PNW April 2023 Weather Discussion

[Front Ranger]

5 hours ago, TacomaWx said:

Tomorrow could be a really nice rain maker. Could be the biggest daily rainfall since 12/26. My job has actually slowed down quite a bit without much in the way of rainfall this rainy season. April is looking like a good bet to be wetter than January (2.92”) , February (1.98”) or March (2.77”) this year. 

What will you do as things dry out more seasonally?

[Phil]

11 minutes ago, Front Ranger said:

I feel like nationally, this cold season has sorta been a hybrid of 2013-14, 2010-11, and 2000-01. Lots of blocking and consistently cold air over large portions of the country, but more West-focused this winter.

The interesting thing about March 2012 is that it followed a blowtorch winter for much of the country, and was actually a furnace of a month for anyone not on the West Coast. If it was a harbinger of summers to come, definitely does look different this year! Despite being similar-ish at Andrew's place.

This winter was a blowtorch here. Warmest on record.

There were zero similarities to 2013/14, which was one of the greatest winters of all time in this area. It snowed like 1-2 times per week from Jan-Mar in 2014, with two 18”+ storms and subzero temperatures on multiple occasions.

[Slushy Inch]

1 hour ago, Phishy Wx said:

Does he like GRAUPEL?

Funny how Michael Snyder is so anti graupel.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

37 minutes ago, Front Ranger said:

I feel like nationally, this cold season has sorta been a hybrid of 2013-14, 2010-11, and 2000-01. Lots of blocking and consistently cold air over large portions of the country, but more West-focused this winter.

The interesting thing about March 2012 is that it followed a blowtorch winter for much of the country, and was actually a furnace of a month for anyone not on the West Coast. If it was a harbinger of summers to come, definitely does look different this year! Despite being similar-ish at Andrew's place.

March 2012 was much wetter here. 

[Anti Marine Layer]

Where is that first spring heat wave?

[MossMan]

11 minutes ago, Mr Marine Layer said:

Where is that first spring heat wave?

Phil’s house. 

[SouthHillFrosty]

1 hour ago, TT-SEA said:

Congrats!   So many big life events for you in the last couple of years.   This latest development might slow down the frequency of the drunken bar nights? 

Thank you and to everybody! I haven’t slept in 48 hours lol 

My bar hopping days are now over

[Front Ranger]

59 minutes ago, Phil said:

This winter was a blowtorch here. Warmest on record.

There were zero similarities to 2013/14, which was one of the greatest winters of all time in this area. It snowed like 1-2 times per week from Jan-Mar in 2014, with two 18”+ storms and subzero temperatures on multiple occasions.

Talking big picture, Phil. As I said, consistent cold anomalies in the lower 48/blocking, but more west-centered this winter.

Weren't 2000-01, 2010-11, and 2013-14 all +QBO/-ENSO as well?

[Ken in Wood Village]

I was looking on YouTube and stumbled upon this video on a EF4 tornado on 3/31/23. I'll admit, the video quality is awesome. Very crystal clear. It has over 3 million views. 

 

 

[Front Ranger]

34 minutes ago, SilverFallsAndrew said:

March 2012 was much wetter here. 

Yeah, the wetness was obviously a lot further south along the west coast pretty much this entire winter, compared to any recent Nina.

[Front Ranger]

3 minutes ago, Ken in Wood Village said:

I was looking on YouTube and stumbled upon this video on a EF4 tornado on 3/31/23. I'll admit, the video quality is awesome. Very crystal clear. It has over 3 million views. 

 

 

Nice. One of the more compact EF4s I've seen.

[DareDuck]

3 hours ago, Omegaraptor said:

South Sierra snowpack is at 296% of April 1 average. Has been hovering at 280-290% lately. Can we get over 300%?

Already is. 

[lowlandsnow]

From NWS Boise. 1993 was the last year in the top 9 before this year.

#Boise set the record of consecutive day below 60 degrees yesterday at 154 days! Records began in 1875. The streak will continue through at least Friday. #idwx #orwx

 

 

 

 

 

 

[MossMan]

20 minutes ago, SouthHillFrosty said:

Thank you and to everybody! I haven’t slept in 48 hours lol 

My bar hopping days are now over

You will sleep again…In about 4 years…Unless you have another! 

[lowlandsnow]

From NWS Pocatello

Idaho Falls keeping with its cold streak recorded a daily record low of 15°F this morning breaking the previous record of 16°F set back in 1961. IF, Rexburg, and Challis are also now at their ALL-TIME longest streak of not hitting 50°F! #idwx

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Cascadia_Wx]

Nice to see some cold records for once.

[Deweydog]

36 minutes ago, SouthHillFrosty said:

Thank you and to everybody! I haven’t slept in 48 hours lol 

My bar hopping days are now over

What’s the lizard’s name?

[ShawniganLake]

16 minutes ago, MossMan said:

You will sleep again…In about 4 years…Unless you have another! 

Our first would sleep like 10-12hrs  straight almost every night as a baby.  It was easy. Our second was the total opposite 

[Deweydog]

3 minutes ago, ShawniganLake said:

Our first would sleep like 10-12hrs  straight almost every night as a baby.  It was easy. Our second was the total opposite 

Same here but in reverse. Clearly girls are better people and respectful of circadian rhythms.

[TT-SEA]

37 minutes ago, Ken in Wood Village said:

I was looking on YouTube and stumbled upon this video on a EF4 tornado on 3/31/23. I'll admit, the video quality is awesome. Very crystal clear. It has over 3 million views. 

 

 

Incredible footage.   He was very confident they were safe despite being so close.   It just missed those two houses... razor thin margin between being totally destroyed and no damage. 

