January 2015 Observations for the Pacific Northwest

[snow_wizard]

65/53 at BFI today.

 

January is the new May. Or we could even call it June-uary.

The million dollar questions is will all of these warm Januaries be made up for. Up until a few years ago I thought it was nearly certain we would. Now I'm not as sure, but I still think it's likely. We are certainly due for a bunch of cold ones.

[wx_statman]

Even Montana is torching right now. Quite an epic event in it's own right.

 

63 in Helena today. Ties 1-7-1902 for the monthly record. POR back to 1880.

[HighlandExperience]

The million dollar questions is will all of these warm Januaries be made up for. Up until a few years ago I thought it was nearly certain we would. Now I'm not as sure, but I still think it's likely. We are certainly due for a bunch of cold ones.

 

Yes it will be made up for in March through July.

 

The time of the year when the rest of the country normally gets nice warm weather, and we are stuck with cold drizzle and heavy mountain snow. 

[wx_statman]

66 at South Lake Tahoe today. That station only goes back to 1968 but they broke their monthly record by 5 degrees.

[wx_statman]

All right, that's enough stats.

[snow_wizard]

Yes it will be made up for in March through July.

 

The time of the year when the rest of the country normally gets nice warm weather, and we are stuck with cold drizzle and heavy mountain snow.

I'm talking about a much larger time scale, like over the next couple of decades. I refuse to believe it's impossible for us to score a really cold January.

[snow_wizard]

66 at South Lake Tahoe today. That station only goes back to 1968 but they broke their monthly record by 5 degrees.

Totally insane. At least we aren't the only ones.

[HighlandExperience]

I noticed the media is really starting to hype up this big east coast storm.

 

Rhode Island has some big blizzard warnings.

 

ACCUMULATIONS...SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 18 TO 24 INCHES.

 

 

A BLIZZARD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR CONSIDERABLE
FALLING AND/OR BLOWING SNOW WITH SUSTAINED WINDS OR FREQUENT
GUSTS OVER 35 MPH AND VISIBILITIES BELOW 1/4 MILE FOR AT LEAST
3 HOURS. WHITEOUT CONDITIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE...MAKING TRAVEL
VERY DANGEROUS. BE PREPARED TO ALTER ANY TRAVEL PLANS.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

I'm going to go with Tim on this one. Today was glorious.

[BLI snowman]

66 at South Lake Tahoe today. That station only goes back to 1968 but they broke their monthly record by 5 degrees.

 

Incredible winter there so far. Virtually no snow and bare ground the entire way. Breaking the monthly mean record for the 2nd straight year (as I'm sure a lot of places are).

[ShawniganLake]

Nothing too absurd around here today. Partly cloudy and 53/41.

[snow_wizard]

The temperature is falling pretty fast this evening. Tomorrow will probably be cool and foggy like the Portland area was today. I'm really surprised the NWS is going for another sunny and warm day for Seattle tomorrow.

[wx_statman]

Incredible winter there so far. Virtually no snow and bare ground the entire way. Breaking the monthly mean record for the 2nd straight year (as I'm sure a lot of places are).

 

Its unbelievable. They're at 7.1" of snow on the season, and none so far in January. Its even worse than last winter when they were sitting at 10.6" by this point in the season.

[TT-SEA]

The temperature is falling pretty fast this evening. Tomorrow will probably be cool and foggy like the Portland area was today. I'm really surprised the NWS is going for another sunny and warm day for Seattle tomorrow.

Sad that you can't enjoy nice weather. And the ECMWF does show another sunny day after early morning fog tomorrow.

[snow_wizard]

Its unbelievable. They're at 7.1" of snow on the season, and none so far in January. Its even worse than last winter when they were sitting at 10.6" by this point in the season.

I'm dying to see the flip side to all of this.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Sad that you can't enjoy nice weather. And the ECMWF does show another sunny day after early morning fog tomorrow.

 

I want props for saying that I am enjoying this. I've come a long way.

[wx_statman]

I'm dying to see the flip side to all of this.

 

Someday!

[BLI snowman]

I'm dying to see the flip side to all of this.

 

 CA had something similar in 1947-48. Only 7.2" of snow at Tahoe through the end of January 1948. They average about 200" per winter.

[snow_wizard]

I want props for saying that I am enjoying this. I've come a long way.

I would sure rather have a day like today than the gloomy muggy crap we had yesterday.

[westcoastexpat]

12Z Euro shows hope at the end of the run. Coast-to-coast cold by the end of the first week of February?

[Rustysprocket]

Yes it will be made up for in March through July.

 

The time of the year when the rest of the country normally gets nice warm weather, and we are stuck with cold drizzle and heavy mountain snow.

