December 2023 Weather in the PNW

[Gradient Keeper]

Day 9'er

[Chewbacca Defense]

3 hours ago, MossMan said:

Well since we are on the subject…My dad passed away peacefully last evening. Rough stuff but both my sister and I have an odd calmness over us, he battled so many health issues since the late 1980’s which escalated in the early 2000’s and then nailed him hardcore in early August…Knowing he is no longer in pain (pain that I’m sure many people will never experience) is very calming. Definitely the strongest person I will ever be around when it comes to battling every infection that tried to get him for so many years, but he battled on and tried his hardest to not have it effect his life too much. 

One of the last things we talked about on Saturday when he was still semi coherent at the hospital was the Christmas lights I put up on the house and I told him that he taught me everything I know about exterior illumination as I was showing him pictures of my lit up house.

I still remember being about 5 years old and helping him put up the Christmas lights, they were those big bulbed multi colored lights, it felt so magical helping him and seeing them light up the house knowing Santa was going to come now since he could see those bright lights! 
I always think of those times when I am putting up the lights that now my kids are helping me with!
 

I am so sorry for your loss.  It's good to hear he passed away peacefully, and it sounds like you have a lot of fond memories of him.  You guys are in my thoughts.

[Gradient Keeper]

3 hours ago, MossMan said:

Well since we are on the subject…My dad passed away peacefully last evening. Rough stuff but both my sister and I have an odd calmness over us, he battled so many health issues since the late 1980’s which escalated in the early 2000’s and then nailed him hardcore in early August…Knowing he is no longer in pain (pain that I’m sure many people will never experience) is very calming. Definitely the strongest person I will ever be around when it comes to battling every infection that tried to get him for so many years, but he battled on and tried his hardest to not have it effect his life too much. 

One of the last things we talked about on Saturday when he was still semi coherent at the hospital was the Christmas lights I put up on the house and I told him that he taught me everything I know about exterior illumination as I was showing him pictures of my lit up house.

I still remember being about 5 years old and helping him put up the Christmas lights, they were those big bulbed multi colored lights, it felt so magical helping him and seeing them light up the house knowing Santa was going to come now since he could see those bright lights! 
I always think of those times when I am putting up the lights that now my kids are helping me with!
 

I'm so sorry, Randy. I hope you do find some solace in that he is no longer suffering in pain. The holiday's are so hard for so many of us. I know it's not the same anymore for my Mother and I without my brother and father. I guess we just try to find the laughs and good memories, and if we're lucky to be able to make more lasting memories. You will be in my thoughts. Take care.

[Gradient Keeper]

Day 10

[Chewbacca Defense]

16 minutes ago, TT-SEA said:

Great pics...  is that the trail along the east side of Lake Whatcom?    That was my parent's favorite trail up there and they did it hundreds of times over the last 20 years.   They liked it because its totally flat and has beautiful views the entire way with the lake on one side and random waterfalls on the other side.  

That's the one.  It's one of my dog's favorites.  She loves to dive off on all the little side trails down to the water.  I'm going to try to get my wife out there with us in the next couple of weeks.  She has some health issues, including not having cartilage in her knees any more, so she can't do many of the trails around here, but as you said, its really flat, and with the views I think she would really enjoy it.

[Gradient Keeper]

00z GFS re-cap. 10 Day GIFs: 500mb Height Anomaly, 850mb Temps, 1000-500mb Thickness/MSLP/Precip

[Gradient Keeper]

00z GFS 10 Day Rainfall, Snowfall totals

[LowerGarfield]

4 hours ago, MossMan said:

Well since we are on the subject…My dad passed away peacefully last evening. Rough stuff but both my sister and I have an odd calmness over us, he battled so many health issues since the late 1980’s which escalated in the early 2000’s and then nailed him hardcore in early August…Knowing he is no longer in pain (pain that I’m sure many people will never experience) is very calming. Definitely the strongest person I will ever be around when it comes to battling every infection that tried to get him for so many years, but he battled on and tried his hardest to not have it effect his life too much. 

