March 2015 PNW Discussion

[bainbridgekid]

Is it in the right thread, though?

No.

 

It would be so much better to have a separate thread for that stuff. Not only because it clutters up this thread, but because it immediately gets buried in all our banter.

[Phil]

Is it in the right thread, though?

Probably not. I guess I'll move my next reply into the long range forum.

[TT-SEA]

2.20 inches at SEA yesterday.   Smashing the old record of 1.20 from 1974.

 

Now at 3.08 inches for March which is 165% of normal to this point.

 

Don't need rain now!    

[Tyler Mode]

Amazing how rainy it was the last two days and then the wind.  Waking up to mostly clear skies, temps in the low 30s and no wind.

[TT-SEA]

Amazing how rainy it was the last two days and then the wind.  Waking up to mostly clear skies, temps in the low 30s and no wind.

 

Winter returned!   

[HighlandExperience]

2.20 inches at SEA yesterday.   Smashing the old record of 1.20 from 1974.

 

Now at 3.08 inches for March which is 165% of normal to this point.

 

Don't need rain now!    

 

Hurricane ridge in the Olympic Mountains recorded around 20 inches of snow in 13 hours. Wish we had a few more storms like this.

[TT-SEA]

Hurricane ridge in the Olympic Mountains recorded around 20 inches of snow in 13 hours. Wish we had a few more storms like this.

 

 

Wish the low came in a little farther south so the Central Cascades could have been buried.

[TT-SEA]

We drove from Palm Springs to LA yesterday afternoon... doing Universal Studios today.

 

The temperature was about the same for the entire drive from the desert to the almost the coast.  

 

Also... with offshore flow down here the visibility was excellent.   And everything is still green from the recent rains.    It was actually a very scenic drive... about as nice as it gets down here.    Right now it does not look too much like drought.   There were places along the drive with rolling green hills that were downright beautiful.     And its always nice down here when all the mountains are so clearly visible.

[Webberweather53]

There's a whole thread dedicated to ENSO.  What a coincidence, it was started by Phil.

 

Cool, I have already moved the discussion w / Phil to the ENSO thread...

[DareDuck]

Moving to Bend in three days! So happy to get out of eugene. This weekend has been a microcosm of this winter. More rain and wind to the north then more sun after a storm while we're stuck in fog down here.

[richard mann]

Cool, I have already moved the discussion w / Phil to the ENSO thread...

 

Much appreciated. 

[richard mann]

Moving to Bend in three days! So happy to get out of eugene. This weekend has been a microcosm of this winter. More rain and wind to the north then more sun after a storm while we're stuck in fog down here.

 

Happy to hear it "DareDuck". My parents live in Bend. And so it'll be nice to have a representative there forum / weather wise.

[BLI snowman]

Looks close to average the next two weeks. Jesse can cease prolapsing. 

 

Dynamic storm yesterday, those were some strong winds on both sides of the low.

[Jesse]

Looks close to average the next two weeks. Jesse can cease prolapsing. 

 

Dynamic storm yesterday, those were some strong winds on both sides of the low.

 

I have been hyperventilating on a daily basis.

[Snowman5678]

2.21" of rain yesteday here. So much rain! Spent last weekend out east in New York and Connecticut. Was 0 degrees when I woke up last Friday morning in Albany. Snowbanks on the side of the roads were taller than cars at times in Western MA and Western CT. Spent the weekend in the city and there was a good foot and a half in central park over the weekend before it warmed up a bit. Kind of off topic but I got this shot of the city from Brooklyn at about 1am when it was 20 degrees with a windchill of 5 thanks to wind coming up the east river. Closet thing to winter I got this year.  

[jcmcgaffey]

Moving to Bend in three days! So happy to get out of eugene. This weekend has been a microcosm of this winter. More rain and wind to the north then more sun after a storm while we're stuck in fog down here.

I just got back yesterday from visiting my wife's family in Bend.  It was sunny and dry most of the last 5 days with a few passing spurts of rain and in the mid 60s to low 70s.  Once we got over the pass yesterday it was dumping rain and wind and a lot darker.  My wife and I really like the Bend area (especially all the great beer)...

[Front Ranger]

I just got back yesterday from visiting my wife's family in Bend.  It was sunny and dry most of the last 5 days with a few passing spurts of rain and in the mid 60s to low 70s.  Once we got over the pass yesterday it was dumping rain and wind and a lot darker.  My wife and I really like the Bend area (especially all the great beer)...