 

I'll tolerate cold showers for heavy mountain snow during that timeframe.

[richard mann]

I think what we are getting now says we will in the not too distant future (not talking about this year though). Things always even out. Always.

 

When you look at what came after the late 30s / early 40s mega torch you get the idea. That having been said it's going to be painful getting through the rest of this warm regime.

 

So what's the good news. ?

 

.. If there in fact is any, per your view.  More where still looking at this year more current.  / .. "even out", to what more specifically, were you thinking. ?

[richard mann]

I actually think a full blown Arctic blast is as likely as us getting into some other kind of [more] satisfying pattern. The highest chance is that we stay in an overwhelming warm regime at least well into spring.

 

A little more uplifting, your "thinking" is certainly fairly diverse. 

[snow_wizard]

A little more uplifting, your "thinking" is certainly fairly diverse.

I was making the point that a significantly better pattern isn't too likely in the near future, but if we do have one an Arctic outbreak isn't much less likely than a prolonged cool zonal flow or something like that.

[snow_wizard]

So what the good news. ?

 

.. If there in fact is any, per your view.  More where still looking at this year more current.  / .. "even out", to what more specifically, were you thinking. ?

I'm talking about long term. Usually these extreme warm periods are offset a bit later on by equally impressive cold.

[snow_wizard]

I think the NWS is going to bust big on temps tomorrow for the Seattle area. The offshore flow is so weak that even Troutdale is calm right now. I have no idea how they think it's going to mix out tomorrow.

[richard mann]

The temperature is falling pretty fast this evening. Tomorrow will probably be cool and foggy like the Portland area was today. I'm really surprised the NWS is going for another sunny and warm day for Seattle tomorrow.

 

One day, I'm thinking, .. you'll clue better into my, if more general, more inner-seasonal colder air both expansion looked at together with opposite regression thinking Jim. Then you'll be better able perhaps, to appreciate more just why some of the things that you point to as more hard to accept, might be happening. .. Which is to say more plainly, that per my assessment more basic, at this point main and broader cold is currently in general recession mode, and will be through the 30th.   @

[richard mann]

I was making the point that a significantly better pattern isn't too likely in the near future, but if we do have one an Arctic outbreak isn't much less likely than a prolonged cool zonal flow or something like that.

 

Yeh, that sounds more like and in line with what you've been saying more recently. 

[luvssnow_spokane]

I'm dying to see the flip side to all of this.

Could very likely be a long wait... Probably happen after you move...

[richard mann]

I'm talking about long term. Usually these extreme warm periods are offset a bit later on by equally impressive cold.

 

So I'd gathered. You've neglected to tell me the good news more specific here though. (Pardon the typo above.) 

 

.. You know gloom, set with and along side the actual more best case scenario as you see it, where looking ahead more immediately. (?)  Allow[ing] us out here, people tuned in and hoping more for something better, something better to hope .. for.

[snow_wizard]

Could very likely be a long wait... Probably happen after you move...

At least where I'm going to move to will benefit also.

 

I have thought that way for quite a while...the year I move will be the year we get smashed here. The fact is that just doesn't carry the weight it used to for obvious reasons.

[richard mann]

At least where I'm going to move to will benefit also.

 

I have thought that way for quite a while...the year I move will be the year we get smashed here. The fact is that just doesn't carry the weight it used to for obvious reasons.

 

.. Well this certainly isn't it. 

 

— Weather discussion, not real estate ... ?

[richard mann]

12Z Euro shows hope at the end of the run. Coast-to-coast cold by the end of the first week of February?

 

.. Sounds somewhat promising. Even logical if I may add. 

[MossMan]

This is the earliest I can ever remember the frogs going to town, crazy stuff!! Sounds and feels like May outside.

[Front Ranger]

The 18z GFS really tries to get us into a better pattern.

 

The trend continues to be good. At least for those who don't want the current death ridge to continue indefinitely.

[Alex_Snakes]

What a beautiful day today. Brought out my 55 Chevy truck for spin. Lots of motorcycles and classic cars out to stretch their legs in this weather! If it is not going to snow and be cold, I will take this weather for sure!  

[Skagit Weather]

This is the earliest I can ever remember the frogs going to town, crazy stuff!! Sounds and feels like May outside.

 

Same here. Not as loud as they are sometimes, but definitely impressive that they are active so early.

[stuffradio]

I had mosquitoes here today. Frogs also, but they've been coming out for a few days now.

[Deweydog]

We had frogs and locusts here today to accompany lice, water turning to blood and thunderstorms.

[stuffradio]

We had frogs and locusts here today to accompany lice, water turning to blood and lice.

Good thing there were no balls of fire raining down.