September 2018 Weather in the Pacific Northwest

[BLI snowman]

2016/17

 

PDX

12/8: 0.5"

12/14: 2.3"

1/7: 0.4"

1/10: 6.5"

1/11: 1.5"

Total: 11.2"

DJF: -4.7 temperature departure.

 

Sea

12/8: 0.5"

12/9: 0.5"

1/1: 3.0"

2/5: 2.0"

2/6: 5.1"

2/27: 0.1"

Total: 11.2"

DJF: -2.9 temperature departure.

Now compare the downtown stations.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Now compare the downtown stations.

 

PDX wins easily. But this idea that 2016-17 was a show in the Puget Sound region is silly. 

[BLI snowman]

While we are talking snow. PDX actually saw slightly more snow in the first decade of the 2000s as they did in the 1990s (Thanks 2008-09!). This was the first decade since the 1950s that saw an increase from the previous one at PDX. PDX has 33" so far this decade, so they need 11.6" in the next two winters to top the previous decade.

 

2010-11: 1.8"

2011-12: 3.1"

2012-13: 0

2013-14: 8"

2014-15: 0

2015-16: 1.3"

2016-17: 11.2"

2017-18: 7.6"

The 1990s totals are lower because the 1996 events never got official measurements. Neither did January 1998.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

The 1990s totals are lower because the 1996 events never got official measurements. Neither did January 1998.

 

The 00s edge the 90s 44.5" to 43.5" if you use the data from the map below here...Which gives PDX 8.7" in 98' and a generous 8.2" in 1995-96.

 

[TigerWoodsLibido]

Though many locations saw more than the 8" recorded at the NWS office with the January 10/11 storm, most areas did not see 15.5". 

 

The 12/14 storm impacted Salem more than PDX, the 1/7 storm impacted Salem and EUG more than PDX, and the 12/8 event was more of an ice event, especially in ice favored locales. There were a lot of storms during the winter of 2016-17, but most were not widespread events. There was another storm 1/4/17 that had a major impact from about Redding to Eugene. 

 

Yup, that one was the last really good snowstorm that Springfield had apparently.  They had 7" with it.  Monmouth was on the far northern periphery of that but saw a dusting.  None of the events dropped more than 4" here though. Monmouth hasn't seen a snow event of more than 4" since Feb 2014, which is odd, considering we typically do well in east wind events and average 6" of snow a year.

[stuffradio]

It's been an insane week for thunderstorms in my area. I'm at 4" of rain this month now.

[El_Nina]

Let's look at the facts. Downtown did have 13", the Airport had a bit less than the official total from the NWS office. Most totals look to be in the 8-12 range in the immediate metro area.

 

I got 6" from that event and just a mile or so east only got a couple inches, I remember that being pretty remarkable.

[Farmboy]

The 00s edge the 90s 44.5" to 43.5" if you use the data from the map below here...Which gives PDX 8.7" in 98' and a generous 8.2" in 1995-96.

 

 

So many stinker winters in that 30 year period.

[BLI snowman]

PDX wins easily. But this idea that 2016-17 was a s**t show in the Puget Sound region is silly. 

 

Not a s**t show, but you can understand why it was frustrating for them to not have the snow accompany the cold for the most part. The two main snow events were December 8-9, which was a fairly quick overrunning event, and February 5-6, which was a 33 degree slopstorm for the most part that melted quickly from Lynnwood-south.

 

Compared to what Portland and NW WA/SW B.C. got, it was fairly underwhelming.

[El_Nina]

It's worth mentioning that for the foothills east of Portland, the late February event this year was much more impressive than anything since 2008.

[jcmcgaffey]

PDX wins easily. But this idea that 2016-17 was a s**t show in the Puget Sound region is silly.

I can say that winter was terrible. Most of that snow total was from a rouge snow shower that happened to go right over the Sea sensor. It was a 1/2 mile by 2 mile area while everywhere else received an inch or less. The last winter that the Seattle area got more than an few inches that didn’t melt the next morning was January 2012 and that goes for the entire Seattle area.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Yup, that one was the last really good snowstorm that Springfield had apparently.  They had 7" with it.  Monmouth was on the far northern periphery of that but saw a dusting.  None of the events dropped more than 4" here though. Monmouth hasn't seen a snow event of more than 4" since Feb 2014, which is odd, considering we typically do well in east wind events and average 6" of snow a year.

