OH Gloriously Warm Rays, Beam Down Your Sunny Goodness

Today was another fantastic March day. Oh how March loves to suck us in with these warm sun filled days. It was a nippy 31 degrees under clear skies and a frosty blanket. Early in March, the good Lord likes to remind us that it is still technically winter.

But this afternoon the mercury soared well into the 60s with my station reporting a balmy 63.9 degrees just a little earlier.

March loves to tease and this March is no different. The forecast from the NWS shows a typical pattern and that this glorious sunshine will go away again yielding to our necessary rain showers.

March is month of sun and rain and sometimes even a little snow. What will this March bring us between now and the Equinox? Yes, the Vernal Equinox is less than 10 days away. The daylight hours stretch on longer and the warmer temps have brought my lawn out of its winter slumber. I need to prep the mower for its first outing of the season. Ah, springtime in the 'Couv' is coming soon. Soak it up my friends, soak it up :)

A Fickle February is Done

February 2014 has gone down as a mixed bag of goods. The month started out very chilly with the 6th recording the coldest daytime high reading since January 4th, 2004. The month ended with a downright balmy 58.8 degrees and warm rays of golden sunny goodness beaming down from the heavens.

But March has a different idea for it has always been the fickle month. Arctic air has moved in overhead and that warm 58.8 from yesterday is planted in the past. Highs today and tomorrow will feel more like early January than early March. Snow flurries are in the mix for the next day or so as well. Since it is the first of March let's look at the February stats.

February looked like this:

The second arctic event of the season came in early in the month with cold temps and a significant snow event. I recorded my snowiest February in 13 winters of records at this location. I had 11.1 inches of mostly light, dry and fluffy snow. Enough snow fell in the first 9 days of the month to produce those giant plowed mounds in local parking lots that remained for the rest of the month. This event, like the one in December had more snow on the west side of the county than the east.

The coldest temp of the month was a 19.0 on the 6th and that same afternoon had the coldest daytime high of 22.2. The warmest day was the 28th with a balmy 58.8 under sunny skies and the warmest overnight low was during a blustery and wet event on the night of the 13th at 43.7 degrees. 

The short month of February delivered some much needed precipitation with a total of 6.76 inches of water equivalent precipitation. The snowiest day was the 6th with 5 inches and the wettest day was the 17th with 1.14 inches. 

The average overnight low was a little cooler than normal with 33.75 and the average daytime high was much cooler than normal at 44.19 when days usual average closer to 50 in February. Precipitation was about average for water content  just a touch low but snowfall was well above my 13 year average for February that is only 1.53 inches.

So the five year pattern of big snow events seems to be holding intact. January 2004, December 2008 (4 years 11 months later) and now February 2014 (5 years 2 months later). So all you snow haters can relax until the 2018-2019 winter season ;)

March is often a wild and unpredictable month that can see the first 80 degree mark of the season and also snow showers. So get ready for spring, it's closer than you think and by all means; soak it up my friends, soak it up.

It's Snowtime... maybe.

How's that for a "grab ya" headline? This weekend the NWS has a winter weather special statement up for low elevation snow. This is not anything like the big event earlier this month. In fact this is likely to be a non-event. However, there is some cold arctic air in the nation's interior that the NWS says will "retrograde" back towards the West Coast and that coupled with moisture headed in could mean flurries of light snow showers here in the city. Confidence for metro area snow under 500 feet is still low however so worry not.

Soak it up my friends, soak it up.

All quiet on the Southwestern Front

After a cold snowy start to February, the snowiest February since I started keeping records at this location 13 winters ago, Mild and typical late February weather has now prevailed. The NWS has a pretty quiet forecast for this upcoming week.

March is coming and it is a fickle month. Although it rarely get really "cold" in March it is a month that can still deliver snowfall and it also can deliver warm temps in the 70s. Who knows what's in store but one thing remains certain; we will find out soon.

