February 2019 Weather Observations and Discussion Part 2

[Bryant]

Maybe Timmy in NW OR? He’s been left out a ton, so I understand his complaints.

I was kidding first of all, but yes I was thinking about Timmy. I'm going to pretend like nothing was ever said now . I have no room to talk anyways

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Still just 34 in town.  In late Feb.  Unreal. 

 

Yeah, looking at the 2pm obs they did not look like late February which in the PNW can often feature very spring-like weather. In fact it is not uncommon to see highs well into the 60s in the Lower Columbia Basin this time of year. Instead we have temps slowly dropping already into the lower 20s out that way. NE winds gusting to 32 at Aurora, Snow and 19 degrees in Bend, 38/15 at PDX. 

[SilverFallsAndrew]

HRRR shows hours of light snow here from about 8-9PM on through the night and an accumulation close to 0 despite very cold temps. Those east winds, sometimes too much of a good thing. Not much juice to begin with either of course.

 

Sounds like when a raging cross Cascade gradient killed all moisture for me on 12-6-13 and I had about 15 hours of flurries. 

[Guest CulverJosh]

Much better potential for snow in PDX metro tonight over Sunday night.

[FroYoBro]

Still just 34 in town.  In late Feb.  Unreal. 

 

Is is snowing there yet?

[Kayla]

Eh. When you live at 1,600 feet on the west slopes of the Cascades or in Montana you should know this is gonna happen from time to time.

 

Coldest month for many locals in Montana since 1936 and now record breaking snowfall is a bit more from "time to time" but I get your jest old timer.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Reports that Medford has already picked up about 3" of snow this afternoon.

[Jesse]

Incredibly slow melt down over the last 2 weeks...

 

2-12

 

2-23

 

And now 2-26

 

 

I’ve noticed that the overall frequency of yard pics from you has really dropped lately. I’d like to see the impressive snowpack in your yard more. Lord knows we usually see a ton of pics when it’s warm this time of year of all the early blooming plants.

[jakeinthevalley]

Radar returns showing more of a SW component now

[Kayla]

I’ve noticed that the overall frequency of yard pics from you has really dropped lately. I’d like to see the impressive snowpack in your yard more. Lord knows we usually see a ton of pics when it’s warm this time of year of all the early blooming plants.

 

Almost March and not a single budding pic yet! 

[TT-SEA]

I’ve noticed that the overall frequency of yard pics from you has really dropped lately. I’d like to see the impressive snowpack in your yard more. Lord knows we usually see a ton of pics when it’s warm this time of year of all the early blooming plants.

 

 

I thought I was posting too much.   I posted many pics of the snow before we left for Hawaii.   I was posting pics every day.  

[Jesse]

[Jesse]

I thought I was posting too much. I posted many pics of the snow before we left for Hawaii. I was posting pics every day.

I don’t remember. But it seems like it’s just been the same pic from your window or whatever every several days since you’ve gotten back.

[TT-SEA]

Almost March and not a single budding pic yet!

There are signs of life though. I posted this one yesterday.

 

[Jesse]

There are signs of life though. I posted this one yesterday.

 

 

You are definitely trying with the framing there. There’s got to be a photoshop option where you can remove the snow somehow. Might take some work but well worth it I’d say.

[TT-SEA]

I don’t remember. But it seems like it’s just been the same pic from your window or whatever every several days since you’ve gotten back.

 

 

Not true... I was posting pics from all over the yard and the area before we left for Hawaii.   I bet I posted 30 pics in the first half of the month.   And posted pics driving down to North Bend the other day.  

[Timmy]

Just got home, windy and 30f. Flurries are already falling.

[TT-SEA]

You are definitely trying with the framing there. There’s got to be a photoshop option where you can remove the snow somehow. Might take some work but well worth it I’d say.

 

 

I was capturing the contrast between the bushes and the snow... so I was trying to get both in the pic.   I cannot stand on the other side of the bushes because there is a wall there.  I could have easily panned up and not shown any snow in the yard.   

[Timmy Supercell]

Snow is very light in nature but consistent. From about the last week of February through until early December, the occurrences in which there is 6+ inches in the yard become relatively uncommon. And in March that has happened only once, which also was in 2012. But that's just since I've been in Klamath Falls. If there was an average for latest "half foot depths" I would imagine that average being somewhere in the middle of February. We will see if I enter March with 8-9".

 

 

[Jesse]

Not true... I was posting pics from all over the yard and the area before we left for Hawaii. I bet I posted 30 pics in the first half of the month. And posted pics driving down to North Bend the other day.

I don’t remember the pics before you left, probably because there were a lot of snow pics floating around here. Just seems like you still have an impressively deep snowpack moving into March that I haven’t seen much of.

[TigerWoodsLibido]

Is is snowing there yet?

 

No but I would imagine around 6 or so it will start up.

[Jesse]

DP down to 12 at PDX.

[Deweydog]

Much better potential for snow in PDX metro tonight over Sunday night.

