April 2024 Weather in the PNW

[Meatyorologist]

I'll be real dissapointed if that deformation band with this weekend's cutoff doesn't make it up here. The wet weather has been nice these last few days, but we'll still finish April with less than half the precipitation we'd normally see. Because it hasn't been very ridgy this Spring nothing is drying out all that much. The cool weather has prevented anything from turning brown. But simultaneously, the lack of rainfall has also kept the biosphere from really blooming. It's not very lush out there, unlike in Spring 2022 where we had plenty of rainfall and the humidity plus the overwhelming smell of active plantlife made for somewhat of a tropical feel at times. This year is different... We're just sitting ducks waiting for the first heatwave of the year to officially dry everything out. With how dry it's been since March, it might only take one.

[Blizzard777]

Sunset was awesome tonight ! 

[Meatyorologist]

What's really getting to me is how thin the grass is. Some patches in the lawn look as if the little grasslings poked out of the ground and simply grew longer instead of growing out healthily. Lots of wilting where the grass is collapsing under its own weight.

Similar story for the tree leaves, too, with thin, papery, small leaves that are wilting and only growing in patches, especially on the Ash trees on our street. That's how you know we need the rain.

I have a big bucket full of rainwater sitting n the shade behind the shed. I'll definitely be emptying it on our lawn if Phil's mid-May heatwave PROMISE comes to fruition, and especially if we get shafted in the next couple weeks.

[MossMan]

4 minutes ago, Meatyorologist said:

What's really getting to me is how thin the grass is. Some patches in the lawn look as if the little grasslings poked out of the ground and simply grew longer instead of growing out healthily. Lots of wilting where the grass is collapsing under its own weight.

Similar story for the tree leaves, too, with thin, papery, small leaves that are wilting and only growing in patches, especially on the Ash trees on our street. That's how you know we need the rain.

I have a big bucket full of rainwater sitting n the shade behind the shed. I'll definitely be emptying it on our lawn if Phil's mid-May heatwave PROMISE comes to fruition, and especially if we get shafted in the next couple weeks.

Everything looks wet and healthy up here! 
4.37” for the month, 18.76” for the year. 

[T-Town]

More clouds. 

[TT-SEA]

31 minutes ago, Meatyorologist said:

What's really getting to me is how thin the grass is. Some patches in the lawn look as if the little grasslings poked out of the ground and simply grew longer instead of growing out healthily. Lots of wilting where the grass is collapsing under its own weight.

Similar story for the tree leaves, too, with thin, papery, small leaves that are wilting and only growing in patches, especially on the Ash trees on our street. That's how you know we need the rain.

I have a big bucket full of rainwater sitting n the shade behind the shed. I'll definitely be emptying it on our lawn if Phil's mid-May heatwave PROMISE comes to fruition, and especially if we get shafted in the next couple weeks.

I think you are just describing normal early spring growth.   My guess is the "issue" is chilly weather which is not unusual in April and early May.    Warmth would make things really explode.

[TT-SEA]

10 minutes ago, T-Town said:

More clouds. 

Just had a brief hail shower here.   Definitely hail and not graupel... solid ice and not the soft dip-n-dots stuff.  

[Frontal Snowsquall]

2 hours ago, TigerWoodsLibido said:

Cozumel and Costa Maya.

Awesome, both places look beautiful! I’m hoping you can spend a lot of time exploring the there.

 

[Cascadia_Wx]

43 minutes ago, Meatyorologist said:

What's really getting to me is how thin the grass is. Some patches in the lawn look as if the little grasslings poked out of the ground and simply grew longer instead of growing out healthily. Lots of wilting where the grass is collapsing under its own weight.

Similar story for the tree leaves, too, with thin, papery, small leaves that are wilting and only growing in patches, especially on the Ash trees on our street. That's how you know we need the rain.

I have a big bucket full of rainwater sitting n the shade behind the shed. I'll definitely be emptying it on our lawn if Phil's mid-May heatwave PROMISE comes to fruition, and especially if we get shafted in the next couple weeks.

Looking at these maps, it’s pretty clear the frigid temps the past month are a much bigger deal than the dryness.