Soak it up my friends, soak it up.

Snowmageddan is over

The mercury pushed its way up past freezing today and the precipitation has stopped. This five year snow event is for the most part, over. The kiddies get one more day off from school to give the neighborhood streets a chance to clear up a bit. later this week it will be back to a normal mid winter cycle of chilly rain and occasional sunshine 'teasery'.

I am not saying that Old Man Winter is completely done. We may see a few flakes fly before the summer birds return, but I doubt we get more than a dusting or two.

This is the total snowfall from this event thus far. It is possible that we could see a little more snow or freezing rain tonight but I am doubtful that it will amount to anything much.

This will go down as my snowiest February since I started record keeping here in 2001. More than eleven inches of snow has fallen this month and it is only the 9th. Most of this came from the 6th through the 8th.

Temperatures during this event were well below average. The 6th was the chilliest afternoon with a high of just 22.2 and over 5 inches of very light and fluffy snow. The temps stayed in the teens and twenties until today when things began to warm up into the low thirties. After these larger snow events people often start comparing to other snow events over the years. The biggest snow event in the last 40 years was 1980 when Vancouver recorded 42 inches of snow in the month of January! Later that year the mighty Mount St. Helens had her historic eruption.

Here are the seasonal snowfall totals at my station for each of the last 13 winters and an annual average. This year is already a touch above average but no where near the monster seasons we had in '03-'04 and '08-'09. We got a legit shot at beating the 14.05 inches in '11-'12

Get out and enjoy this great winter weather. We only get these super snowy events every five years. Don't fret it, soak it up, my friends, soak it up.

We were due...the snow debt is paid.

Feb 6th, 2014 approx 3 PM

Every five years or so we get a significant snow storm. The kind like we got yesterday and that will continue today. When all is said and done just about everyone in the metro area will have at least 8 inches on the ground and some will have upwards of 2 feet. The last "big one" was Christmas 2008 just a month more than five years ago. Prior to that event was the snow and ice epic event in January of 2004 just a few weeks shy of five years earlier. Pattern? Perhaps.

Yesterday I received about 5-6 inches of snow. There was only about 4.5 measurable because the first few hours of snow came in sideways and drifted several blocks away. I will officially record 5 inches since I can't be certain how much blew off and ended up in that 18 inch drift down the street. I probably had 6 inches.

As I write this, there is a break in the cloud cover and that February sun is trying to exert some dominance over this snow. The temp is in the mid twenties now but I am sorry 'El Sol'; you don't have the amps to bust threw this cold air layer today. When the next low pressure system arrives it will pull cold air in through the gorge to fortify this as an all snow event. The National Weather Service has posted another Winter Storm Warning and they expect another 2-6 inches in the city and of course varying amounts in all the assorted neighborhoods. I would expect to at least match yesterday's totals here. If that pans out, I will have close to a foot on the ground and that really is a five year event.

My personal record snows are not likely to be broken but this could end up second or third. I have been keeping snow records at this location since 2001.

Here are the four occasions in which I had at least 5 inches on the ground since 2001. Yes only four. I have had 41 snow events with at least a trace sticking to the ground in those 13 winters and only a quad with 5 or more inches accumulating. The snowiest single day I recorded was January 6th, 2004 with 10 inches coming down on a day that still stands with the coldest daytime high reading of 20.8 degrees. I was just shy of 20 inches of snow from that event that ran from December 30, 2003 until the last of the freezing rain was done on January 9th, 2004. I had a maximum snow depth of just under 12 inches (a half inch of solid ice over the top). January, 2007 had a snowy and cold spell with 3 inches falling on the 10th some flurries through the week and 4 more inches on the 16th piled on most of the snow that was still hanging around to a depth of 6 inches. The biggest snow event I have had yet however, came on a rare white Christmas here in the 'Couv'. December 2008 was a wild and white month that began on the 13th. Most of the snowfall was light but there was a blast of 7 inches on the 20th. All totaled I had the deepest snow cover of my 13 winters here in NE Vancouver with a whopping 15 inches on the ground on Christmas Day and a storm total of over 19 inches. Since then snowfall has been the more typical for the west side of the Cascades; light amounts with wet and slushy conditions for the most part. Until now.

