February 2024 Weather in the PNW

[Cascadia_Wx]

3 minutes ago, TacomaWx said:

Yeah, it could be worse right now though. February 2016 was pretty blegh. Atleast we might get a little snow falling in the mountains coming up. 
 Havent been below freezing since 1/16 here. Crazy we had some insane cold just a month ago and haven’t been able to freeze whatsoever since.

That’s insane. We’ve had about 7-8 freezes in that time. Then again I remember you live in a spot where it’s notoriously hard to drop to freezing.

[Mercurial]

Nice wintry day here.  Maybe 1” new snow today, mostly unforecasted. 

[Christensen87]

Man, just so close to an epic snowstorm for the Sound next week 

[iFred]

51 minutes ago, bainbridgekid said:

My GF lives in Enumclaw and it's amazing how different their climate is from here in Everett.

Seems like everytime it snows here it doesn't there and everytime it snows there it doesn't here. Same for wind. When it's windy there it's usually calm here and when we get strong winds it's usually calm there. And for their biggest rains I'm often shadowed. Led to some interesting (for me at least) conversations about the power of microclimates here because she always notices the difference.

That span on 410 between Bonney Lake to Buckley can be the difference between 80mph gusts and no snow to heavy fog and flurries. Bonney Lake and Prairie Ridge can also get some kind of weird Rainier turbulence too, I have no idea what the proper name for it is but it happened once while growing up there, Autumn of 2006 I think. Bonney Lake got some 60 to 70mph winds all afternoon while Buckley and Sumner were calm and quiet. A house down the road from my home had a tree go through it and we had the local news out discussing the "freak windstorm". If it wasn't for that event, the Hanukkah Eve windstorm may have done some real damage.

[Mercurial]

Anyway, I am an unfan of our typical 'doom and gloom' winter weather, but the NW wouldn't be nearly as pretty without it.  I love big trees.  

[TacomaWx]

2 minutes ago, Cascadia_Wx said:

That’s insane. We’ve had about 7-8 freezes in that time. Then again I remember you live in a spot where it’s notoriously hard to drop to freezing.

Yeah I think we average like 23-25 freezes per year here. Then of course some places not far from here get more like 75-100. Just being close to the water is tough for freezes but being cooler in the summertime is a nice trade off. 

[Cascadia_Wx]

5 minutes ago, Mercurial said:

Anyway, I am an unfan of our typical 'doom and gloom' winter weather, but the NW wouldn't be nearly as pretty without it.  I love big trees.  

I realize it probably qualifies as some sort of mental disability or personality disorder at this point, but I don’t I really don’t mind gloomy days all that much. Of course I like variety but it is hard for me to understand why they seem to affect so many people so profoundly. I’ve always found them to be kinda beautiful in moody sort of way.

It’s hard for me to understand the complaining from the anti-gloomers too, when our dependable “gloom” season has become relegated to about 1/3 of the year or less in recent decades. It’s pretty much not a thing down here anymore period, between late April and mid-October. Hence why all the big beautiful trees that thrive off of it and make this area green are suffering so much lately. But hey, more room for cute little cacti and decorative mangos. Maybe someday I will give in and embrace the change like everyone else seems to be doing. I will win the victory over myself. I will love Big Brother.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Just now, Cascadia_Wx said:

Today sure turned mild. Up to 54 with sunbreaks here. 56 at PDX.

Been raining here all day. 

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Just now, Cascadia_Wx said:

I realize it probably qualifies as some sort of mental disability or personality disorder at this point, but I don’t I really don’t mind gloomy days all that much. Of course I like variety but it is hard for me to understand why they seem to affect so many people so profoundly. I’ve always found them to be kinda beautiful in moody sort of way.

It’s hard for me to understand the complaining from the anti-gloomers too, when our dependable “gloom” season has become relegated to about 1/3 of the year or less in recent decades. It’s pretty much not a thing down here anymore period, between late April and mid-October. Hence why all the big beautiful trees that thrive off of it and make this area green are suffering so much lately. But hey, more room for cute little cacti and decorative mangos. Maybe someday I will give in and embrace the change like everyone else seems to be doing. I will win the victory over myself. I will love Big Brother.

Yeah, Tim would have never made it through the mid-late 90s here. 

[MossMan]

Fred sure did get Jesse fired up today! 

I like variety and extremes! I just took a walk in the woods and it was 47 and cloudy/breezy/gusty…It was lovely! This weekend in whole was lovely! Yesterday was bright and sunny at times, rained .26” overnight and again late this morning but with plenty of dry breaks like now…Lovely! Would I want 365 days of it…No. Would I want 365 days of sun and 70’s/80’s or 20’s and snow…No. 

Im looking forward to my annual late February/early March snow and then I will be looking forward to sunny warmer days mixed in with the darker wet days. 

[Cascadia_Wx]

2 minutes ago, MossMan said:

Fred sure did get Jesse fired up today! 