[MossMan]

9 minutes ago, ShawniganLake said:

Our first would sleep like 10-12hrs  straight almost every night as a baby.  It was easy. Our second was the total opposite 

Opposite for us! Though neither were fantastic sleepers the first two years. Funny enough the only thing that never woke them up were our barking dogs! 

[Phil]

48 minutes ago, Front Ranger said:

Talking big picture, Phil. As I said, consistent cold anomalies in the lower 48/blocking, but more west-centered this winter.

Weren't 2000-01, 2010-11, and 2013-14 all +QBO/-ENSO as well?

Correct, all +QBO/-ENSO. I see the similarities to both 2000/01 and 2010/11, yes. But 2013/14 was +TNH, this winter was basically opposite.

But maybe I’m biased to my own backyard. 2013/14 was almost as special as 2009/10 here. Just an amazing winter, complete with everything.

And it was long winter, ran from November to April. And followed by an amazing summer full of troughing and severe weather. Doubtful we repeat that this year.

[Phil]

1 hour ago, MossMan said:

Phil’s house. 

88.3°F here today. Frogs are loving it though.

[Cascadia_Wx]

Nothing like a good old fashioned Phlat Ranger debate to bring me back to the cold phase dase. Best sign so far that THINGS HAVE CHANGED.

[TT-SEA]

13 minutes ago, Phil said:

88.3°F here today. Frogs are loving it though.

30 degrees colder here today and yet the frogs are also singing loudly tonight.

[TT-SEA]

Saturday looks great on the 00Z GFS... and now even Sunday looks warm and dry from Portland southward.     The rain does not move in down there until Monday morning.

[BLI snowman]

14 minutes ago, Cascadia_Wx said:

Nothing like a good old fashioned Phlat Ranger debate to bring me back to the cold phase dase. Best sign so far that THINGS HAVE CHANGED.

I feel a sad whisk of nostalgia now. Tacoflatman and I's debates used to fill these pages up during the slow season.

[Phil]

16 minutes ago, TT-SEA said:

30 degrees colder here today and yet the frogs are also singing loudly tonight.

North Bend frogs must be hardy af.  Ours don’t sing unless temps are in the 60s or higher.

Though there are several species. The ones singing now are down by the creek and make a droning/wailing sound. Tree frogs come out later, in June usually, which make the more classic croaking noise.

[TT-SEA]

7 minutes ago, Phil said:

North Bend frogs must be hardy af.  Ours don’t sing unless temps are in the 60s or higher.

Though there are several species. The ones singing now are down by the creek and make a droning/wailing sound. Tree frogs come out later, in June usually, which make the more classic croaking noise.

They must be... about 10 days ago when it was snowing in a c-zone just north of my area and 36 and drizzling here they were singing loudly.   I theorized at the time that they must shut down when it gets to 32.   They are loud tonight at 46 degrees. 

[TT-SEA]

Still not real cloudy here... full moon shining brightly through thin high clouds. 

[RentonHill]

Dang snow still won’t melt in twisp hills. This is a less sunnier part but still. My dad used the snowblower to make a path around the garden yesterday. Had to wait until afternoon for it to soften up since it’s refreezes every night

[TacomaWx]

2 hours ago, Front Ranger said:

What will you do as things dry out more seasonally?

Just pray that the lord blesses us with a 2019 esque summer. He’s blessed us so much lately

[TacomaWx]

3 minutes ago, TT-SEA said:

Still not real cloudy here... full moon shinning brightly through thin high clouds. 

There are rain drops here Timothy. I warned my boss that tomorrows gonna be a SOAKER. A rarity for the 22-23 rainy season. 

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Raining 

[Cascadia_Wx]

4 minutes ago, RentonHill said:

Dang snow still won’t melt in twisp hills. This is a less sunnier part but still. My dad used the snowblower to make a path around the garden yesterday. Had to wait until afternoon for it to soften up since it’s refreezes every night

Did you hear this weekend is looking slightly warmer than it was looking yesterday but much much colder than it was looking Sunday though? Great/terrible trends for snowmelt.

[TT-SEA]

7 minutes ago, TacomaWx said:

There are rain drops here Timothy. I warned my boss that tomorrows gonna be a SOAKER. A rarity for the 22-23 rainy season. 

Obviously still dry here.   And tomorrow depends on where you are working.   It will be wet but not crazy wet on the east side of the Seattle area.   Maybe only a quarter of an inch out here.

[TacomaWx]

2 minutes ago, TT-SEA said:

Obviously still dry here.   And tomorrow depends on where you are working.   It will be wet but not crazy wet on the east side of the Seattle area.   Maybe only a quarter of an inch out here.

I’m going to be working up in Redmond along our drainage basins on 520. Probably won’t be as wet up there as it will be back here at home. 

[MossMan]

5 minutes ago, TT-SEA said:

Obviously still dry here.   And tomorrow depends on where you working.   It will be wet but not crazy wet on the east side of the Seattle area.

2nd shade of grey! 

[TT-SEA]

1 minute ago, TacomaWx said:

I’m going to be working up in Redmond along our drainage basins on 520. Probably won’t be as wet up there as it will be back here at home. 

Another Hood Canal special with weak offshore flow.

[TT-SEA]

Something to watch in the models... the MJO might be moving into phase 8 in the next 7-10 days which tends to put the main troughing offshore in April with warmer conditions in the west and really warm in the Midwest.   So the models might have a tendency to trend toward troughing offshore as things get closer... which is a much different pattern than being centered over the intermountain west as we have seen for the last 2 months.   Likely means warmer and wetter for the PNW.