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PNW November 2021 Wx Obs/Discussion


Meatyorologist

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Here is a classic question for this group. When it is snowing, do you go outside and take a walk, soaking in the moment, or do you stare wistfully at the radar, knowing the back edge is only 45 minutes away?

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Snowfall                                  Precip

2022-23: 95.0"                      2022-23: 17.39"

2021-22: 52.6"                    2021-22: 91.46" 

2020-21: 12.0"                    2020-21: 71.59"

2019-20: 23.5"                   2019-20: 58.54"

2018-19: 63.5"                   2018-19: 66.33"

2017-18: 30.3"                   2017-18: 59.83"

2016-17: 49.2"                   2016-17: 97.58"

2015-16: 11.75"                 2015-16: 68.67"

2014-15: 3.5"
2013-14: 11.75"                  2013-14: 62.30
2012-13: 16.75"                 2012-13: 78.45  

2011-12: 98.5"                   2011-12: 92.67"

It's always sunny at Winters Hill! 
Fighting the good fight against weather evil.

 

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1 minute ago, SilverFallsAndrew said:

Here is a classic question for this group. When it is snowing, do you go outside and take a walk, soaking in the moment, or do you stare wistfully at the radar, knowing the back edge is only 45 minutes away?

My hope is that someday they will develop a mobilized method to access the Internet without a dial up modem and an Ethernet cable, enabling us snow nerds to do both!

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My preferences can beat up your preferences’ dad.

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2 minutes ago, SilverFallsAndrew said:

Here is a classic question for this group. When it is snowing, do you go outside and take a walk, soaking in the moment, or do you stare wistfully at the radar, knowing the back edge is only 45 minutes away?

Both but I strive to live in the moment and allow as many flakes as possible to smack me in the face or accumulate on my broad shoulder's.

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Just now, Deweydog said:

My hope is that someday they will develop a mobilized method to access the Internet without a dial up modem and an Ethernet cable, enabling us snow nerds to do both!

Smart phones were not as common back when that question was first posed on the forum. I can't remember who asked it but it seems like something a few of us may have asked. 

Snowfall                                  Precip

2022-23: 95.0"                      2022-23: 17.39"

2021-22: 52.6"                    2021-22: 91.46" 

2020-21: 12.0"                    2020-21: 71.59"

2019-20: 23.5"                   2019-20: 58.54"

2018-19: 63.5"                   2018-19: 66.33"

2017-18: 30.3"                   2017-18: 59.83"

2016-17: 49.2"                   2016-17: 97.58"

2015-16: 11.75"                 2015-16: 68.67"

2014-15: 3.5"
2013-14: 11.75"                  2013-14: 62.30
2012-13: 16.75"                 2012-13: 78.45  

2011-12: 98.5"                   2011-12: 92.67"

It's always sunny at Winters Hill! 
Fighting the good fight against weather evil.

 

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Just now, Mr Marine Layer said:

What kind of tea?

It is a bitter tea. 

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Snowfall                                  Precip

2022-23: 95.0"                      2022-23: 17.39"

2021-22: 52.6"                    2021-22: 91.46" 

2020-21: 12.0"                    2020-21: 71.59"

2019-20: 23.5"                   2019-20: 58.54"

2018-19: 63.5"                   2018-19: 66.33"

2017-18: 30.3"                   2017-18: 59.83"

2016-17: 49.2"                   2016-17: 97.58"

2015-16: 11.75"                 2015-16: 68.67"

2014-15: 3.5"
2013-14: 11.75"                  2013-14: 62.30
2012-13: 16.75"                 2012-13: 78.45  

2011-12: 98.5"                   2011-12: 92.67"

It's always sunny at Winters Hill! 
Fighting the good fight against weather evil.

 

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Is it the Sumas River, Johnson Creek, or both flooding in Sumas? I am not familiar with the area, just looking at it on Google Maps. 