One of the last things we talked about on Saturday when he was still semi coherent at the hospital was the Christmas lights I put up on the house and I told him that he taught me everything I know about exterior illumination as I was showing him pictures of my lit up house.

I still remember being about 5 years old and helping him put up the Christmas lights, they were those big bulbed multi colored lights, it felt so magical helping him and seeing them light up the house knowing Santa was going to come now since he could see those bright lights! 
I always think of those times when I am putting up the lights that now my kids are helping me with!
 

Agreed. It was super hard telling my son that his grandmother died on Saturday. He is now on winter break so I surprised him at the half day and told him that the two of us were going on a trip. I took him to CDA and we did the Lake Couer D'Alane holiday cruise if anyone has done it before. He was the happiest I've seen in the last month. 

My wife was at the hospital across the street from our hotel for two weeks but she came to the skilled nursing facility five minutes from us. She's recovering and is glad to be in our town. The only day this winter that we had any snow was the day of her car accident.

[LowerGarfield]

1 hour ago, Slushy Inch said:

It has been a really foggy winter in general 

Pretty foggy in CDA but visibility is not bad.

[Deweydog]

15 years ago RIGHT NOW we were experiencing HEAVY SNOW with temperatures around 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Dewey was having the time of his life in the ol’ neighborhood on 152nd. We did NOT have a cat at the time, but “adopted” one soon after moving into the new place in 2010. McLovin made it five years I think until we think the coyotes got him.

[Mercurial]

30 minutes ago, Gradient Keeper said:

00z GFS 10 Day Rainfall, Snowfall totals

Yea but Accuweather says Im getting 1-3" Friday night.  

[Slushy Inch]

Lock it in!

[BLI snowman]

3 hours ago, ShawniganLake said:

Our cat died in the summer.  My 4 year old still cries some days.  A bit of an emotional girl she is. 

I lost my 17 year old cat this summer. My experience was almost identical to Tim's with his dog. First time I've had to be present when losing a pet, they'd always just disappeared on me which made things easier in some ways. Was glad that I got to give him a proper goodbye though.

Did recently adopt two kittens, so the drumbeat always marches on and it's great to cherish both the past and the future.

 

[Gradient Keeper]

I'm too tired exhausted to run the 00z Euro. Good night.

[Phishy Wx]

7 minutes ago, Gradient Keeper said:

I'm too tired exhausted to run the 00z Euro. Good night.

get some sleep, we're not missing much

[CliffMassYelledAtMe]

May everyone who has lost someone this year find peace and joy in their tears and memories:

 

May your sorrow be washed away by the rain and your spirit freshened by the wind. May each snowflake be a reminder of the fragile beauty of each day of our lives. 

[SnowWillarrive]

52 minutes ago, Slushy Inch said:

Lock it in!

This will bring redemption 

[the_convergence_zone]

Condolences to everyone who lost a loved one this year and thank you for sharing your stories. 

I have to take my nearly 13 year old dog to the vet tomorrow because she has been showing signs of being in pain in the last week and I discovered a fairly large growth on her chest tonight…hoping for the best but I’m worried… 

[Rubus Leucodermis]

5 hours ago, snow_wizard said:

Cats are totally awesome!  Too bad some people don't appreciate them as much as dogs.

The existence of such superior beings makes some even more insecure and resentful, I guess.

[Front Ranger]

6 hours ago, TT-SEA said:

I do think our cat is pretty amazing too.   And scary smart.  He has figured out how to open doors by watching us.  He jumps up and turns the handle.    My dog never did that.  

Cats are amazing athletes. And some are awesome companions. Kittens are ridiculously cute and entertaining.

Personally though, I prefer having a pet I can do more outdoor stuff with/take with me places. Although I'm not one of those crazy people that has to take their "service" dog everywhere.

[iFred]

6 hours ago, MossMan said:

Well since we are on the subject…My dad passed away peacefully last evening. Rough stuff but both my sister and I have an odd calmness over us, he battled so many health issues since the late 1980’s which escalated in the early 2000’s and then nailed him hardcore in early August…Knowing he is no longer in pain (pain that I’m sure many people will never experience) is very calming. Definitely the strongest person I will ever be around when it comes to battling every infection that tried to get him for so many years, but he battled on and tried his hardest to not have it effect his life too much. 