Yesterday the temps remained in the very low twenties and teens and the snow was mountain dry. Very ineffective for snowmen or snow balls. With my temperature expected to get up towards 30 degrees this next round will likely be a little more moist.

Our friends in the upper Mid-West will post tweets about us with RAOFLMAO at our shut-down the town attitude over less than a foot of snow. But what they fail to understand is that the 'Couv' is home to some 300,000 people and has fewer snow plows than a Mid-Western town of 30,000. Spokane, Washington is the urban snow king in the State of Washington, averaging 49 inches of fluffy white precipitation each year which is about the same as Minneapolis, MN. They have more than 60 snowplows and Spokane is roughly the same population as the 'Couv'. When Spokane gets a 6 inch snow event, they can easily plow the streets in a relatively prompt fashion. Vancouver has... wait for it... 8 plows. So I don't know about our larger neighbor to the south, but I understand Portland has a similar problem. So yes my friends SIX inches will shut down this town! It takes a much larger event to cause widespread problems in the upper Mid-West but when those areas reach the point that their snow removal is ineffective; lo and behold they look just as silly as we do.

We also don't use rock salt because of Columbia River environmental concerns, so the snow piles up and hard packs on the roads. The plows can only hit the main arterial roads. Neighborhood streets will thaw naturally before a truck ever finds its way down any suburban lane.

So stop laughing at us; these "big" snow events are not common enough to justify the expense of a major snow removal staff. However, note to Vancouver City Council, having a private force of snow removal people on call could be a solid idea. There are a lot of farmers with tractors that plow private shopping centers so why can't you hire those guys to hit the streets of the 'Couv' when these snowzilla events take shape? Yeah good idea, I know ;)

Enjoy our snowy extravaganza and by all means; Soak it up my friends, soak it up.

Cold and snowy...maybe.

The Dangerously Majestic, Mount St. Helens 2-5-2014

Today has been a gloriously beautiful day... if you are looking out the window of your warm car or office. The fantastic yellow orb is blazing away across a deep blue sky. It could be 70 degrees out there. Until you open the door. Temps are hovering in the mid 20s around the city with a very stiff wind coming out of the gorge. Wind chills this afternoon are teasing the 0 degrees Fahrenheit mark.

The NWS updated it's forecast today taking out the bitter cold temps and replacing them with a slightly warmer and snowier scenario beginning tomorrow.

How much snow? Well, it could be a little or it could be kind of allot. The second storm coming in on Saturday will have copious amounts of moisture but it will also have warmer air associated with it. The warm air will erode the cold air at the surface which provides for a transition from all snow to sleet, then ice and finally rain. How quickly that transition happens will have a huge impact on how much wintry precipitation we get. 

Hold on to your hats... this is gonna be a fun ride. Get out and enjoy this cold sunshine before the white fluffy stuff comes. Soak it up my friends, soak it up.

A Big Bowl of Burr, is Headed our Way

January is done and temperatures were par for the course. It all averaged out to pretty close to normal. The average daily low was 33.88 just a tick above normal and the average daily high was 45.89 a little more than a degree on the warm side. The coldest temp was a chilly 22.8 on the 5th and the warmest was a balmy  55.2 on the 24th. We managed to get above freezing every day with the chilliest afternoon a foggy 37 on the 4th and the warmest overnight low came on the 10th with a toasty 46.2.

Once again rainfall was the topic of trouble. It was a well below average 3.78 inches in the bucket. We had 15 days with subfreezing lows and a whooping 8 days with the mercury buzzing around in the 50s. Only 10 days were rainy and 11 days were sunny. More sun than rain in January? Yep. You don't see that very often.