Snowfall                                  Precip

2022-23: 95.0"                      2022-23: 17.39"

2021-22: 52.6"                    2021-22: 91.46" 

2020-21: 12.0"                    2020-21: 71.59"

2019-20: 23.5"                   2019-20: 58.54"

2018-19: 63.5"                   2018-19: 66.33"

2017-18: 30.3"                   2017-18: 59.83"

2016-17: 49.2"                   2016-17: 97.58"

2015-16: 11.75"                 2015-16: 68.67"

2014-15: 3.5"
2013-14: 11.75"                  2013-14: 62.30
2012-13: 16.75"                 2012-13: 78.45  

2011-12: 98.5"                   2011-12: 92.67"

It's always sunny at Winters Hill! 
Fighting the good fight against weather evil.

 

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4 minutes ago, SilverFallsAndrew said:

Smart phones were not as common back when that question was first posed on the forum. I can't remember who asked it but it seems like something a few of us may have asked. 

Well thanks to modern technology we can have both! It’s an exciting time to be alive, despite lowland snow being a dying breed.

My preferences can beat up your preferences’ dad.

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12 minutes ago, SilverFallsAndrew said:

Here is a classic question for this group. When it is snowing, do you go outside and take a walk, soaking in the moment, or do you stare wistfully at the radar, knowing the back edge is only 45 minutes away?

I agonize over the radar before the snow starts but I try to limit checking it once the event starts. Seems more Fun that way. 

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4 minutes ago, SilverFallsAndrew said:

Is it the Sumas River, Johnson Creek, or both flooding in Sumas? I am not familiar with the area, just looking at it on Google Maps. 

Good question. Johnson Creek is what floods in Sumas. But it's actually flooding on the Nooksack River that pushes it over it's banks. Sumas sits at about 35 feet lower elevation than Everson, so when the Nooksack overtops near there, it flows downhill and north in a broad, slow-moving wave, eventually funnelling into the Johnson Creek headwaters SW of Sumas. Takes about 16 hours to make the journey from Everson to Sumas, crossing highway 546. As is usually the case when the Nooksack overtops, Johnson Creek is already at bankful due to heavy rains, and the surge of river water is simply too much.

Johnson Creek snakes east through town into Sumas River which crosses the border and flows into the Fraser.

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25 minutes ago, SilverFallsAndrew said:

Here is a classic question for this group. When it is snowing, do you go outside and take a walk, soaking in the moment, or do you stare wistfully at the radar, knowing the back edge is only 45 minutes away?

Yes.

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45 minutes ago, SilverFallsAndrew said:

Here is a classic question for this group. When it is snowing, do you go outside and take a walk, soaking in the moment, or do you stare wistfully at the radar, knowing the back edge is only 45 minutes away?

You gotta enjoy it as much as possible. I’ll check it occasionally while in the middle of a snowstorm but mostly I’ll be outside enjoying it 

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15 minutes ago, MossMan said:

When it starts snowing I no longer look at the radar because I don’t want it to end…ever! Leading up to an event I am glued to the radar. We always take take advantage of snowfalls by being outside as much as possible. However there is also something so great about being inside the nice warm house and quietly watching the snow fall outside. I will never forget the magic of the early morning of 12/25/90. I was 14 and was the first one up, I built a fire and sat in the living room and quietly watched the snow fall. Our house had huge living room windows looking out at our wooded 5 acres…It was a good hour or so before anyone else woke up to start the Christmas festivities. My favorite Christmas as a kid. Anyway here are some pics from February! 

F674F673-DE26-45BB-8576-7772608B1EEA.jpeg

7C2DF96C-9E5E-4B3F-A6E5-723CEB173598.jpeg

I was only 6 in 1990, but we had a dusting that morning on top of the 4" we got around the 20th. Only white Christmas of my childhood so I remember it well. 