One of the last things we talked about on Saturday when he was still semi coherent at the hospital was the Christmas lights I put up on the house and I told him that he taught me everything I know about exterior illumination as I was showing him pictures of my lit up house.

I still remember being about 5 years old and helping him put up the Christmas lights, they were those big bulbed multi colored lights, it felt so magical helping him and seeing them light up the house knowing Santa was going to come now since he could see those bright lights! 
I always think of those times when I am putting up the lights that now my kids are helping me with!
 

A bit of a gut punch reading this. You’ve shared so much of your childhood affinity for all things wet, wild, and snowy, that it feels like we somehow grew up with you. I’m glad there is a sense of peace in your family and wishing the whole MossMan clan then best.

[TT-SEA]

7 hours ago, Front Ranger said:

Cats are amazing athletes. And some are awesome companions. Kittens are ridiculously cute and entertaining.

Personally though, I prefer having a pet I can do more outdoor stuff with/take with me places. Although I'm not one of those crazy people that has to take their "service" dog everywhere.

I read somewhere that kittens and puppies have evolved to be irresistibly cute to humans to trigger our caregiving response.   I never cared for cats but a few years ago when we were out of town and my son was at home he randomly went out and got a kitten and it was so frickin cute that I couldn't say no.  Now my son lives in Seattle and I take care of a cat.   

Everyone said having a cat in this area is a lost cause because if they ever get out they will disappear immediately.  And the first time he got out and disappeared I was running through the woods looking for him assuming he had already met a bad fate.   But he was hiding under the deck.   Now we can let him outside whenever he wants... he never goes more than about 20-30 feet from the house.   And he hunts rodents in the yard and leaves them for us by the front door.   My wife loves this because moles and mice used to make a mess of the yard and garden but have magically disappeared now.  

[ShawniganLake]

Wow.  Gfs gets ridiculously wet across Vancouver Island between Christmas and new years.  Some people will be keeping their eyes on rising river levels if anything close to that verifies

[TT-SEA]

5 minutes ago, ShawniganLake said:

Wow.  Gfs gets ridiculously wet across Vancouver Island between Christmas and new years.  Some people will be keeping their eyes on rising river levels if anything close to that verifies

I have been watching this as well.   The 00Z EPS was not as a extreme as the GFS but shows the same general pattern.    Models have been all over the place with the exact position of the moisture plumes next week... more so than usual.   

 

[Phil]

14 hours ago, MossMan said:

Well since we are on the subject…My dad passed away peacefully last evening. Rough stuff but both my sister and I have an odd calmness over us, he battled so many health issues since the late 1980’s which escalated in the early 2000’s and then nailed him hardcore in early August…Knowing he is no longer in pain (pain that I’m sure many people will never experience) is very calming. Definitely the strongest person I will ever be around when it comes to battling every infection that tried to get him for so many years, but he battled on and tried his hardest to not have it effect his life too much. 

One of the last things we talked about on Saturday when he was still semi coherent at the hospital was the Christmas lights I put up on the house and I told him that he taught me everything I know about exterior illumination as I was showing him pictures of my lit up house.

I still remember being about 5 years old and helping him put up the Christmas lights, they were those big bulbed multi colored lights, it felt so magical helping him and seeing them light up the house knowing Santa was going to come now since he could see those bright lights! 
I always think of those times when I am putting up the lights that now my kids are helping me with!
 

I shed a tear reading this. I’m so sorry man. DM me if you ever want to chat.  

[Phil]

14 hours ago, Sunriver Snow Zone said:

I'm sorry to hear that, he sounds like he was an awesome dad. 

Feels like too many people on this blog are dealing with death, awful time of year for it too. Saturday night my uncle passed away in his sleep after a 4 year battle against cancer. He was the one who made me fall in love with my favorite hobby, mountaineering, me and him spent so much time together when I was in my teenage years and 20s, he was so funny, nice, knowledgeable, awesome around my kids, he was an amazing guy. He will be missed.

