Pacific Northwest Weather - May 2023

[Anti Marine Layer]

Who can decode these abbreviations?

1. ML

2. CE

3. DFA

4. MG

5. JG

6. RC

7. PAC (Hint: Not Pacific)

[Deweydog]

21 minutes ago, Anti Marine Layer said:

Who can decode these abbreviations?

1. ML

2. CE

3. DFA

4. MG

5. JG

6. RC

7. PAC (Hint: Not Pacific)

I’m glad you’re feeling better.

[MossMan]

Clearing up! 

[BLI snowman]

1 hour ago, Meatyorologist said:

Lake Salmonella doesn't deserve to be made fun of. All lakes are beautiful, even if they are fouled by rancid swarms of writhing milfoil.

And privileged yuppies.

[Ken in Wood Village]

Another severe thunderstorm warning in extreme eastern Oregon. I had to use the Boise, Idaho radar because Pendleton radar couldn't pick up that thunderstorm.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

33 minutes ago, Ken in Wood Village said:

Another severe thunderstorm warning in extreme eastern Oregon. I had to use the Boise, Idaho radar because Pendleton radar couldn't pick up that thunderstorm.

That’s a big storm traversing some very lonely country. 

[NWbyNW]

Absolutely loving the weather out there tonight.  It's 49F, raining, windy (I can hear the wind chimes) and all around stormy.  It feels like an autumn or winter stormy evening. 

[NWbyNW]

I posted these in the wrong thread two days ago and figured you'd like to see them here. Some pretty clouds and sky that night.  I found the clouds unique.  I forgot their name.  Completely opposite to the rain and wind tonight.

[Skagit Weather]

I was up at 7,000' in the North Cascades this weekend and the heat is decimating the modest snowpack we had. It looks more like mid to late June up there than mid May. Melt out happened at Steven's Pass today which is about 2.5 weeks earlier than normal. Oregon (and southern WA) are still looking okay for the moment. 

[jcmcgaffey]

9 minutes ago, NWbyNW said:

Absolutely loving the weather out there tonight.  It's 49F, raining, windy (I can hear the wind chimes) and all around stormy.  It feels like an autumn or winter stormy evening. 

Completely agree. Sitting out under the covered porch listening to the rain. One of the warmer season weather events I look most forward to. 

[jcmcgaffey]

Looks like a bit of a convergence just north of Seattle. Starting to rain fairly decently. 

[TT-SEA]

1 hour ago, BLI snowman said:

And privileged yuppies.

Of course you are a privileged yuppy and world traveler.

 

 

[TT-SEA]

29 minutes ago, jcmcgaffey said:

Looks like a bit of a convergence just north of Seattle. Starting to rain fairly decently. 

I can tell its raining/drizzling quite well on the Issaquah cams and spreading east.  Radar does not do it justice... its low level precip in the c-zone.

[TT-SEA]

I know the next run will be different... but that is an incredible trough to the west on the 00Z GFS.

[Anti Marine Layer]

2 minutes ago, TT-SEA said:

I know the next run will be different... but that is an incredible trough to the west on the 00Z GFS.

Maybe it can move into Alberta and drop some snow on the fires.

[Front Ranger]

1 hour ago, Skagit Weather said:

I was up at 7,000' in the North Cascades this weekend and the heat is decimating the modest snowpack we had. It looks more like mid to late June up there than mid May. Melt out happened at Steven's Pass today which is about 2.5 weeks earlier than normal. Oregon (and southern WA) are still looking okay for the moment. 

Isn't snowpack percentage a lot less important this time of year, though, compared to winter and early spring?

[Ken in Wood Village]

1 hour ago, TT-SEA said:

I know the next run will be different... but that is an incredible trough to the west on the 00Z GFS./

If you look really closely, there is a couple of weak troughs trying to break down the high pressure system. I marked them in red. 

[Cold Snap]

58/49 for the day today IMBY. Actually felt cool but nice today.

[TT-SEA]

00Z ECMWF on board with the warm scenario for next weekend... but with daily explosions of thunderstorms from the Cascades eastward across central and eastern WA and OR.   Looks pretty interesting.  

[TT-SEA]

Woke up to rain pounding on the roof... picked up .40 overnight which is very welcome.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

18 minutes ago, TT-SEA said:

Woke up to rain pounding on the roof... picked up .40 overnight which is very welcome.

Wow, suddenly you have a rain gauge? What’s next? A thermometer?