 

It is interesting. Dallas, what about 6-7 miles to your west did probably better than anyone in Western Oregon that winter. 

[TigerWoodsLibido]

Regardless of amounts in various years and PDX vs SEA snow totals, I would like to see Corvallis finally score some snow.  They haven't seen any since March, 2017.  Longest active snowless streak in the PNW lowlands.

[BLI snowman]

The 00s edge the 90s 44.5" to 43.5" if you use the data from the map below here...Which gives PDX 8.7" in 98' and a generous 8.2" in 1995-96.

 

 

The 95-96 total looks about right.

 

The 0" in 96-97 never sat right with me. PDX definitely had measurable snow on 11/18/1996, then again on 12/28/1996. Probably only about 4" total, but still something. 

[TigerWoodsLibido]

It is interesting. Dallas, what about 6-7 miles to your west did probably better than anyone in Western Oregon that winter. 

 

Dallas is at 400' or so right on the eastern foothills of the coast range while we are in a marshland at only 200' quite a bit closer to the river, even though we typically also do well in events that affect Dallas, they had at least one day that winter where there was snow falling but not sticking in Monmouth, but was sticking in Dallas, that was the difference.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

I got 6" from that event and just a mile or so east only got a couple inches, I remember that being pretty remarkable.

 

What's interesting is the 10-11th event covered a pretty small geographical area. The most widespread event of that winter was probably the January 4th snow storm which was from about Redding to Corvallis/Albany. About 250-300 miles up and down I-5 got hammered. I believe Medford set some kind of record with that event. 

 

Back to the 10-11th event. There was definitely a warm nose here with that event, it actually rained here the vast majority of the event. Turned to snow around 2am and I ended up with about 2.5". The biggest snow event I had that winter was actually the early March event. The January 1st event was good up here with about 6", Silverton go smashed with about 5" from a rouge snow shower on the evening of New Year's Day, Mt. Angel 5 miles north got a dusting, it was a hit or miss kind of winter, but most places got hit at least once.

[TigerWoodsLibido]

The 95-96 total looks about right.

 

The 0" in 96-97 never sat right with me. PDX definitely had measurable snow on 11/18/1996, then again on 12/28/1996. Probably only about 4" total, but still something. 

 

None of those events in late 1996 had any snow that stuck to the road, it was grass and elevated surfaces only below 500' here.  We had BSF.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Dallas is at 400' or so right on the eastern foothills of the coast range while we are in a marshland at only 200' quite a bit closer to the river, even though we typically also do well in events that affect Dallas, they had at least one day that winter where there was snow falling but not sticking in Monmouth, but was sticking in Dallas, that was the difference.

 

Dallas had about 20" total that winter. 

[Frontal Snowsquall]

It's worth mentioning that for the foothills east of Portland, the late February event this year was much more impressive than anything since 2008.

How many inches did you get from the late February event?

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Regardless of amounts in various years and PDX vs SEA snow totals, I would like to see Corvallis finally score some snow.  They haven't seen any since March, 2017.  Longest active snowless streak in the PNW lowlands.

 

Other than Corvallis scored big time in February 2011, December 2013, and February 2014 compared to other areas. So every dog has their day so to speak. 

 

I have found we notice it more when our area misses out and other areas get snow. It creates the impression we are "always missing out." Then when it snows in our backyard we don't really give much thought to who isn't getting snow. You mention the March 2017 event which gave a quick 1-3" in much of the valley, but delivered no sticking snow to PDX or SEA.

[BLI snowman]

None of those events in late 1996 had any snow that stuck to the road, it was grass and elevated surfaces only below 500' here.  We had BSF.

 

Yeah, up here it was very wet snow in the evening that was mostly melted by the next morning. In Clark County we had about 4" in November that briefly covered the roads before it transitioned into a massive 33 degree rainstorm that night. And then a couple inches in December that mostly just covered the grass. PDX had less snow but a lot more ice than us with the two big storms in late December. That winter had enough 33-35 degree rain to last a lifetime here.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Good discussion tonight. Helps us remember a fall/winter season full of potential is on the way.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Yeah, up here it was very wet snow in the evening that was mostly melted by the next morning. In Clark County we had about 4" in November that briefly covered the roads before it transitioned into a massive 33 degree rainstorm that night. And then a couple inches in December that mostly just covered the grass. PDX had less snow but a lot more ice than us with the two big storms in late December. That winter had enough 33-35 degree rain to last a lifetime here.