 

Ugh I’m sorry. Too much death on this forum lately. 

[Kayla]

Going to take a Christmas miracle to avoid seeing the least snowiest Nov-Dec on record here. Bozeman has only seen a whopping 2.2" snowfall (with 0.71" of precip) since Nov 1st. Just last year we had 54" in the same period. 

All-time record warm December also looks to be a lock along with the Nov-Dec period. I knew this winter was going to be bad but this has been downright ugly. We'll be right back into a severe drought soon if things do not turn around soon.

[Rubus Leucodermis]

Three years ago today.

[AlTahoe]

4 minutes ago, Kayla said:

Going to take a Christmas miracle to avoid seeing the least snowiest Nov-Dec on record here. Bozeman has only seen a whopping 2.2" snowfall (with 0.71" of precip) since Nov 1st. Just last year we had 54" in the same period. 

All-time record warm December also looks to be a lock along with the Nov-Dec period. I knew this winter was going to be bad but this has been downright ugly. We'll be right back into a severe drought soon if things do not turn around soon.

I am at 2.5" so far. This will be my least snowy Oct-Dec since the non winter of 2014-2015. 

For strong El Ninos the only similar dry ones would be 1986-1987 and 1991-1992. 

[MossMan]

Memories…

And The Fuzz. 

[Kayla]

16 minutes ago, AlTahoe said:

I am at 2.5" so far. This will be my least snowy Oct-Dec since the non winter of 2014-2015. 

For strong El Ninos the only similar dry ones would be 1986-1987 and 1991-1992. 

I think that's what is pretty remarkable about this season so far. Seeing both Northwest AND California mountain regions doing so poorly. Only saving grace for the west coast is that they've seen plenty of rainfall with more to come.

Interior regions not so much!

[AlTahoe]

10 minutes ago, Kayla said:

I think that's what is pretty remarkable about this season so far. Seeing both Northwest AND California mountain regions doing so poorly. Only saving grace for the west coast is that they've seen plenty of rainfall with more to come.

Interior regions not so much!

Coastal california has done ok but the big watersheds in the Sierra are at about 40% of average precip. 

[Doinko]

48 minutes ago, Kayla said:

Going to take a Christmas miracle to avoid seeing the least snowiest Nov-Dec on record here. Bozeman has only seen a whopping 2.2" snowfall (with 0.71" of precip) since Nov 1st. Just last year we had 54" in the same period. 

All-time record warm December also looks to be a lock along with the Nov-Dec period. I knew this winter was going to be bad but this has been downright ugly. We'll be right back into a severe drought soon if things do not turn around soon.

How much did you get Jan-Mar this year?

[Anti Marine Layer]

24 minutes ago, AlTahoe said:

Coastal california has done ok but the big watersheds in the Sierra are at about 40% of average precip. 

Going to need another record high snowpack.

[AlTahoe]

1 minute ago, Anti Marine Layer said:

Going to need another record high snowpack.

Currently 24% of normal at the snow lab 

[Kayla]

12 minutes ago, Doinko said:

How much did you get Jan-Mar this year?

Bozeman saw another 57" of snowfall Jan-Mar of this year. My backyard saw 87" in that same period. 

2022 was the third snowiest year on record for Bozeman with 146" of snowfall in the city. 2023 should end up with about 80".

30 year snowfall average is up to 95" now.

[Slushy Inch]

Interesting progression.

[Anti Marine Layer]

My dog is not feeling that great either. She is gagging a lot or regurgitating after she eats and has frequent back pain. Some days she wants to sleep all day and other days she'll still go for a walk. Can't even take her to the vet since we are getting over COVID. 

[Deweydog]

10 minutes ago, Anti Marine Layer said:

My dog is not feeling that great either. She is gagging a lot or regurgitating after she eats and has frequent back pain. Some days she wants to sleep all day and other days she'll still go for a walk. Can't even take her to the vet since we are getting over COVID. 

Shoulda got the jab…

[Slushy Inch]

PTO today and tomorrow. So I’ll be able to fully obsess over the models, especially the weeklies.