[TT-SEA]

13 minutes ago, SilverFallsAndrew said:

Wow, suddenly you have a rain gauge? What’s next? A thermometer?

I do have an old fashion rain gauge that I use in the warm season to determine when I need to water.    And the stations on both sides of me show the same amount.   Still pouring so might end up with .50

[TacomaWx]

Got down to 49 this morning…first time below 50 since 5/11. We picked up 0.01” overnight better than nothing I suppose. Our grass is already starting to turn yellow here. 

[Chewbacca Defense]

.17" this morning and enjoying the cool break in the weather.   Got down the 50 overnight after a high yesterday of 67.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

3 minutes ago, TacomaWx said:

Got down to 49 this morning…first time below 50 since 5/11. We picked up 0.01” overnight better than nothing I suppose. Our grass is already starting to turn yellow here. 

Wild, our grass just really got going up here. 

[SilverFallsAndrew]

SLE running +1.3 on their all time warmest May. 

[SilverFallsAndrew]

4 minutes ago, SilverFallsAndrew said:

SLE running +1.3 on their all time warmest May. 

Looking at the zone forecast the next week, they should be at 62.5F by the 28th, which would put them at +1.5F over the record warmest May with 3 days to go. They are doing this on the backs of the warm lows. They are about -2.5F behind the average daily max from May 1992. 

[MossMan]

Wet deck! Only .06” so far though. 
48 degrees. 

[TT-SEA]

SSTA comparison... last year in late May compared to now.    This summer should be different.   And anything different would be better.

[TacomaWx]

22 minutes ago, SilverFallsAndrew said:

Wild, our grass just really got going up here. 

Last time it was this yellow in May was 2019…that year didn’t turn out too bad. 

[SilverFallsAndrew]

If we check out the long term CFS it is pretty close to normal this summer. After that it's pretty warm...

[Front Ranger]

32 minutes ago, TacomaWx said:

Last time it was this yellow in May was 2019…that year didn’t turn out too bad. 

Before that probably 2016?

[MossMan]

According to my app this weekend’s weather looks coolish! 

[Skagit Weather]

9 hours ago, Front Ranger said:

Isn't snowpack percentage a lot less important this time of year, though, compared to winter and early spring?

Yeah, the percentages start to get a little wonky near the end of the season as places start to melt out, but usually they still provide a relatively representative sample through mid to late May. By June it's not worth using them though. 50-60% of average now means places are melting out 2-4 weeks early.

In terms of the physical numbers, as Cliff mentioned in his latest blog, the eastern reservoirs are doing well, but having a healthy snowpack still matters for glaciers and undammed rivers. I talked to some farmers in the Methow Valley last week and they were certainly worried about how quickly they were losing the snowpack (both in terms of later water supply and the drying out of fuels). And of course the earlier the glaciers are exposed, the more of them we loose until the melt season ends in September or October.

[Phishy Wx]

51 out, refreshing 17 mph 'breeze'

Spring finally arrived after almost 2 weeks of Summer and smoke.  lol

shiits Whack, Yo

[Phishy Wx]

Headed to the Bay Area to see The Cure over Memorial weekend.  Wx looks glorious.  Highs in the 60s/low 70s lows in the 50s

[the_convergence_zone]

0.03" ... typical for me to miss out on CZ action. I just want one more good soaking before dry season but it feels like the clock is ticking. Maybe next week...

[TacomaWx]

48 minutes ago, Front Ranger said:

Before that probably 2016?

Can’t really remember how spring 2016 grass conditions were. Was probably smoking too much grass myself to remember. 

[Cascadia_Wx]

Yesterday was really nice. Mostly cloudy with some morning drizzle and a high of 63, then some clearing in the evening for a nice sunset and an evening low of 51. 

Mostly cloudy and 54 currently.

[Cascadia_Wx]

1 hour ago, Skagit Weather said:

Yeah, the percentages start to get a little wonky near the end of the season as places start to melt out, but usually they still provide a relatively representative sample through mid to late May. By June it's not worth using them though. 50-60% of average now means places are melting out 2-4 weeks early.

In terms of the physical numbers, as Cliff mentioned in his latest blog, the eastern reservoirs are doing well, but having a healthy snowpack still matters for glaciers and undammed rivers. I talked to some farmers in the Methow Valley last week and they were certainly worried about how quickly they were losing the snowpack (both in terms of later water supply and the drying out of fuels). And of course the earlier the glaciers are exposed, the more of them we loose until the melt season ends in September or October.

I’ve kind of made peace with the fact that most of the Cascade glaciers are toast.