I like variety and extremes! I just took a walk in the woods and it was 47 and cloudy/breezy/gusty…It was lovely! This weekend in whole was lovely! Yesterday was bright and sunny at times, rained .26” overnight and again late this morning but with plenty of dry breaks like now…Lovely! Would I want 365 days of it…No. Would I want 365 days of sun and 70’s/80’s or 20’s and snow…No. 

Im looking forward to my annual late February/early March snow and then I will be looking forward to sunny warmer days mixed in with the darker wet days. 

First line is totally unnecessary.

[Port Angeles Foothiller]

Snow showing on my forecast.

[TT-SEA]

24 minutes ago, SilverFallsAndrew said:

Yeah, Tim would have never made it through the mid-late 90s here. 

That was a crappy climate regime!  I think I would have enjoyed the first half of the 20th century though.   Its not like it went from never-ending gloom year around for all of PNW history to sunny year-round now.    Its much more nuanced.    

And for me the time of year is critical as well.   Gloom doesn't really bother me until April and May.   And July - September is usually reliably sunny enough.      I know a couple of you like to use me as the poster child for anti-gloom but it seems many others on this forum are more bothered by gloom than me.     And we don't feel trapped at all... we can leave any time.   We probably have to down-size eventually anyways now that the kids are grown.  

 

[MossMan]

18 minutes ago, Cascadia_Wx said:

First line is totally unnecessary.

Your post about Fred was also totally unnecessary. 

[Cascadia_Wx]

1 minute ago, MossMan said:

Your post about Fred was also totally unnecessary. 

It was a joke. I think @iFred probably saw the humor in it and took it in stride.

Who knows though. Keep it up and maybe you’ll get me banned a second time! Would make 95% of the posters here happy anyway.

[Skagit Weather]

52 minutes ago, Cascadia_Wx said:

That’s insane. We’ve had about 7-8 freezes in that time. Then again I remember you live in a spot where it’s notoriously hard to drop to freezing.

I would say that's pretty representative for most non-sheltered places around the sound. I average almost twice as many freezes here as @TacomaWx and I haven't dropped below freezing since January 18th. My coldest low since then was Friday with a 32.2. Bellingham has only had 4 freezes since January 20th, and only two of those have been actually sub 32F. It's been a pretty warm stretch and not super conducive to freezes.

[Cascadia_Wx]

Just now, Skagit Weather said:

I would say that's pretty representative for most non-sheltered places around the sound. I average almost twice as many freezes here as @TacomaWx and I haven't dropped below freezing since January 18th. My coldest low since then was Friday with a 32.2. Bellingham has only had 4 freezes since January 20th, and only two of those have been actually sub 32F. It's been a pretty warm stretch and not super conducive to freezes.

We’ve had more clear nights down south I think. And we held onto the low level cold until a bit past 1/20.

[Port Angeles Foothiller]

18z good for us in the north.

[TT-SEA]

2 minutes ago, Cascadia_Wx said:

It was a joke. I think @iFred probably saw the humor in it and took it in stride.

Who knows though. Keep it up and maybe you’ll get me banned a second time! Would make 95% of the posters here happy anyway.

You are the undisputed king of victimization... even pulling a 2007 card a couple weeks ago.   And your self-pity with Matt over the years.   

Even I have no interest in having you banned.   Literally none.  

[ShawniganLake]

4 hours ago, DeepFriedEgg said:

Um everything just moderated a bit which happens every time. We went from 35 degree phantom snow to 38 degree rain.

Apart from a couple rogue runs from some unknown AI models and some control run wishcasting, I don’t think the ensembles have changed much.  If anything the GEFS has trended colder the past day or so. 

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Long range GFS looks good.

[MR.SNOWMIZER]

41 minutes ago, Cascadia_Wx said:

I realize it probably qualifies as some sort of mental disability or personality disorder at this point, but I don’t I really don’t mind gloomy days all that much. Of course I like variety but it is hard for me to understand why they seem to affect so many people so profoundly. I’ve always found them to be kinda beautiful in moody sort of way.

It’s hard for me to understand the complaining from the anti-gloomers too, when our dependable “gloom” season has become relegated to about 1/3 of the year or less in recent decades. It’s pretty much not a thing down here anymore period, between late April and mid-October. Hence why all the big beautiful trees that thrive off of it and make this area green are suffering so much lately. But hey, more room for cute little cacti and decorative mangos. Maybe someday I will give in and embrace the change like everyone else seems to be doing. I will win the victory over myself. I will love Big Brother.

I think most of those people don't have many hobbies? The rainy days do not keep me from going outside and doing things at all and never have. I've been called a vampire for NOT hating this gloomy weather. Come to find out many people like the damp wet winter days, atleast from my research.  I talk to people all day long and I ask weather questions,  most all natives complain about the hot dry summers and the same people talk about the good old days when we had real winters around here. That's how I can tell a person isn't from these parts is when they say oh I love the hot dry summers! I know they aren't from around here. 

[Mercurial]

7 minutes ago, Port Angeles Foothiller said:

18z good for us in the north.

Hoping to have a 20" snowpack again by the end of this.