Explain, por favor?

[MR.SNOWMIZER]

Explain, por favor?

North trend!

[Jesse]

Explain, por favor?

Standoff on Mount ScottJosh!

[High Desert Mat?]

Snowing in Redmond again!!! Can’t wait to add to my 31”. Current temp 17 with light snow.

[TT-SEA]

I don’t remember the pics before you left, probably because there were a lot of snow pics floating around here. Just seems like you still have an impressively deep snowpack moving into March that I haven’t seen much of.

 

 

Wow.   I posted so many.   I was sure people would start complaining.  

 

And I just showed you a pic of our snow pack right now.    Its about 10-12 inches deep depending on exposure to sun and wind. 

 

 

Here is an example of the many pic posts from before we left on our trip (we are not allowed to quote posts in the old threads now for some reason).

 

[El_Nina]

Explain, por favor?

East wind is gonna kill this one for sure.

[epiceast]

Wow I assume most of the places have had prolonged snow on the ground. I thought that area did well last year too?

2016-2017 winter was also an epic one with foot+ snow depths observed in the columbia basin from a bunch of smaller storms in December-January. Once in a 100 year event for large swaths of the basin, maybe once in a thousand year for select few.

[Deweydog]

North trend!

Downslope is the new upslope.

[epiceast]

Kennewick data for the month. It's a snowy month... that .5" with no snow is a windy day that this station didn't record properly

[BLI snowman]

Even getting some stiff NE breezes over to the west of I-5 today in Clark County. I think we'll see a Monday repeat with hours of flurries in the AM, temps should be better though so a prettier dusting may be in order

[Phil]

Yeah, even with the mostly blowtorch period from Dec 10 - Jan 20 nationally, we've managed this for the cold season to date.

 

120dTDeptUS.png

When you think about it, those 5 weeks of blowtorch from Dec 10th to Jan 15th were a major outlier that skewed the national picture over the last four months.

 

It was very impressive warmth, no doubt, but if you average Nov 1st - present without that stretch, it ends up looking much different across the country. Coast to coast cold.

[Perturbed Member]

Reading the PDX NWS AFD makes you wonder why they issued a WWA given this:

 

Air is quite dry, which will evaporate some of moisture available for
conversion to snowflakes. As such, will see accumulations under an
inch across the east side of Portland/Vancouver metro, and downstream
towards St Helens and Kelso. Likely to be similar to that on Monday
evening, with occasional light snow, but taking forever to pile up.

 

Though they did add this:

 

Interestingly, there will be somewhat of a convergence zone where the
moderate low level easterly flow will interact with the southwesterly
flow above. As such, would not be surprised if get a narrow band of
enhanced snowfall, perhaps of 2 to 4 inches. But, where this occurs
is still in question. At moment, seems that zone will be around
Forest Grove to McMinnville, then extending to the east/southeast
towards Silverton to Stayton area.

 

In before Dewey posts 1-10-17

[FroYoBro]

Reading the PDX NWS AFD makes you wonder why they issued a WWA given this:

 

Air is quite dry, which will evaporate some of moisture available for

conversion to snowflakes. As such, will see accumulations under an

inch across the east side of Portland/Vancouver metro, and downstream

towards St Helens and Kelso. Likely to be similar to that on Monday

evening, with occasional light snow, but taking forever to pile up.

 

Though they did add this:

 

Interestingly, there will be somewhat of a convergence zone where the

moderate low level easterly flow will interact with the southwesterly

flow above. As such, would not be surprised if get a narrow band of

enhanced snowfall, perhaps of 2 to 4 inches. But, where this occurs

is still in question. At moment, seems that zone will be around

Forest Grove to McMinnville, then extending to the east/southeast

towards Silverton to Stayton area.

 

In before Dewey posts 1-10-17

 

 

It is going to happen right over my house, duh. BIGTIME. 

[TacomaWaWx]

Nws afd for Seattle basically says Wednesday night and Thursday temps and dew points will be good and there will be precipitation but it will most likely only amount to flurries in the the low elevations, still cool to see a little snow

[Jesse]

Kennewick data for the month. It's a snowy month... that .5" with no snow is a windy day that this station didn't record properly

Also running a -12 departure, which probably helped it stay cold.

[ShawniganLake]

This question is more addressed to shawnigan or VI south, but do you think there could be heavier bands tomorrow night for areas close to the georgia straight as the southerly flow meets the light/moderate outflow?

I think we will pretty much lose the outflow tomorrow morning. So I doubt it.

[TT-SEA]

Going to need to re-seed some grass areas along the main road here... the plow took out some big sections in an effort to widen the road. It was helpful at the time but looks terrible now.

Or maybe he just had no idea where the actual road was when he was plowing.

[Esquimalt]

I think we will pretty much lose the outflow tomorrow morning. So I doubt it.

I'm honestly concerned the air will be too dry tomorrow to support anything here.  GFS shows that the atmosphere will saturate as the ULL approaches but I'm a little dubious.