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Snowfall                                  Precip

2022-23: 95.0"                      2022-23: 17.39"

2021-22: 52.6"                    2021-22: 91.46" 

2020-21: 12.0"                    2020-21: 71.59"

2019-20: 23.5"                   2019-20: 58.54"

2018-19: 63.5"                   2018-19: 66.33"

2017-18: 30.3"                   2017-18: 59.83"

2016-17: 49.2"                   2016-17: 97.58"

2015-16: 11.75"                 2015-16: 68.67"

2014-15: 3.5"
2013-14: 11.75"                  2013-14: 62.30
2012-13: 16.75"                 2012-13: 78.45  

2011-12: 98.5"                   2011-12: 92.67"

It's always sunny at Winters Hill! 
Fighting the good fight against weather evil.

 

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1 hour ago, North_County said:

Probably the last of my personal updates, because I dont want to blow up the thread, and I know that this group tends to look forward at the next system, which is fine. But I thought this was interesting because someone earlier back (Chewbaca or Rubus maybe?) mentioned a possible rail derailment near the border due to an eroded embankment. Turns out, it was literally right behind our business, which probably explains why the flow pattern was so different than past floods. Our shop isn't visible but sits in the circled area.FB_IMG_1637092156213.thumb.jpg.86d02eacf3ae942ef2ba33b577abefd2.jpg

Yeah that was me.  Please keep us updated as you are able.  I checked in with my co-worker who's husband is a BNSF worker and she hasn't heard anything from him.  I sent her this picture and I think she sent it to him.  I'll let you know if I hear anything of interest.

Stay safe and keep us posted.  I just put up a post a few minutes ago that it looks like the county is about to be cut in half by the Nooksack.

 

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20 minutes ago, Chewbacca Defense said:

Yeah that was me.  Please keep us updated as you are able.  I checked in with my co-worker who's husband is a BNSF worker and she hasn't heard anything from him.  I sent her this picture and I think she sent it to him.  I'll let you know if I hear anything of interest.

Stay safe and keep us posted.  I just put up a post a few minutes ago that it looks like the county is about to be cut in half by the Nooksack.

 

Good thing is no injuries and no hazard to anyone.  BTW a good Twitter feed now is Randy Small.  He has done incredible reporting as a citizen journalist.  

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Looks like the levees will hold in Mount Vernon. River crested just below 37 ft a couple hours ago and is slowly falling. Worry I guess is that high tide at 3 pm could cause the river to back up, but other than that disaster appears to have been averted.

The lowest levees were within 1-2’ of being topped so we dodged a bullet. There was one place in Burlington where the river exceeded the levee system, but only by a foot and it basically flows right back into a stream system. In this part of the valley it looks like a couple flooded basements/ground floors, but nothing worse.

DEE451C2-8653-4CFA-9332-2C74181D3B5C.thumb.jpeg.65b7306d501961cc8991e48c90f08530.jpegC14C9964-E914-430A-B68A-B8F4B0689ABD.thumb.jpeg.0f4f43a320e103f8ea0b36610f58b1de.jpegADCFBE60-1DBF-4BAC-A9AE-D1D8B9F8991D.thumb.jpeg.7245e58e28add177235c83d24909f902.jpegEAB7A830-A24E-4DE5-8289-CF0CF24CA266.thumb.jpeg.36fa9346b447bc99a66dbd600991841d.jpeg

Around 11 am, a semi-truck flattened a car on the I-5 bridge between Mount Vernon and Burlington. I have no idea how the driver sustained only minor injuries because the car looked like a pancake, but that crash meant there was only one bridge open to cross the Skagit. Crash was cleared after a couple hours.

ED6EC017-5DE9-4B5A-9A79-F323993785A2.thumb.jpeg.985cdbb389f4b779172a720813790898.jpeg

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Home Wx Station Stats (Since January 2008):

Max Temp: 96.3F (2009)   Min Temp: 2.0F (2008)   Max Wind Gust: 45 mph (2018, 2021)   Wettest Day: 2.34 (11/4/22)   Avg Yearly Precip: 37"   10yr Avg Snow: 8.0"

Snowfall Totals

'08-09: 30" | '09-10: 0.5" | '10-11: 21" | '11-12: 9.5" | '12-13: 0.2" | '13-14: 6.2" | '14-15: 0.0" | '15-16: 0.25"| '16-17: 8.0" | '17-18: 0.9"| '18-19: 11.5" | '19-20: 11" | '20-21: 10.5" | '21-22: 21.75" | '22-23: 10.0" 

2023-24: 7.0" (1/17: 3", 1/18: 1.5", 2/26: 0.5", 3/4: 2.0", Flakes: 1/11, 1/16)

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1 hour ago, SilverFallsAndrew said:

Here is a classic question for this group. When it is snowing, do you go outside and take a walk, soaking in the moment, or do you stare wistfully at the radar, knowing the back edge is only 45 minutes away?