 

From what I hear that area is growing/developing like crazy. And the census numbers back it up: Bend's population jumped from 52,000 in 2000 to over 80,000 now.

 

The cold season climate is similar to the Front Range, but the warm season in Bend is drier and cooler.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

From what I hear that area is growing/developing like crazy. And the census numbers back it up: Bend's population jumped from 52,000 in 2000 to over 80,000 now.

 

The cold season climate is similar to the Front Range, but the warm season in Bend is drier and cooler.

 

I could be wrong, but I don't think it snows quite so much in Bend during the winter as in Denver. I believe their average high during DJF is a bit lower than Denver though. 

[SilverFallsAndrew]

From what I hear that area is growing/developing like crazy. And the census numbers back it up: Bend's population jumped from 52,000 in 2000 to over 80,000 now.

 

The cold season climate is similar to the Front Range, but the warm season in Bend is drier and cooler.

 

The area was hit incredibly hard by the housing bust. I do believe it is picking back up though as the economy improves. The problem with the economy in Central Oregon is that is built largely upon retirees and the travel industry, so there aren't a ton of high paying jobs. Maybe this situation is improving, but that was always the knock on the Central Oregon economy.

[HighlandExperience]

The area was hit incredibly hard by the housing bust. I do believe it is picking back up though as the economy improves. The problem with the economy in Central Oregon is that is built largely upon retirees and the travel industry, so there aren't a ton of high paying jobs. Maybe this situation is improving, but that was always the knock on the Central Oregon economy.

 

I agree with you about Bend. The economy there is not great.

 

It is mostly built upon older people who have retired. Plus there are not very many good white collar jobs there.  The schools are not that great either. The housing bust hit it hard, and I expect Bend to keep going down hill once the Fed stops suppressing interest rates and stops pumping the market via Quantitative Easing. 

 

In conclusion I am not sure I would recommend a young person starting a career to move there. Now if you have some money sure go ahead and do it. 

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Datacenters are big out there, and offer some decent paying jobs. I once interviewed for Facebook DC Ops located in Prineville, and got the feeling that a lot of people like me were headed out that way.

 

I was under the impression however that the data centers do not employ a large amount of people.

[Front Ranger]

I could be wrong, but I don't think it snows quite so much in Bend during the winter as in Denver. I believe their average high during DJF is a bit lower than Denver though. 

 

Yeah, they are slightly colder, a little wetter, and slightly less snowy DJF. A lot less snowy in Oct/Nov and Mar/Apr. And less extremes, of course.

 

But as far as OR/WA goes, no other city is as close to the Front Range climate in the winter.

[Front Ranger]

The area was hit incredibly hard by the housing bust. I do believe it is picking back up though as the economy improves. The problem with the economy in Central Oregon is that is built largely upon retirees and the travel industry, so there aren't a ton of high paying jobs. Maybe this situation is improving, but that was always the knock on the Central Oregon economy.

 

Yeah, I think the economic prospects have improved some in recent years with the growth of tourism and breweries in the area, not to mention some tech startups. And the relative affordability of the housing market there helps.

[HighlandExperience]

Yeah, I think the economic prospects have improved some in recent years with the growth of tourism and breweries in the area, not to mention some tech startups. And the relative affordability of the housing market there helps.

 

It has slightly. Very much a boom bust town though. 

[DareDuck]

Nice to see I started a Bend conversation here. It really is a beautiful place but there are no jobs. I've heard it called "poverty with a view". Fortunately my girlfriend found a great job working with dogs and I'm working there as well until I can find something more steady.

 

I know it's not an incredibly snowy place, but I'm stoked at any accumulating snowfall. Plus Bachelor is 30 minutes from my place.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

Nice to see I started a Bend conversation here. It really is a beautiful place but there are no jobs. I've heard it called "poverty with a view". Fortunately my girlfriend found a great job working with dogs and I'm working there as well until I can find something more steady.

 

I know it's not an incredibly snowy place, but I'm stoked at any accumulating snowfall. Plus Bachelor is 30 minutes from my place.

 

It is incredibly snowy compared to Eugene!

