramatic warming and the models advertise a major disturbance of the TPV.