[Deweydog]

30 minutes ago, T-Town said:

More clouds. 

Gorgreous.

[TT-SEA]

6 minutes ago, Cascadia_Wx said:

Looking at these maps, it’s pretty clear the frigid temps the past month are a much bigger deal than the dryness.

You know darn well that any delay in spring growth at this time of year is due to chilly weather....particularly recently in this case.    It's just silly to think the trees are drought stressed coming off a normally wet PNW winter.   It's not August.   It's still April.

Even if we don't get much rain over the next week... @Meatyorologist trees will still explode in growth during the next warm spell.   Because that is how it works in the spring.

[Deweydog]

The double-nickel at PDX was their COLDEST 4/30 max since 2008 when they scored a fitty-two.

And in the Journal of Analog Misuse, we can officially throw out 1998 as today’s high while we were all singing along to Third Eye Blind and going to see Titanic for the fourth time was 35 degrees warmer.

[Omegaraptor]

29 minutes ago, TT-SEA said:

I think you are just describing normal early spring growth.   My guess is the "issue" is chilly weather which is not unusual in April and early May.    Warmth would make things really explode.

It has been a very normal spring for most of the region temperature-wise. I don't see why temperature would cause any sort of issue.

[TT-SEA]

5 minutes ago, Omegaraptor said:

It has been a very normal spring for most of the region temperature-wise. I don't see why temperature would cause any sort of issue.

There isn't any issue.  That was my point.   I put the word issue in quotes for that reason. 

Spring growth often comes in surges with warm spells.   All perfectly normal.  

[Cold Snap]

The reflection of the sunset off the clouds is making everything have a red tint to it here. It’s pretty cool.

[TT-SEA]

1 minute ago, Cold Snap said:

The reflection of the sunset off the clouds is making everything have a red tint to it here. It’s pretty cool.

Was just going to mention how it turned really red for a couple minutes here.

[Cold Snap]

Absolutely gorgeous how the clouds look.

[TT-SEA]

15 minutes ago, Cold Snap said:

Absolutely gorgeous how the clouds look.

Very nice.  

(and that might be the shortest driveway I have ever seen) 

[Port Angeles Foothiller]

43 minutes ago, TT-SEA said:

You know darn well that any delay in spring growth at this time of year is due to chilly weather....particularly recently in this case.    It's just silly to think the trees are drought stressed coming off a normally wet PNW winter.   It's not August.   It's still April.

Even if we don't get much rain over the next week... @Meatyorologist trees will still explode in growth during the next warm spell.   Because that is how it works in the spring.

You really like to fight the wrong fights. It’s dry my man. Any D**n graph you look at. DRY

[MossMan]

21 minutes ago, TT-SEA said:

Very nice.  

(and that might be the shortest driveway I have ever seen) 

Easy snow shoveling! No plow required! 

[TT-SEA]

Just now, MossMan said:

Easy snow shoveling! No plow required! 

That's exactly what I was thinking!

[TT-SEA]

9 minutes ago, Port Angeles Foothiller said:

You really like to fight the wrong fights. It’s dry my man. Any D**n graph you look at. DRY

Drier than normal is still not dry in April.   This place is silly sometimes.    How much do want to bet the trees will complete their full leaf out with the next warm spell... rain or no rain. 

[TT-SEA]

I am starting to like the 2024 Mariners!

[jcmcgaffey]

3 minutes ago, TT-SEA said:

I am starting to like the 2024 Mariners!

I bet you weren’t saying that during the 8th inning:)

[TT-SEA]

Just now, jcmcgaffey said:

I bet you weren’t saying that during the 8th inning:)

I was... starting pitching has been off the charts. 

[TT-SEA]

Well the GFS finally caved for Saturday.  Wow what a change from the 18Z run!   It had no chance with the ECMWF consistency.  

[MossMan]

36 minutes ago, TT-SEA said:

Well the GFS finally caved for Saturday.  Wow what a change from the 18Z run!   It had no chance with the ECMWF consistency.  

Has that one still missing Zebra made it to your yard yet? 

[TigerWoodsLibido]

Well we are going to end up a little above normal for the month, so that makes 13 consecutive months with a positive temp departure according to ACIS.

