Pacific Northwest Weather - May 2023

[SilverFallsAndrew]

2 minutes ago, lowlandsnow said:

What weather stations have the longest period of record in the Pacific Northwest?

Downtown Portland goes back to the 1870s, Salem goes back to 1892.

[lowlandsnow]

4 minutes ago, SilverFallsAndrew said:

Downtown Portland goes back to the 1870s, Salem goes back to 1892.

Much longer than I thought. I was just looking at records from Centralia and realized it has records since 1893 but stopped in 2022.

[MossMan]

Goodbye crappy Junipers! Was a fun day off and I now have a heck of a farmers tan as well! Not sure what I am putting in there yet but it’s nice to be able to see the veggie garden from the house. 

[Phil]

56 minutes ago, MossMan said:

Goodbye crappy Junipers! Was a fun day off and I now have a heck of a farmers tan as well! Not sure what I am putting in there yet but it’s nice to be able to see the veggie garden from the house. 

Have you decapitated Phil yet?

FWIW if crape myrtle grows in your climate zone that’s what I’d put there. Or flowering dogwood.

[Cascadia_Wx]

Ended up with an 81/54 day today. Some really gorgeous skies around sunset this evening.

[Cascadia_Wx]

[Anti Marine Layer]

Just now, Cascadia_Wx said:

[MossMan]

35 minutes ago, Phil said:

Have you decapitated Phil yet?

FWIW if crape myrtle grows in your climate zone that’s what I’d put there. Or flowering dogwood.

I just don’t have the heart to finish off Phil…Yet…

Thanks for the suggestions!! 

[MossMan]

A few clouds started to pop up just before dark! 

[Meatyorologist]

The accas party could last into the afternoon according to the NAM.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Phil? Will this be the first year ever without a 4 Corners High?

[Phil]

10 minutes ago, Anti Marine Layer said:

Phil? Will this be the first year ever without a 4 Corners High?

First year since 2019 to have a weak/retracted 4CH, at least (IMO).

[Phil]

Check out the SW US on the latest CMC ensembles. 7-day running average of 850mb temp anomalies, over the next 2+ weeks.

Weak 4CH influence (gradually) expands northward during the summer months. Inverse of 2022, which had truckloads of cold in W-Canada/PNW but building heat dome/4CH down south.

[Cascadia_Wx]

10 minutes ago, Phil said:

First year since 2019 to have a weak/retracted 4CH, at least (IMO).

Would be nice if this was a long term shift. I would even take more north centric heatwaves at times. It would still work out better for us overall in the warm season.

[Phil]

Might end up with the highest amplitude +IOD/+AMO ever recorded next month if this is the circulation pattern.

In fact that is what sticks out to me more than any El Niño signature. The most persistent anomalies are actually over the Indian Ocean, not the Pacific.

[Phil]

18 minutes ago, Cascadia_Wx said:

Would be nice if this was a long term shift. I would even take more north centric heatwaves at times. It would still work out better for us overall in the warm season.

It’s possible. Does kind of feel like a shift, and it is at the right time in the solar-lagged IPWP cycle for some kind of change.

Can’t necessarily say what the change will be, though. My hunch is the IO/NATL sector might be where the shift happens in the nearer term, while longer term maybe it’ll be the eastern IPWP (after the niño)?

[SilverFallsAndrew]

5 hours ago, lowlandsnow said:

Much longer than I thought. I was just looking at records from Centralia and realized it has records since 1893 but stopped in 2022.

There is signal service data that goes back into the 1850s at a few locations. Those were from observations taken 4 times a day, so the highs/lows aren’t exact. 

[bainbridgekid]

[Phil]

Heavy rains in Amarillo TX. This time in both 2021 and 2022 the hot/dry regime had already begun.

 

[Phil]

So much light pollution in NYC the clouds were illuminated as if the sun never set. Doesn’t get dark *at all* here on nights with low clouds.

And apparently storm drains serve as makeshift outhouses in this neighborhood? Usually see at least one person doing their business while taking the dog out. Lmao.

But hey, at least there’s a more distinct marine influence here than back home! Low clouds and mist started misting as soon as winds turned onshore last night.

Oh yeah, and the boundary layer never decouples at night, thanks to the huge amount of UHI. No diurnal cycle in wind speeds like back home. Radiational cooling simply doesn’t exist here.

24/7 Uber eats and nightlife are fun perks but that’s not really my lifestyle. Would take an unbelievable job offer for me to live here, and even then I’d probably still be looking elsewhere.

[TacomaWx]

4 hours ago, bainbridgekid said:

D**n I missed that one. Had to work at 6am this morning…after pulling 12 hour shifts the past few days I was out like a rock by 9pm

[TacomaWx]

This month is giving September 2019 a run for its money in terms of thunderstorms. 3 separate good events here so far this month. 

[MossMan]

All was quiet up here last night. 

[TacomaWx]

10 minutes ago, MossMan said:

All was quiet up here last night. 

About time! You get all the snow and fun weather time to share

[AlTahoe]

3 hours ago, Phil said:

So much light pollution in NYC the clouds were illuminated as if the sun never set. Doesn’t get dark *at all* here on nights with low clouds.

And apparently storm drains serve as makeshift outhouses in this neighborhood? Usually see at least one person doing their business while taking the dog out. Lmao.

But hey, at least there’s a more distinct marine influence here than back home! Low clouds and mist started misting as soon as winds turned onshore last night.

Oh yeah, and the boundary layer never decouples at night, thanks to the huge amount of UHI. No diurnal cycle in wind speeds like back home. Radiational cooling simply doesn’t exist here.

24/7 Uber eats and nightlife are fun perks but that’s not really my lifestyle. Would take an unbelievable job offer for me to live here, and even then I’d probably still be looking elsewhere.

