March 2020 Weather Discussion for the PNW

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Quite the mountain snow bonanza on the 18z.

[MossMan]

Got hailed on earlier while pressure washing the desk.

[Deweydog]

Got hailed on earlier while pressure washing the desk.

I just pressure washed our couch.

[MossMan]

I just pressure washed our couch.

To sleep on outside tonight?

[ShawniganLake]

Just drove thru a snow shower. Not accumulating though. 1200ft elevation

[MossMan]

A hail/slush mix currently!

[Deweydog]

To sleep on outside tonight?

Abundance of caution.

[crf450ish]

I just pressure washed our couch.

I pressure washed my grandmothers throw rug she's had under her dining room table for 20 years. Dog piss, food, wine and beer was washed away in 20 mins...its like new now. Except she's not around to enjoy it.

[MossMan]

Massive slush dumpage now!

[MossMan]

Down to 37 degrees. Up to 1.09” on the day.

[FroYoBro]

This moderate band of rain is really bringing the temperature down this evening. It was 52 degrees at 5 pm and now it's down to 45. 

[snow_wizard]

A chilly 42 degrees at 6pm and the coldest air is still a few days off.

[MossMan]

1.20” now!

[snow_wizard]

The 12z WRF looks like a legit shot at record lows Wednesday night.  A cold air mass in place with plenty of clearing.  The models have been consistent on showing Wednesday being a north wind day.

[MossMan]

More hail! Temp down to 36 degrees.

Up to 1.52” of precip on the day.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

The 18z and ensembles were amazing. 

[Omegaraptor]

The 12z WRF looks like a legit shot at record lows Wednesday night. A cold air mass in place with plenty of clearing. The models have been consistent on showing Wednesday being a north wind day.

April monthly record low for PDX is 29°F, which is kind of pathetic considering May’s is also 29°F. Pretty unlikely we actually break it but it looks like we could get somewhat close in the next several days. If there’s any setup that can, it’s a blocky one like this.

[Cloud]

The 18z and ensembles were amazing. 

 Look like it wants to keep us chilly all the way through mid-April. Remarkable. 

[James Jones]

April monthly record low for PDX is 29°F, which is kind of pathetic considering May’s is also 29°F. Pretty unlikely we actually break it but it looks like we could get somewhat close in the next several days. If there’s any setup that can, it’s a blocky one like this.

 

I've always considered April's record low to be the weakest of any PDX monthly record. Even with today's UHI and warmer climate it's beatable. 

 

If I get bored enough during the pandemic I might make a thread on the weakest and strongest monthly records for major PNW stations.

[VancouverIslandSouth]

Just drove thru a snow shower. Not accumulating though. 1200ft elevation

 

It dropped below 40F at 2pm here today during a heavily squall; pretty cold day in all, in spite of numerous sunny gaps.

[El_Nina]

0.73" so far today brings the March total up to 4.26".

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Precip looking sparse Wednesday morning. 

[Omegaraptor]

45 DBZ blob about to pass through.

[ShawniganLake]

It dropped below 40F at 2pm here today during a heavily squall; pretty cold day in all, in spite of numerous sunny gaps.

Top of the malahat late this afternoon. Ugh. Sideways and I’m too lazy to fix it.

 

[MossMan]

Temp back up to 37 degrees. Up to 1.63” of precip!

[Jesse]

Midnight highs!

 

Looks like PDX actually bumped up to 53. SW winds.

 

Hit 50 here as well. But down to 43 now with moderate rain showers. 

[Jesse]

Top of the malahat late this afternoon. Ugh. Sideways and I’m too lazy to fix it.

 

C23C5622-0389-44A1-88AE-685B51AD4004.jpeg

 

The Dutch are known for their strong work ethic.

[Jesse]

April monthly record low for PDX is 29°F, which is kind of pathetic considering May’s is also 29°F. Pretty unlikely we actually break it but it looks like we could get somewhat close in the next several days. If there’s any setup that can, it’s a blocky one like this.