We will also finish roughly 1" below normal in the precip department as well.

[Cascadia_Wx]

11 minutes ago, TigerWoodsLibido said:

Well we are going to end up a little above normal for the month, so that makes 13 consecutive months with a positive temp departure according to ACIS.

It’s been miserably cold and wet. Get onboard.

[GHweatherChris]

To those that think I was drunk or on something last night, I wasn't, I call things how I see them (and some others see them), so... sorry to disappoint but truth is truth.

Also, drier than normal is drier than normal no matter what month it is.

[Sunriver Snow Zone]

3 hours ago, Blizzard777 said:

Sunset was awesome tonight ! 

Beautiful mammatus clouds in the 2nd picture, my favorite type of cloud. Especially amazing that you got to see them colorful!

[Sunriver Snow Zone]

1 hour ago, TigerWoodsLibido said:

Well we are going to end up a little above normal for the month, so that makes 13 consecutive months with a positive temp departure according to ACIS.

We will also finish roughly 1" below normal in the precip department as well.

Well at this point anything colder than 2 degrees above normal should be considered below the new norm... We have to change our standards. Which makes me curious, how many months have you had in the last 2 years +2F above avg or cooler?

We can all debate on the affects, what causes it, and how it will continue in the future, but there's no debate on the fact its warned 2 degrees on the planet, and it's going to stay that way.

[Cascadia_Wx]

8 minutes ago, Sunriver Snow Zone said:

Well at this point anything colder than 2 degrees above normal should be considered below the new norm... We have to change our standards. Which makes me curious, how many months have you had in the last 2 years +2F above avg or cooler?

We can all debate on the affects, what causes it, and how it will continue in the future, but there's no debate on the fact its warned 2 degrees on the planet, and it's going to stay that way.

Takes some real skill to fit two completely contradictory ideas into the same sentence. Kudos!

Edited May 1 by Cascadia_Wx

[GHweatherChris]

Above normal is above normal no matter how you look at it, facts are facts.

[TT-SEA]

1 hour ago, GHweatherChris said:

To those that think I was drunk or on something last night, I wasn't, I call things how I see them (and some others see them), so... sorry to disappoint but truth is truth.

Also, drier than normal is drier than normal no matter what month it is.

Hey Chris... I said it was drier than normal.  Thanks for confirming.   The discussion started with trees spring growth being stunted right now due to dryness.  Not debating rainfall stats.  Let's see what happens when we have some warmer than normal temps again.  

And that was an off the rails post last night.    It's the truth.  Sorry to disappoint you but the truth is the truth.   And I won't be changing.  Not doing anything wrong.

[TT-SEA]

00Z ECMWF provides some hope for a pattern change starting in about 6 days.   Seems like it would be due at that point from a 500mb perspective. 

[TT-SEA]

EPS agrees that this round of deep 500mb troughing might be running its course soon. 

[Cold Snap]

3 hours ago, TT-SEA said:

Very nice.  

(and that might be the shortest driveway I have ever seen) 

It’s not as short as it looks in the picture lol. The way the house is most of the house is built to the right of the driveway and then there’s the garage on the first floor and then on the second floor is the master bedroom on the left side. I added a photo in case that doesn’t make sense with the driveway being the scribbled area.

[Meatyorologist]

5 hours ago, MossMan said:

Everything looks wet and healthy up here! 
4.37” for the month, 18.76” for the year. 

It definitly helps living away from the concrete jungle! I think if we had a normal amount of treecover the shade would keep it lush. I have no doubt in my mind it's mainly an in-city issue where we have an artifically low amount of shade for the PNW.

[Meatyorologist]

5 hours ago, TT-SEA said:

I think you are just describing normal early spring growth.   My guess is the "issue" is chilly weather which is not unusual in April and early May.    Warmth would make things really explode.

Ehhhh I was thinking that too, but the growth has definitely stunted over the last few weeks and it does look different than most growing seasons. And I do know what a normal Spring looks like here, I've lived in this house for fifteen years. Like I was saying to Randy, you and him live out in nature where shade keeps things more reliably moist year round. Not to mention you both live at least 500' higher than me and recieve more rain than I do. It might be a metro area exclusive issue.