November 2020 Weather Observations for the PNW

[TheNewCulverJosh]

Just now, snow_wizard said:

I think the Halloween snow may have been.  The stuff during the winter was mainly from Arctic fronts or snow that fell while cold air was in place.

I used to live right off of 228th st in Bothell, right at the top of the hill, not too far from the fire station.  It was amazing how different that extra 250' of elevation would make between where I lived and let's say the Applebees at the bottom.  One time I had 3 inches of snow at my house and just ice pellets near the freeway.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

I did not realize until a few minutes ago that October 2019 was the 3rd coldest on record at SLE. Two top 10 cold months (February was #7), but no top 10 warm months. I assume January 2020 was a top 10 warm January at SLE. 

[kokaneekidz]

2 minutes ago, TheNewCulverJosh said:

I used to live right off of 228th st in Bothell, right at the top of the hill, not too far from the fire station.  It was amazing how different that extra 250' of elevation would make between where I lived and let's say the Applebees at the bottom.  One time I had 3 inches of snow at my house and just ice pellets near the freeway.

Yeah I grew up in Mukilteo AND the ferry dock would be rain while at the top of the hill where Olympic View Jr High school is there would be 3-4 inches of snow. That is the way it is in the Puget SOund lowlands

[TheNewCulverJosh]

1 minute ago, kokaneekidz said:

Yeah I grew up in Mukilteo AND the ferry dock would be rain while at the top of the hill where Olympic View Jr High school is there would be 3-4 inches of snow. That is the way it is in the Puget SOund lowlands

Yessir, and I know exactly the area you speak of.  The areas around Boeing down to N. Lynnwood are almost a whole different climate.  I also lived in Lake Stevens at 240' elevation.  My world would be night and day compared to what people near the Hwy 2 trestle and downtown Everett would experience.

[Gradient Keeper]

Historic Winter on the way

[TheNewCulverJosh]

Just now, TheNewCulverJosh said:

 

 

3 minutes ago, DJ Droppin said:

Historic Winter on the way

Very reminiscent of 2008!!

[Gradient Keeper]

2 minutes ago, TheNewCulverJosh said:

 

Very reminiscent of 2008!!

Yep.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

3 minutes ago, TheNewCulverJosh said:

 

Very reminiscent of 2008!!

Hopefully we can do better than that. Great two week period. 

[TheNewCulverJosh]

Just now, SilverFallsAndrew said:

Hopefully we can do better than that. 

What wasn't to like?  Was it crappy in Silverton/Silver Falls?

I was in Lake Stevens at the time so I have no idea.

[Blizzard777]

33 minutes ago, Jesse said:

Low clouds and fog made for a neat scene at Cape Horn this afternoon. Managed to get a short hike in and catch the 4:45 pm moonrise at the end.

I was out as well for and evening moonrise walk.  Took the photo but the moon shrank once again.   Delete 

 

41*  and Christmas lights half way up 

[Gradient Keeper]

December 2008 the 14th - 26th was mesmerizing, magical, mystical, and some other 'M' word I cannot currently think of.

00z GFS in 47 minutes

[Gradient Keeper]

1 minute ago, Jginmartini said:

I was out as well for and evening moonrise walk.  Took the photo but the moon shrank once again.   Delete 

 

41*  and Christmas lights half way up 

You best get them completely up and soon. The Snow Gods are depending on it.

[TheNewCulverJosh]

1 minute ago, DJ Droppin said:

December 2008 the 14th - 26th was mesmerizing, magical, mystical, and some other 'M' word I cannot currently think of.

00z GFS in 47 minutes

orgasMic?

[Gradient Keeper]

Just now, TheNewCulverJosh said:

orgasMic?

Magnificent and Marvelous are good ones, but that wasn't what I was thinking of.

[TigerWoodsLibido]

4 minutes ago, TheNewCulverJosh said:

What wasn't to like?  Was it crappy in Silverton/Silver Falls?

I was in Lake Stevens at the time so I have no idea.

Had a bit of snow and I think a couple sub-freezing highs down here with that year. Not bad.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

 

5 minutes ago, TheNewCulverJosh said:

What wasn't to like?  Was it crappy in Silverton/Silver Falls?

I was in Lake Stevens at the time so I have no idea.

No it was pretty good.  I think there was about a 35" snow depth up here. Great December, but I would take 2016-17 over it any day, even though that winter had less snow it was a more complete winter. 

[MR.SNOWMIZER]

This is the first year since I've been watching models that I haven't looked beyond day 7 and it's been much more relaxing not looking at the garbage past 168hrs! At first it was hard to do but I'm good with it now. 

