Pacific Northwest Weather - May 2023

[Cascadia_Wx]

Turned into a really nice day here. Clouds burned off a couple hours ago but it’s holding at 68 with a cool NW breeze and some high clouds. 

[YahRaEl]

Clouds finally burned off now Mostly Sunny and temps are ranging around 60-64° with overall of about 63° here at Eastside Tacoma.

[Cascadia_Wx]

1 minute ago, ChrisAmunRA said:

Clouds finally burned off now Mostly Sunny and temps are ranging around 60-64° with overall of about 63° here at Eastside Tacoma.

The unholy hosts shall cry out with glee when the temperature hits 66.6  

[Tyler Mode]

Forecast was 75 today, so far just 68.

[Cascadia_Wx]

3 minutes ago, Tyler Mode said:

Forecast was 75 today, so far just 68.

First underachieving day in several weeks.

[YahRaEl]

Looks like NAM might be the better one for today.

[TT-SEA]

13 minutes ago, Tyler Mode said:

Forecast was 75 today, so far just 68.

Quite the inversion apparently near the Sound.   SEA is still at 61 despite full sunshine for last 90 minutes.   Up to 69 out here now.  

[Cascadia_Wx]

Looks like the GFS has been liking the idea of another one of our newly typical 7-10 day heatwaves starting around 6/5 or so.

Euro and EPS seemed a little shorter with the heat spike, and there were actually some wetter ensemble members showing up around the second week of June on the long range EPS. Wouldn’t surprise me at all to see it slowly trend toward a more GFS/GEFS like solution though.

[Meatyorologist]

19 hours ago, TT-SEA said:

Our February weather would have made a good December... March would have made a good January... April would have made a good February.  It was unusually cold.    Now May would have made a good June.    

That last point would suggest a 100F heatwave mid month followed by several days on either side of 80F, interspersed with marine layer days.

Pretty excessive, even for June. Would be hot for July actually.

[TT-SEA]

22 minutes ago, Meatyorologist said:

That last point would suggest a 100F heatwave mid month followed by several days on either side of 80F, interspersed with marine layer days.

Pretty excessive, even for June. Would be hot for July actually.

It was reference to what Jesse said... this May would have been a decent June.

[Cascadia_Wx]

29 minutes ago, Meatyorologist said:

That last point would suggest a 100F heatwave mid month followed by several days on either side of 80F, interspersed with marine layer days.

Pretty excessive, even for June. Would be hot for July actually.

Wasn't speaking in terms of departures. Just absolute temps and weather conditions. It was a very June-like May.

[Chewbacca Defense]

5 hours ago, Blizzard777 said:

I’m back home in overcast Federal Way  

That would of been fun to just sit back and watch the action though!

Unfortunately, they ended up cancelling the kayak leg mid-way through.  It really surprised me because the water did not look nearly as bad as when I went out in  2012.  I was taking waves to the chest.  The launch is from a dock near the entrance to the marina, and you go out through a jetty into the bay.  Sounds like a lot of people were getting dumped in the mouth of the jetty, so I am guessing there was a strong tidal flow interacting with the waves coming across the bay.

 

Looks like 232 of the 470-ish teams were able to complete the leg.  Sucks for the people who didn't get to compete, especially folks who came in from out of town.

 

We have a lot of outdoorsy folks on this forum, it would be fun to put together a weatherforums team.  Need a x-country skiier, downhill skiier, runner, road bike, 2 folks for a canoe, cyclocross and kayak.

 

65 and sunny here.

[Cold Snap]

3 hours ago, Cascadia_Wx said:

First underachieving day in several weeks.

Yeah it was supposed to get to at least 70 IMBY today and it only got to 67. I really enjoy days like these in the summer. Not too hot and not too cold.

[TT-SEA]

10 hours ago, Cold Snap said:

Yeah it was supposed to get to at least 70 IMBY today and it only got to 67. I really enjoy days like these in the summer. Not too hot and not too cold.

Sun came out here at 1:15 but don't think it reached 70.   That is pretty unusual.   Most sunny afternoons from now through the first half of September usually reach at least 70.   It was quite comfortable doing yard work and having dinner on the deck.   

[YahRaEl]

About 47-50° and cloudy as of 6am here at Eastside Tacoma neighborhood.

[Doinko]

Was pretty sunny from Vancouver to Bellingham, now cloudy and foggy near the Chukanaut mountains.

[Rubus Leucodermis]

Was toasty-warm on Saturday in the Fraser Canyon. Yesterday was cooler, and cooler yet back in the Vancouver metro area of course. Thunderstorm passed about 10 km (6 mi) to our north on Saturday. Near misses can be so frustrating.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Next time Portland gets 10 consecutive days of rain and 50s, I will be happy because most people who post here will be happy.

[LowerGarfield]

Today's high should be around 80 at my location. Should be a beautiful one.

[Phil]

Only been in Colorado Springs 3 days but I think I’m already smitten. Open views, snowcapped terrain, light traffic, interesting weather, etc. Already had a small hail shower and some thunder since I’ve been here. Air is light, no humidity, cardio workouts are more challenging due to altitude (plus it’s easier to get a buzz on, haha). Definitely #1 on my “move-to” list now.