[MR.SNOWMIZER]

7 minutes ago, Port Angeles Foothiller said:

18z good for us in the north.

Hood canal area is looking more and more likely to get a good dump of wet snow. I will start looking closer now but it looks like it will be cold enough for places 500ft and higher.

[Port Angeles Foothiller]

Just now, MR.SNOWMIZER said:

Hood canal area is looking more and more likely to get a good dump of wet snow. I will start looking closer now but it looks like it will be cold enough for places 500ft and higher.

If I don’t get shadowed (doubtful), I’ll get buried. Our BC friends going to score again

[TT-SEA]

3 minutes ago, MR.SNOWMIZER said:

I think most of those people don't have many hobbies? The rainy days do not keep me from going outside and doing things at all and never have. I've been called a vampire for NOT hating this gloomy weather. Come to find out many people like the damp wet winter days, atleast from my research.  I talk to people all day long and I ask weather questions,  most all natives complain about the hot dry summers and the same people talk about the good old days when we had real winters around here. That's how I can tell a person isn't from these parts is when they say oh I love the hot dry summers! I know they aren't from around here. 

I think you are one of the people who hates gloom way more than me... because gloom also means mild, drippy winters.   I think mild and drippy is more preferable than a winter climate like Montana or Minnesota for example.

[ShawniganLake]

10 minutes ago, Port Angeles Foothiller said:

18z good for us in the north.

Over 2 feet here. That’s too much. No thank you. 
 

 

[Mercurial]

Just now, ShawniganLake said:

Over 2 feet here. That’s too much. No thank you. 
 

 

LOL WUT, no such thing bro

[SilverFallsAndrew]

18z kind of fails at the end, but we're in the game for some cool onshore flow. 

[Port Angeles Foothiller]

3 minutes ago, ShawniganLake said:

Over 2 feet here. That’s too much. No thank you. 
 

 

This will be a wet heavy snow.

[Cascadia_Wx]

7 minutes ago, MR.SNOWMIZER said:

I think most of those people don't have many hobbies? The rainy days do not keep me from going outside and doing things at all and never have. I've been called a vampire for NOT hating this gloomy weather. Come to find out many people like the damp wet winter days, atleast from my research.  I talk to people all day long and I ask weather questions,  most all natives complain about the hot dry summers and the same people talk about the good old days when we had real winters around here. That's how I can tell a person isn't from these parts is when they say oh I love the hot dry summers! I know they aren't from around here. 

Good point. I work at a job where I interact with the public a lot as well, and there seems to be a similar sentiment. And maybe that is one of the factors for me as well. I will never let weather get in the way of doing things outside or pursuing enjoyable hobbies. I think some people just put their lives on hold for the winter and don’t poke their heads out until it’s 65+ and sunny again. I can see how that would be pretty depressing.

[Port Angeles Foothiller]

[Phishy Wx]

4 hours ago, SouthHillFrosty said:

Is winter back on? 

No

[TT-SEA]

Anecdotally.... my experience is that natives complain way more about the weather.    Like waaaaaay more.   I think they have been told all their lives that they live in a horrible climate so its cool to complain about it.      Its really not even close.   Tranplants chose to live there and have lived elsewhere and know the grass is not always greener.  

[MossMan]

14 minutes ago, ShawniganLake said:

Over 2 feet here. That’s too much. No thank you. 
 

 

You won’t have power for weeks! 

[TT-SEA]

17 minutes ago, MR.SNOWMIZER said:

I think most of those people don't have many hobbies? The rainy days do not keep me from going outside and doing things at all and never have. I've been called a vampire for NOT hating this gloomy weather. Come to find out many people like the damp wet winter days, atleast from my research.  I talk to people all day long and I ask weather questions,  most all natives complain about the hot dry summers and the same people talk about the good old days when we had real winters around here. That's how I can tell a person isn't from these parts is when they say oh I love the hot dry summers! I know they aren't from around here. 

I trying to reconcile your visceral hatred of western WA and desire to leave with these comments?   Makes no sense.   You were literally just ranting that you want to leave because its so gloomy and milld and we have no winter.     

[ShawniganLake]

1 minute ago, MossMan said:

You won’t have power for weeks! 

Haha. It’ll probably snow next week here. 1% chance it snows more than 2feet though. 

[Timmy]

27 minutes ago, SilverFallsAndrew said:

Long range GFS looks good.

 

19 minutes ago, SilverFallsAndrew said:

18z kind of fails at the end, but we're in the game for some cool onshore flow. 

 

[MR.SNOWMIZER]

22 minutes ago, TT-SEA said:

Anecdotally.... my experience is that natives complain way more about the weather.    Like waaaaaay more.   I think they have been told all their lives that they live in a horrible climate so its cool to complain about it.      Its really not even close.   Tranplants chose to live there and have lived elsewhere and know the grass is not always greener.  

And the people I talk with are totally opposite of what you said. Different opinions everywhere. 

[snow_wizard]

Not sure if it's anything to get excited about, but the GEFS has a lot more cold members over the next week to 10 days than the 12z did.