Nary a flake of snow was seen in the month on January down here in the city. Overall it was a ho hum winter month that never really got too cold and frankly it was nice more often than not. I have no complaints about that!

Things are going to change back to more wintry condition this week however. More of that wonderful arctic air is set to drop in over us. There will be some cold and dry days and possibly some cold and white, fluffy days. Tough call on snow this late. The mighty fireball manages to get up a little higher in the sky as we move closer to spring. That means it can do a better job of warming the air. So I doubt it will be single digit cold like it was in December but teens here at my station are not out of the question. It looks like a big bowl of burr, is headed our way.

Since I have been keeping records at this location I have not had much snow in February. In fact, I average quite a bit more in March. But the law of averages says February is due, so I say bring it on.

Happy New Year!

Hello and like the title says, Happy New Year! The New Year's Eve was foggy and about average for temps across our region. I hope you all had a great time.

Another month is in the books and December went down as rather chilly and bone dry for December. A lack of precipitation has been the theme in calender year 2013. Just 31 inches of rain fell from January 1, 2013 till New Years Eve. We were well below average on both daily highs and overnight lows. I had one morning with a low just 1/2 degree shy of my all time (12 years) low.

Let's take a look at the month by the numbers. The average observed low was 30.14 degrees which is nearly 3 cooler than my 12 year average for December. Also roughly 3 under was the average highs at 39.20 degrees. The coldest morning was a 9.1 on the 8th and the coldest afternoon high was on that same day with a reading of 26.9. The warmest temp was on the 1st of the month with a balmy 53.7 degrees and the warmest overnight low came on that same day as well with 46.2. The wettest day was the warmest day bringing 1.8 inches of rain on the first of the month. That was more than half the monthly total which amounted to a desert-like 3.2 inches. I typically have about 8 in the bucket in December. We had some light snowfall totaling just 1.75 inches, most of which fell on the 6th.

Precipitation Rain and Snow

This month had the longest stretch of continuously sub-freezing temps since I began keeping records here in 2002. I have had several three day stretches under the freezing mark but this one went a full five. It is not rare for the daytime highs to be stuck under 32 but it is unusual. Stringing a whole work-week of sub freezing days is legitimately rare.

The initial look for the first half of January is pretty standard fare for winter with average temps and typical precipitation. The whit fluffy variety appears to be staying up above 1000 feet for the next several days. But as usual, you never know.

Get out and enjoy the weather. Soak it up my friends, Soak it up.

So Long Mister Freeze...

It would seem that our cold snap has expired and now we return to a more typical Northwest pattern for West of the Cascades. Cool and showery. The mercury may plunge a little tonight but since there appears to be warm air aloft (Larch Mountain at the 1150 foot mark is in the 40s) we will mix this all out today or tonight. Freezing rain is still possible in isolated areas but for the most part I think we are in the clear. Well, for ice that is. Showers began at my station today around 3pm.

This cold spell is one of the longest periods of continuously sub-freezing temperatures in a long time. The last time we saw 40 degrees was on December 3rd. The temperature dropped below freezing that night and stayed below freezing until the 10th when the warm rays of El Sol perked us up to 35. it is likely we will see another 40 mark this weekend, maybe even tomorrow. Ah... back to normal.

Here is a chart showing the cold period and associated snowfall. I did not get much snow at all. Most areas south and west of my location got double to triple what I had in terms of snowfall.

As usual get out and soak it up my friends, soak it up.

Itty Bitty Snow Fall with Godzilla Size Hype From Local TV

rodsager.com weather station and webcam

So the very first snowfall of the season is underway and it is quite light. This is not the typical wet slushy snow either. Temps are in the low to mid 20's and what is falling is not only sticking but sticking around. However, not much is falling. Accumulations here at my station are quite literally trace amounts. This is the frozen version of a drizzle.