[SilverFallsAndrew]

I'm always going to be more impressed by cold anomalies in a warming climate. That is why 2016-17 is no near and dear to me. 

[TheNewCulverJosh]

2 minutes ago, SilverFallsAndrew said:

 

No it was pretty good.  I think there was about a 35" snow depth up here. Great December, but I would take 2016-17 over it any day, even though that winter had less snow it was a more complete winter. 

Everybody always says that about '16-'17.  

The one place that sucked really bad that winter?  You guessed it, right where I was in the dome.  Lived in Clackamas/Happy Valley, worked in Gladstone.  It wasn't that great really.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

3 minutes ago, TheNewCulverJosh said:

Everybody always says that about '16-'17.  

The one place that sucked really bad that winter?  You guessed it, right where I was in the dome.  Lived in Clackamas/Happy Valley, worked in Gladstone.  It wasn't that great really.

That was the nice thing about December 2008. Everyone from Salem north to Vancouver BC got pounded (Sorry TWL). 

You would have loved 2016-17 in Central Oregon. It was one of the coldest D/J combos we've seen in Eastern Oregon in many many years. My brother lived in The Dalles that winter and they got absolutely hammered over and over again. 

The snow events were a little more hit or miss though on the west side. 

[TheNewCulverJosh]

3 minutes ago, SilverFallsAndrew said:

That was the nice thing about December 2008. Everyone from Salem north to Vancouver BC got pounded (Sorry TWL). 

You would have loved 2016-17 in Central Oregon. It was one of the coldest D/J combos we've seen in Eastern Oregon in many many years. My brother lived in The Dalles that winter and they got absolutely hammered over and over again. 

The snow events were a little more hit or miss though on the west side. 

Oh, trust me, I got first-hand knowledge about what 2016/17 did to central OR.  My brother gave me daily reports and pictures on what was going on in Redmond. 

I just don't think you can call it region-wide, when many locations got stiffed.

[Rubus Leucodermis]

Clear, calm, and 36˚F already. How much colder will it get?

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Here is Dec/Jan 2016-17 at Madras. 

 

https://climate.usu.edu/reports/e15daily.php?stn=USC00355139&year=2016&month=12&unit=EN&network=direct:ghcn&sidebar=0

 

https://climate.usu.edu/reports/e15daily.php?stn=USC00355139&year=2017&month=1&unit=EN&network=direct:ghcn&sidebar=0

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Just now, TheNewCulverJosh said:

Oh, trust me, I got first-hand knowledge about what 2016/17 did to central OR.  My brother gave me daily reports and pictures on what was going on in Redmond. 

I just don't think you can call it region-wide, when many locations got stiffed.

The cold was region wide. December 2016 was colder than December 08' once you get south of PDX and of course January 2017 was much colder regionally than January 2009. 

[MossMan]

Down to 36. 

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Both 08-09 and 16-17 were easily the best the 21st century has had to offer. I think pretty clearly PDX-north 08-09 was better, PDX south 16-17 was better overall. 

[Anti Marine Layer]

7 minutes ago, SilverFallsAndrew said:

Here is Dec/Jan 2016-17 at Madras. 

 

https://climate.usu.edu/reports/e15daily.php?stn=USC00355139&year=2016&month=12&unit=EN&network=direct:ghcn&sidebar=0

 

https://climate.usu.edu/reports/e15daily.php?stn=USC00355139&year=2017&month=1&unit=EN&network=direct:ghcn&sidebar=0

Looks like it was an exciting winter.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Here is a good question for the peanut gallery. What is the most significant/anomolous winter weather event of the 21st Century in the Western lowlands? Here is my top 5. Full disclaimer, I am Oregoncentric.

1) -10 at EUG 12/8/13

2) February 2014 arctic blast/snow event. 

3) December 2008 14-25th

4) November 2006 (Record rainfall/Massive snowstorm Puget Sound-north)

5) February 2019

 

Honorable mention: March 21-22, 2012, October 2002, January 2004, Jan 10/11, 2017 PDX Metro, November 2010.

 

Again anomalous is a big part of this, so with apologies to January 2007, December 2009, December 2016. They were cold/significant events, but not super anomalous from a historic or even 21st Century perspective. 

[TheNewCulverJosh]

8 minutes ago, SilverFallsAndrew said:

Here is Dec/Jan 2016-17 at Madras. 

 

https://climate.usu.edu/reports/e15daily.php?stn=USC00355139&year=2016&month=12&unit=EN&network=direct:ghcn&sidebar=0

 

https://climate.usu.edu/reports/e15daily.php?stn=USC00355139&year=2017&month=1&unit=EN&network=direct:ghcn&sidebar=0

Not bad for snow totals but I would expect more out of that.  The extreme cold I can do without.  -18 makes me want to not go to work, and I probably wouldn't :).  