[HighlandExperience]

Nice to see I started a Bend conversation here. It really is a beautiful place but there are no jobs. I've heard it called "poverty with a view". Fortunately my girlfriend found a great job working with dogs and I'm working there as well until I can find something more steady.

 

I know it's not an incredibly snowy place, but I'm stoked at any accumulating snowfall. Plus Bachelor is 30 minutes from my place.

 

What does bend average... 35 inches? Certainly better than most places.. 

[SilverFallsAndrew]

What does bend average... 35 inches? Certainly better than most places..

I believe is a fairly accurate estimate.

[TT-SEA]

Per Scott Sistek... Sunday's 2.20 inches was the wettest day in 6 years in Seattle (2.29 inches fell on 1/7/2009).  

 

It was also the 24th wettest day in Seattle history... and the second wettest day ever in March.

[Dan the Weatherman]

2.20 inches at SEA yesterday.   Smashing the old record of 1.20 from 1974.

 

Now at 3.08 inches for March which is 165% of normal to this point.

 

Don't need rain now!    

You need to send it south into CA after you return home from Palm Springs!

[TT-SEA]

You need to send it south into CA after you return home from Palm Springs!

Not in the cards this time.

[Dan the Weatherman]

Not in the cards this time.

Unfortunately that is true. We really need the rain and snow badly at this point.

[bainbridgekid]

What does bend average... 35 inches? Certainly better than most places.. 

The long term average is 32", but it looks like the 1980-2010 average is just 24".

[bainbridgekid]

Some remarkably warm temperatures in the Central US today.

 

90 in Lincoln, Nebraska (previous record 81)

88 in Omaha, Nebraska (previous record 81)

 

Been a very sudden switch from deep Winter freeze to Summerlike temperatures over the first couple weeks of March out there.

[jcmcgaffey]

Yeah, I think the economic prospects have improved some in recent years with the growth of tourism and breweries in the area, not to mention some tech startups. And the relative affordability of the housing market there helps.

My wife's family (grandparents and 5 uncles) moved down there from Seattle about 10-15 years ago to build custom homes as there were not as many opportunities up in Seattle at the time.  They have had a lot of success since then and seem to not have any issues building and finding buyers.  The place has changed immensely over the last decade and is a very nice area to vacation.  The market has really picked up over the last couple years. 

 

I like the weather down there, it is similar to east side of the Washington cascades like Leavenworth up to Winthrop.  Most of there annual precipitation comes in the form of snow and the summer time is just passing thunderstorms.  The last few holidays that we have gone down to visit they had large storms of over a foot of snow which made the holidays feel a little more real.

[Tyler Mode]

Incredible northern lights seen around Washington and Oregon early this morning...I missed the majority of them.  Here is a link to pictures from aurora around the world.

 

http://spaceweathergallery.com/aurora_gallery.html

[Jesse]

Incredible northern lights seen around Washington and Oregon early this morning...I missed the majority of them. Here is a link to pictures from aurora around the world.

 

http://spaceweathergallery.com/aurora_gallery.html

Shame I missed them. We had clear skies most of the night too.

[Skagit Weather]

Forecast is for active Aurora to continue tonight. If anyone sees anything they should definitely post pictures. Hope it clears out up here to see them.

[Skagit Weather]

Live video of Aurora from Iceland.

 

http://new.livestream.com/slooh/events/3878721

[Jesse]

My wife's family (grandparents and 5 uncles) moved down there from Seattle about 10-15 years ago to build custom homes as there were not as many opportunities up in Seattle at the time.  They have had a lot of success since then and seem to not have any issues building and finding buyers.  The place has changed immensely over the last decade and is a very nice area to vacation.  The market has really picked up over the last couple years. 

 

I like the weather down there, it is similar to east side of the Washington cascades like Leavenworth up to Winthrop.  Most of there annual precipitation comes in the form of snow and the summer time is just passing thunderstorms.  The last few holidays that we have gone down to visit they had large storms of over a foot of snow which made the holidays feel a little more real.

 

Bend actually is much warmer on average in the winter than Wintrop and Leavenworth. Bend/Redmond sees highs around 40 on average in the coldest part of the winter, while Winthrop and Leavenworth experience sub-freezing average highs in December and January.

 

Granted Bend still has winters that beat anywhere in the I-5 corridor with ease. I'd live there. It can also drop to freezing basically any time of year, which is super, duper sexy. Upper Deschutes valley is a radiational cooling mecca.