 

I remember the November event for the tremendous amount of rain that fell. Down in Silverton we just had wet non-sticking snow that night. We had about 1-2" of snow I think on December 27th, it turned to rain late in the evening though, and while my brother and I were playing ping pong in the shop we heard the south wind began to roar, it was into the mid-50s before midnight.

[Deweydog]

A snow free 2018-19 would set us up nicely moving forward.

[TigerWoodsLibido]

Good discussion tonight. Helps us remember a fall/winter season full of potential is on the way.

 

It's an 8 year.  Hopefully a better one for Eugene/Springfield than 2008.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

A snow free 2018-19 would set us up nicely moving forward.

 

Measurable snow in 18-19 would pretty much seal our fate for a snow free 2019-20 winter.

[TigerWoodsLibido]

Measurable snow in 18-19 would pretty much seal our fate for a snow free 2019-20 winter.

 

Already mentally prepared for 19-20 to be another 91-92 or 02-03.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

CFS still wanting to give us a weak to moderate Nino...

[Farmboy]

One thing we can count on being in abundance this winter is BSF... (boring southerly flow)  

[BLI snowman]

I remember the November event for the tremendous amount of rain that fell. Down in Silverton we just had wet non-sticking snow that night. We had about 1-2" of snow I think on December 27th, it turned to rain late in the evening though, and while my brother and I were playing ping pong in the shop we heard the south wind began to roar, it was into the mid-50s before midnight.

 

That event in November 1996 might be the single most impressive winter storm for WA and OR in the last few decades. Total monster firehose, most of western OR was smashed with 4-6" of rain and flash flooding with the Yakima Valley and eastern gorge getting a historic snowstorm and Spokane getting their worst ice event on record. Seattle had a nice 6-8" snowstorm with it as well.

[Deweydog]

Cloudiness will be criticized this winter. Some for its inapporiate relationship with precipitation and some for its radiational cooling killing tendencies.

[MossMan]

How did the Seattle area fair during the late February event this year?

13” for me! I’m not exactly in the Seattle area however.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

That event in November 1996 might be the single most impressive winter storm for WA and OR in the last few decades. Total monster firehose, most of western OR was smashed with 4-6" of rain and flash flooding with the Yakima Valley and eastern gorge getting a historic snowstorm and Spokane getting their worst ice event on record. Seattle had a nice 6-8" snowstorm with it as well.

 

I can't even imagine how Tim would deal with November/December 1996. He would also have been buried with massive amounts of snow at various points.

[BLI snowman]

Cloudiness will be criticized this winter. Some for its inapporiate relationship with precipitation and some for its radiational cooling killing tendencies.

 

Might not be enough cold airmasses for that to even matter 

[Farmboy]

Cloudiness will be criticized this winter. Some for its inapporiate relationship with precipitation and some for its radiational cooling killing tendencies.

 

 

Clear, cold winter nights are the best.

[Deweydog]

Might not be enough cold airmasses for that to even matter

Frost can occur with ambient temperatures as warm as the upper 30's. That ain't happening with cloudy skies.

[BLI snowman]

I can't even imagine how Tim would deal with November/December 1996. He would also have been buried with massive amounts of snow at various points.

 

Tim constantly laments the precip surplus of the last few years but for a lot of places they really don't compare with 1995-99 (when he was in California). The floodgates opened up almost overnight in late October 1994 and never really closed off for a solid 4-5 years. 1996 was easily our wettest calendar year of the 20th century in NW OR and SW WA.

[Deweydog]

Tim constantly laments the precip surplus of the last few years but for a lot of places they really don't compare with 1995-99 (when he was in California). The floodgates opened up almost overnight in late October 1994 and never really closed off for a solid 4-5 years. 1996 was easily our wettest calendar year of the 20th century in NW OR and SW WA.

George Taylor couldn't stop talking about that being the start of a 20 year wet/cold cycle. Perhaps the last few years were just the start of the 20 year warm/dry cycle.

[BLI snowman]

George Taylor couldn't stop talking about that being the start of a 20 year wet/cold cycle. Perhaps the last few years were just the start of the 20 year warm/dry cycle.

 

I think the talk was that it was related to the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation reversal in the mid 1990s. 

[Deweydog]

I think the talk was that it was related to the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation reversal in the mid 1990s.

Jesse's Stuart Smalley costume got absolutely destroyed by the rains of 10-31-94.