I would prefer a stretch of 30/20 hi/lows with consistent pacific moisture, ideally.

[TheNewCulverJosh]

Just now, SilverFallsAndrew said:

Here is a good question for the peanut gallery. What is the most significant winter weather event of the 21st Century in the Western lowlands? Here is my top 5. Full disclaimer, I am Oregoncentric.

1) -10 at EUG 12/8/13

2) February 2014 arctic blast/snow event. 

3) December 2008 14-25th

4) November 2006 (Record rainfall/Massive snowstorm Puget Sound-north)

5) February 2019

 

Honorable mention: March 21-22, 2012, October 2002, January 2004, Jan 10/11, 2017 PDX Metro, November 2010.

That November '06 storm contained the biggest snowflakes I have ever seen!!  Had to be some 3 to 4 inch per hour rates at some point.  It was very localized and elevation dependant though.  Again, a few hundred feet made all the difference.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

 

3 minutes ago, TheNewCulverJosh said:

Not bad for snow totals but I would expect more out of that.  The extreme cold I can do without.  -18 makes me want to not go to work, and I probably wouldn't :).  

I would prefer a stretch of 30/20 hi/lows with consistent pacific moisture, ideally.

I do not know how accurate snow records are for Madras, but that was the 2nd most January snow in their period of record and only 1/2" behind 1950, and 3rd most they have recorded in December. 

[Anti Marine Layer]

Cliff Mass says you're past the wettest part of the winter on average.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

3 minutes ago, Mr Marine Layer said:

Cliff Mass says you're past the wettest part of the winter on average.

Many areas yes. Up here Nov-Jan are all about the same, with December being the wettest month on average. February and March here are both very wet too though on average. 

[SouthHillFrosty]

Little cold but broke out the grill again. Shoulda put on a jacket tho

[Jesse]

16 minutes ago, Mr Marine Layer said:

Cliff Mass says you're past the wettest part of the winter on average.

Weird statement considering winter is two days away from even starting.

[Phil]

2 hours ago, Frontal Snowsquall said:

Found this on one of Mark's blog post. 

Winter 1984-85

Big October snow in Cascades and good ski season start.  Then NO snow with a massive ridge overhead all of January.  I remember that one.  Fog or east wind all month (depending on where you lived).  Then tons of February snow in mountains and even some lowland snow that month.  It was a relatively active winter, but with a weird “stoppage” in January.  8″ total in PDX.

1984/85 was the last winter to drop below -10°F here. Wasn’t around yet, but people still remember it because Reagan’s inauguration was moved indoors.

 

[Gradient Keeper]

00z GFS Day 1

[TacomaWaWx]

23 minutes ago, SilverFallsAndrew said:

Here is a good question for the peanut gallery. What is the most significant/anomolous winter weather event of the 21st Century in the Western lowlands? Here is my top 5. Full disclaimer, I am Oregoncentric.

1) -10 at EUG 12/8/13

2) February 2014 arctic blast/snow event. 

3) December 2008 14-25th

4) November 2006 (Record rainfall/Massive snowstorm Puget Sound-north)

5) February 2019

 

Honorable mention: March 21-22, 2012, October 2002, January 2004, Jan 10/11, 2017 PDX Metro, November 2010.

 

Again anomalous is a big part of this, so with apologies to January 2007, December 2009, December 2016. They were cold/significant events, but not super anomalous from a historic or even 21st Century perspective. 

For me,#1 February 2019 and #2 December 2008. #3 would be December 2013 Only 2” of snow in with that one but it was our longest stretch of sub freezing high temps with 5 in a row, didn’t even get that in 2008 or 2019. #4 would be November 2010...my coldest low in the records at 14 degrees. #5 would be April 2008. We had 3” of snow here which is impressive for April. 

[Gradient Keeper]

Day 2

[snow_wizard]

8 minutes ago, TacomaWaWx said:

For me,#1 February 2019 and #2 December 2008. #3 would be December 2013 Only 2” of snow in with that one but it was our longest stretch of sub freezing high temps with 5 in a row, didn’t even get that in 2008 or 2019. #4 would be November 2010...my coldest low in the records at 14 degrees. #5 would be April 2008. We had 3” of snow here which is impressive for April. 

I pretty much agree with this, but I have a huge soft spot for Jan 2007.  It delivered a nice snow here and was followed by several cold and clear days.  Jan 2017 was also the only time I've seen Lake Meridian freeze completely over since I've lived here.  As an interesting aside 1907 and 1917 were also both good Januaries.