Both, intermittently.

Good question BTW.  I have often wondered how many on here scream and pray for snow to not actually leave the screen and go out in it.

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I’m constantly checking the radar during the lead up to snow events but once it starts maybe once an hour or when it stops. Didn’t need to check the radar in February 2021 because I knew it was going to snow for 18 hours straight. Had 13.5” in that timeframe ending at noon on the 13th. 

1C0563E3-CB21-4205-A2D6-39D3476D1414.jpeg

5A5DA34C-AFAC-46F7-AD7D-03D43E8EF18F.jpeg

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Tacoma WA elevation 300’

Monthly rainfall-3.56”

Warm season rainfall-11.14”

Max temp-88

+80 highs-2

+85 highs-2

+90 highs-0

 

 

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The snowstorm this February was insane. I’d be happy if we only managed to get 1/4th of the amount of snow we got with that one this upcoming winter. 15.5” here with that one. 

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Tacoma WA elevation 300’

Monthly rainfall-3.56”

Warm season rainfall-11.14”

Max temp-88

+80 highs-2

+85 highs-2

+90 highs-0

 

 

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2 minutes ago, TacomaWaWx said:

The snowstorm this February was insane. I’d be happy if we only managed to get 1/4th of the amount of snow we got with that one this upcoming winter. 15.5” here with that one. 

Would have been a crazy total if that last storm had stayed snow instead of rain. Easily could have had 20-25 inches 

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27 minutes ago, Skagit Weather said:

Looks like the levees will hold in Mount Vernon. River crested just below 37 ft a couple hours ago and is slowly falling. Worry I guess is that high tide at 3 pm could cause the river to back up, but other than that disaster appears to have been averted.

The lowest levees were within 1-2’ of being topped so we dodged a bullet. There was one place in Burlington where the river exceeded the levee system, but only by a foot and it basically flows right back into a stream system. In this part of the valley it looks like a couple flooded basements/ground floors, but nothing worse.

DEE451C2-8653-4CFA-9332-2C74181D3B5C.thumb.jpeg.65b7306d501961cc8991e48c90f08530.jpegC14C9964-E914-430A-B68A-B8F4B0689ABD.thumb.jpeg.0f4f43a320e103f8ea0b36610f58b1de.jpegADCFBE60-1DBF-4BAC-A9AE-D1D8B9F8991D.thumb.jpeg.7245e58e28add177235c83d24909f902.jpegEAB7A830-A24E-4DE5-8289-CF0CF24CA266.thumb.jpeg.36fa9346b447bc99a66dbd600991841d.jpeg

Around 11 am, a semi-truck flattened a car on the I-5 bridge between Mount Vernon and Burlington. I have no idea how the driver sustained only minor injuries because the car looked like a pancake, but that crash meant there was only one bridge open to cross the Skagit. Crash was cleared after a couple hours.

ED6EC017-5DE9-4B5A-9A79-F323993785A2.thumb.jpeg.985cdbb389f4b779172a720813790898.jpeg

That bridge is horrible! People slam on their brakes constantly in that section of freeway for reasons I do not know. I’m shocked that accidents do not happen there on a daily basis. 

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Elevation 580’ Location a few miles east of I-5 on the Snohomish Co side of the Snohomish/Skagit border. I love snow/cold AND sun/warmth! 