[Phil]

Not the cleanest way to view it, but even w/ U-850mb anoms it’s evident the westerly momentum previously deposited in the tropics has largely propagated into the subtropics now. -U anomalies now developing over the IO/IPWP on the latest EPS for week-2.

Anyone still predicting a super El Niño is willingly going down with the ship unless something changes dramatically by the solstice. Increasing confidence this will be a moderate event.

Even so, still a very different pathway to El Niño relative to other modern events (particularly post-1998).

[Phil]

Also E’rly shear/-QBO descent ongoing w/ -NPMM/+NAMM, +IOD, and collapsing off-equator NPAC portion of WPWP/IPWP. All the headache-makers of the last decade are dissolving, even if it’s not evident in some places/weather patterns at this very moment.

All in all, this is probably the first time I’ve been genuinely interested if not excited about the wx/climate prospects for a given year in a long time. I could easily be full of s**t, but for what little it’s worth, I’m happy with what I see right now.

I think a bonafide -NAM/-NAO (and -TNH) winter is on the table. As well as a much different/cooler summer pattern (in the SW US especially).

[Phishy Wx]

feck it was freezing in Santa Cruz.  low to mid 50s most of the day until the fog burned off.  went to The Cure concert at Shoreline amphitheater on Saturday night.  in the 50s and windy, also pretty chilly.  back in Spokane where its supposed to be 80 today.  lol

[Anti Marine Layer]

4 minutes ago, Phishy Wx said:

feck it was freezing in Santa Cruz.  low to mid 50s most of the day until the fog burned off.  went to The Cure concert at Shoreline amphitheater on Saturday night.  in the 50s and windy, also pretty chilly.  back in Spokane where its supposed to be 80 today.  lol

Santa Cruz, CA?

[Phishy Wx]

1 minute ago, Anti Marine Layer said:

Santa Cruz, CA?

yeah, went back to visit the old stomping grounds, see some brahs

[Anti Marine Layer]

I shall soon be publishing my new book: Climate Change: Why Seattle and Los Angeles will Swap Climates.

Should be a good one.

 

[Anti Marine Layer]

Jesse and Andrew. I feel sorry for you missing out on all the blessings. 

 

[Anti Marine Layer]

OTOH I don't see what is so blessed about dead jacaranda trees. Death is never a good thing whether it's caused by record cold or record heat.

[SunAndSnow]

Today marks three weeks without rain. Time to water the lawn. 

[Cascadia_Wx]

Made it down to 48 again this morning. Had clouds fill in after dawn but they are burning off now. Current temp is 60, should be heading for mid to high 70s. Pretty nice day.

[Cascadia_Wx]

At least the 12z GFS shows a slightly shorter heatwave than previous runs. A dynamic heatwave with a few days in the 90s and a nice quick cool down is always fun. It’s the stuck in a rut crap like the middle part of May that really gets old.

[Anti Marine Layer]

Sorry about my virus.

[Anti Marine Layer]

[Anti Marine Layer]

2 minutes ago, Cascadia_Wx said:

At least the 12z GFS shows a slightly shorter heatwave than previous runs. A dynamic heatwave with a few days in the 90s and a nice quick cool down is always fun. It’s the stuck in a rut crap like the middle part of May that really gets old.

Why haven't you considered moving down here yet? All the drizzle and rain and gloom you could ever wish for.

[Cascadia_Wx]

Ended up with a very very pleasant 71/48 day yesterday btw.

[Omegaraptor]

13 minutes ago, Anti Marine Layer said:

Why haven't you considered moving down here yet? All the drizzle and rain and gloom you could ever wish for.

Move to Needles or Blythe!

[Chewbacca Defense]

2 hours ago, Phil said:

Only been in Colorado Springs 3 days but I think I’m already smitten. Open views, snowcapped terrain, light traffic, interesting weather, etc. Already had a small hail shower and some thunder since I’ve been here. Air is light, no humidity, cardio workouts are more challenging due to altitude (plus it’s easier to get a buzz on, haha). Definitely #1 on my “move-to” list now.

That altitude is a kicker....Helped out on a cattle drive several years ago with my wife's family and had to chase some cattle out of some trees on foot, I was winded after a few minutes of running around, then remembered "oh yeah, sea level lungs at 4,600 feet."

Colorado has always been a place that has been on my radar, but I just can't give up my ocean access.

[Cascadia_Wx]

12z Euro shows PDX approaching 100 a week from today. Goes along with a strange looking 500mb pattern as well.

[Omegaraptor]

1 minute ago, Chewbacca Defense said:

That altitude is a kicker....Helped out on a cattle drive several years ago with my wife's family and had to chase some cattle out of some trees on foot, I was winded after a few minutes of running around, then remembered "oh yeah, sea level lungs at 4,600 feet."

Colorado has always been a place that has been on my radar, but I just can't give up my ocean access.

Biggest difference at high elevation for me is I can barely eat anything. Every time I go to Sunriver.

[Cascadia_Wx]

Really unusual heat pattern on the Euro. At least it shows just two 90+ days at face value. Although the “cool down” at the end of the run only drops us into the mid to upper 80s