If your not a city person I still recommend that young professionals get started in a city at first as it is a lot easier to network and move up. Have a long term goal of where you want to end up and work towards that. 

Remote work now makes living in your dream destination much more attainable as well. 

[Anti Marine Layer]

3 hours ago, Phil said:

So much light pollution in NYC the clouds were illuminated as if the sun never set. Doesn’t get dark *at all* here on nights with low clouds.

Same here

[Front Ranger]

11 hours ago, Phil said:

Check out the SW US on the latest CMC ensembles. 7-day running average of 850mb temp anomalies, over the next 2+ weeks.

Weak 4CH influence (gradually) expands northward during the summer months. Inverse of 2022, which had truckloads of cold in W-Canada/PNW but building heat dome/4CH down south.

Nino.

[Cascadia_Wx]

Had a decent marine intrusion this morning with a low of 54. Burning off a bit now with filtered sunshine and 64. Today could be our first sub-80 day since May 11th, a stretch which is off the walls unprecedented for this time of year. Although it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see PDX bump to 80 for a totally insane 9 in a row.

Looking forward to some pleasant, closer to average weather this coming week.

Edited May 20 by Cascadia_Wx

[Cascadia_Wx]

Some really nice 12z runs today. Small chance the last 1/3 of May actually ends up tolerable. The first ten days were decent too…just a total inferno in the middle.

[T-Town]

Sunset last night. 

[Cold Snap]

Well I woke up around 2 am to the sound up dumping rain but didn’t see any lightning or hear any thunder. Looks like that cell that hit the south sound was pretty intense.

[SnowySeeker50]

Somehow I slept through that cell that happened last night. 

[Phishy Wx]

89 and Smoke. gross

was suppose to go to a beer fest today, but I'm not standing out on an asphalt lot with no shade in that to drink craft beer.

good thing is the heat looks done after today for at least a week.  hopefully the smoke too

[Cascadia_Wx]

13 minutes ago, Phishy Wx said:

89 and Smoke. gross

was suppose to go to a beer fest today, but I'm not standing out on an asphalt lot with no shade in that to drink craft beer.

good thing is the heat looks done after today for at least a week.  hopefully the smoke too

Hopefully at least a month.

[TT-SEA]

A little convective development to the east.   Absolutely perfect on the lake... air temp in the upper 70s and water temp of 71 and light wind. 

[Rubus Leucodermis]

On 5/19/2023 at 12:11 PM, Eugene-5SW said:

One thing I'll say for the heatwave is that it really brought out the native Oregon iris.

 

One of the Oregon flowers I miss most (their range sadly does not extend this far north, or even as far north as Seattle).

[Rubus Leucodermis]

9 hours ago, Phil said:

So much light pollution in NYC the clouds were illuminated as if the sun never set. Doesn’t get dark *at all* here on nights with low clouds.

And apparently storm drains serve as makeshift outhouses in this neighborhood? Usually see at least one person doing their business while taking the dog out. Lmao.

But hey, at least there’s a more distinct marine influence here than back home! Low clouds and mist started misting as soon as winds turned onshore last night.

Oh yeah, and the boundary layer never decouples at night, thanks to the huge amount of UHI. No diurnal cycle in wind speeds like back home. Radiational cooling simply doesn’t exist here.

24/7 Uber eats and nightlife are fun perks but that’s not really my lifestyle. Would take an unbelievable job offer for me to live here, and even then I’d probably still be looking elsewhere.

Well, sure. All options have their upsides and downsides. In the end, it’s a very personal decision. I still miss the dark night skies of my teen years in a fairly small town in New Mexico mountains.

[Cold Snap]

12z Euro blesses PDX north.

[TT-SEA]

[Meatyorologist]

25 minutes ago, Cold Snap said:

12z Euro blesses PDX north.

We just sit under this big, wacky bowling ball of stratoform rain. You love to see it.

Maybe these errant ULL's are how we make it to Phil's prophesized zonal period as we flip to June while avoiding a heatwave?

[Front Ranger]

2 hours ago, Phishy Wx said:

89 and Smoke. gross

was suppose to go to a beer fest today, but I'm not standing out on an asphalt lot with no shade in that to drink craft beer.

good thing is the heat looks done after today for at least a week.  hopefully the smoke too

Pretty socked in here. 

 

Side note: you can see exactly where I live in this image...

 

[TT-SEA]

New blow up towards Snoqualmie Pass.   

[Anti Marine Layer]

12 minutes ago, Front Ranger said:

Pretty socked in here. 

 

Side note: you can see exactly where I live in this image...

 

Looks like Los Angeles in May after the marine layer burns off.

[Deweydog]

10 minutes ago, Anti Marine Layer said:

Looks like Los Angeles in May after the marine layer burns off.

Are you sick? 

[FroYoBro]

It hit 80 again.

[Cold Snap]

Got a good shot of the thunderstorms over the cascades.

[Cascadia_Wx]

13 minutes ago, FroYoBro said:

It hit 80 again.

I remember when hitting 80 in May felt like an accomplishment.

[Cascadia_Wx]

12 minutes ago, Cold Snap said:

Got a good shot of the thunderstorms over the cascades.

Interesting how similar the last 3 days have been weather wise. 

[Eugene-5SW]

I figured we'd have no trouble blowing well past the forecast high of 75º to achieve our 10th straight 80º+ high this May, and I was correct. Still 81º at nearly 6 p.m.

[Cascadia_Wx]

1 minute ago, Eugene-5SW said:

I figured we'd have no trouble blowing well past the forecast high of 75º to achieve our 10th straight 80º+ high this May, and I was correct. Still 81º at nearly 6 p.m.

Yeah, the weak marine push this morning made things seem promising, but the upper level airmass is still really warm today. Lots of actual cooling by tomorrow at least.