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6 minutes ago, SouthHillFrosty said:

Would have been a crazy total if that last storm had stayed snow instead of rain. Easily could have had 20-25 inches 

Yeah we only got like 1.5” from that second storm. Wish the action had kept going longer that snow melted quickly as it came. Was pretty much all gone by the 16th with heavy rain and strong southerly winds. Oh well good memories might not see a big snowstorm like that again for a decade. 

Tacoma WA elevation 300’

Monthly rainfall-3.56”

Warm season rainfall-11.14”

Max temp-88

+80 highs-2

+85 highs-2

+90 highs-0

 

 

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23 minutes ago, TacomaWaWx said:

The snowstorm this February was insane. I’d be happy if we only managed to get 1/4th of the amount of snow we got with that one this upcoming winter. 15.5” here with that one. 

You had more snow than I did last winter. It happens that way sometimes. Corvallis and Eugene had more snow than we did in 2013-14. 

Snowfall                                  Precip

2022-23: 95.0"                      2022-23: 17.39"

2021-22: 52.6"                    2021-22: 91.46" 

2020-21: 12.0"                    2020-21: 71.59"

2019-20: 23.5"                   2019-20: 58.54"

2018-19: 63.5"                   2018-19: 66.33"

2017-18: 30.3"                   2017-18: 59.83"

2016-17: 49.2"                   2016-17: 97.58"

2015-16: 11.75"                 2015-16: 68.67"

2014-15: 3.5"
2013-14: 11.75"                  2013-14: 62.30
2012-13: 16.75"                 2012-13: 78.45  

2011-12: 98.5"                   2011-12: 92.67"

It's always sunny at Winters Hill! 
Fighting the good fight against weather evil.

 

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16 minutes ago, Mr Marine Layer said:

Stay-at-home orders. 

Kind of.... (as indicated by the first sentence) but really more like a "if you work on one side of the river and live on the other you better get home ASAP unless you plan on sleeping at work for the next 1-2 days"

Fortunately I live and work south of the river, but my customer (one of the refineries) is north of the river.  We got blown up with messages from them telling us if we were at the refinery and a non-essential worker, and lived south of the river, we needed to leave immediately.  A lot of my co-workers are on-site, so its good they got the word out.

 

 

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Had a mixed shower about a half hour ago. 
Currently 44 degrees. 
after I shut off the generator last night around 11pm before bed I took more pics of the powerless night sky. The wind was still gusting pretty good at that point. Nothing but moonlight, the sound of the wind, and the distant sound of generators running. 

13BBFD3B-1C67-4B42-85DB-B36BD9D07251.jpeg

131FCAD2-4E7B-4193-9E28-B26E3E4BB70A.jpeg

7711428A-4358-4F83-ADF6-AD9D3AF34D4C.jpeg

A56ED096-9B8A-4BC4-B1DE-0B53D27FEA8B.jpeg

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Elevation 580’ Location a few miles east of I-5 on the Snohomish Co side of the Snohomish/Skagit border. I love snow/cold AND sun/warmth! 

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1 hour ago, TacomaWaWx said:

The snowstorm this February was insane. I’d be happy if we only managed to get 1/4th of the amount of snow we got with that one this upcoming winter. 15.5” here with that one. 

I was about 3 miles too far south in February. I ended up with an inch or two of snow followed by at least an inch of ZR. It was brutal. Meanwhile, areas north of the Clackamas County line in the metro area got much more snow and much less freezing rain. Still damaging elsewhere, but I was in a terrible spot since I was far enough north to remain below freezing, but far enough south to not be influenced enough by the cold air pumping out of the Columbia Gorge. 

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1 minute ago, Joshua Lake Oswego said:

I was about 3 miles too far south in February. I ended up with an inch or two of snow followed by at least an inch of ZR. It was brutal. Meanwhile, areas north of the Clackamas County line in the metro area got much more snow and much less freezing rain. Still damaging elsewhere, but I was in a terrible spot since I was far enough north to remain below freezing, but far enough south to not be influenced enough by the cold air pumping out of the Columbia Gorge. 

The Columbia Gorge was the reason you were below freezing.

My preferences can beat up your preferences’ dad.

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