 

I agree that its a pretty weak monthly record, but I don't really see a setup this week that will do it. To get really cold lows at this point in the spring you usually need a shot of cold troughing followed up by a ridge moving in and clearing skies/offshore flow. That's why by this late in the season the coldest mornings are generally followed by relatively warm days. Troughy patterns alone are usually too cloudy and showery at times, which is what I see for this week. I can't see a window for PDX to drop much below freezing, let alone 29.

[Omegaraptor]

Temp back up to 37 degrees. Up to 1.63” of precip!

Pretty impressive, especially with no active AR, for an area that gets the same amount of rain as PDX. At least according to Tim.

[Jesse]

I've always considered April's record low to be the weakest of any PDX monthly record. Even with today's UHI and warmer climate it's beatable. 

 

If I get bored enough during the pandemic I might make a thread on the weakest and strongest monthly records for major PNW stations.

 

I hope you write this post!

[TT-SEA]

Pretty impressive, especially with no active AR, for an area that gets the same amount of rain as PDX. At least according to Tim.

Roughly the same according to the WA state annual precip map. He lives right next to I-5.

 

[Jesse]

Pretty impressive, especially with no active AR, for an area that gets the same amount of rain as PDX. At least according to Tim.

Yeah that is patently false. Any area with as much CZ action as Randy’s with higher hills directly to the East enhancing orographic lift is going to see way more rain on average than Portland proper.

[TT-SEA]

Yeah that is patently false. Any area with as much CZ action as Randy’s with higher hills directly to the East enhancing orographic lift is going to see way more rain on average than Portland proper.

 

You don't understand where Randy lives.

 

And it was the same at his old house which was actually west of I-5.

 

The c-zone action is offset by shadowing in SW flow making it very similar to other areas along the I-5 corridor in terms of annual precip.

 

And none of that changes the fact that the areas to the north and east have been perpetually wetter than their average for a long time overall (2019 was the exception). So yeah. It is what it is.

[Omegaraptor]

You don't understand where Randy lives.

And it was the same at his old house which was west of I-5.

The c-zone action is offset by shadowing in SW flow making it very similar to other areas along the I-5 corridor in terms of annual precip.

And none of that changes the fact that the areas to the north and east have been perpetually wetter than their average for a long time overall (2019 was the exception). So yeah.

I tried to find a post regarding Mossman’s elevation and back in December he stated that he lives at 550’. In the Puget Sound area that can make a pretty big difference rain-wise. You’re acting as if he lives at sea level.

[Front Ranger]

Wednesday is probably their best shot at a sub 50 high. Not easy to do at this point without some steady precip.

 

Of course April 1, 1936 had a 37 degree high with 5" of snow.

 

And we've seen accumulating lowland snow in mid April as recently 2008.

[Front Ranger]

I tried to find a post regarding Mossman’s elevation and back in December he stated that he lives at 550’. In the Puget Sound area that can make a pretty big difference rain-wise. You’re acting as if he lives at sea level.

 

Yes. Tim talks about micro-climates but then chooses to act like they don't exist at other times.

[Jesse]

And we've seen accumulating lowland snow in mid April as recently 2008.

 

That was an impressive stretch. Yet the coldest high PDX saw was still just 48.

[TT-SEA]

I tried to find a post regarding Mossman’s elevation and back in December he stated that he lives at 550’. In the Puget Sound area that can make a pretty big difference rain-wise. You’re acting as if he lives at sea level.

 

 

I am not acting like anything... he lives very close to I-5 which is not at sea level. 

 

SW flow shadows that area in big rain events.   That is offset by the c-zone precip.   And the annual map shows its very similar to other areas in the I-5 corridor.   

 

Regardless... the area to the north and east of Seattle has been frequently wetter than whatever the normal happens to be for that area.    

[TT-SEA]

Yes. Tim talks about micro-climates but then chooses to act like they don't exist at other times.

 

 

I don't care if Randy's house high up in the mountains there averages 200 inches of rain per year.   Its still been even wetter than the normal there.   

 

 

 

Side note - SEA and OLM are both just about 4 inches above normal for the year.   That drier than normal area is not real and includes 4 stations with partial data blended in.

[Front Ranger]

That was an impressive stretch. Yet the coldest high PDX saw was still just 48.

 

They were certainly not the epicenter.