The local TV news coverage is downright embarrassing. They are quite literally acting like a news crew from Los Angeles reporting on snow in Venice Beach. I am quite certain it has NEVER snowed in Venice Beach.

Here in the Portland metropolitan area however, it does snow, every year in fact. We don't get a lot of snow that is true, but we get it every year. Sometimes we get dumped on like Minnesota and sometimes we get barely a trace. But I witnessed child like coverage of a non-event this morning on the news. Nelson Mandela passed away yesterday guys, that's pertinent news. When there is 3-4 inches covering the ground, then make a big deal. But this; are you kidding me?

So flurries are fluttering in a stiff East breeze and our wind chills will be hovering around zero at times in some areas. The snow is falling sideways, brrr. Bundle up and remember the air is dry and it may not feel as cold as it is. Drive with care, we do not treat the roads for snow and ice so even though there is only a little snow, the road will still be treacherous.

The National Weather Service is indicating that the arctic will be calling in reinforcements for the weekend with even lower temps, possibly into the single digits in outlying areas. It is unlikely that the temperature will rise above freezing today so what falls, stays. We may have a newsworthy event by the end of the day so the children in TV news-land will actually have a reason to get excited.

Winter is here, now get outside and soak it up my friends, soak it up... or stay inside by a warm cozy fire and soak that up, what ever floats your boat.

A little warmer for a while before...

We should enjoy some decent weather for Thanksgiving with modest overnight lows and warm daytime highs in the upper 40s to low 50s. After the somewhat chilly weather of the last week a balmy Thanksgiving is just what the doctor ordered. But it may come at a price.

Just about every weather reporting service is suggesting that some pretty chilly air is going to drop in sometime next week. Depending on which forecast you look at, we could see some snow at some point as early as Sunday night. Snow is always a tough proposition in these parts. Sometimes the weather guys nail it pretty good, other times they call for snow and we get rain or they call for rain and we get snow.

So get ready for a wild ride next week but look at the forecast for Thursday! You know the drill, Soak it up my friends, soak it up.

Nippiness Has Finally Arrived

Well friends, this autumn has been to say the least, mild.  This morning however was actually quite chilly for mid-November. The mercury bottomed out just before sun-up with a genuinely chilly 20.4 degrees. If it were late December of early January well, so what. But this is pre-Thanksgiving and that is a bona fide cold morning for this early in the season.

The great yellow orb is shining with an amazing radiance however and we should find the afternoon warming well into the 40s. We are going to get a little extended sunshine after two weeks of gloominess so you know the drill...

Yeah, Soak it up my friends, soak it up.

Here comes the rain again...

Well the rains of Autumn have finally made an appearance after a very dry October. I was getting a little nervous, after all we have a reputation to uphold here in the soggy Northwest. We had a couple of days that were seasonably chilly to start the month off with snow down to pass levels, but now we seem to be comfortably situated in the low to mid 50s with the customary mid-fall showers. The NWS has a pretty typical early November forecast lined up for this week.

A special weather statement is in effect for tomorrow regarding high winds and heavy rain along with locally heavy snowfall in the passes. Bundle up but go ahead and soak it up too.

OK, I think autumn weather is going to return now

Well, most of October has been nothing short of brilliant. We even had a record breaking day last week with several locales busting over the top of 70 degrees. I think this spectacular early autumn delusion is going to fade away now. The National Weather Service is calling for more 'normalish' 50s this week. However they are still expecting mostly sunny conditions. I think this may be the sunniest October I have seen in a dozen years.

Funny thing also, I have yet to record a temperature below freezing. I can't remember the last time October went by without a sub freezing morning. of course there is still a few days to go and you never know. Enjoy the sunshine while we have it, then enjoy the brilliant fall color under a cloudy blanket. It's all good. Soak it up my friends, soak it up.

Sunny, Sunny, Sunny October

What an amazing week we just witnessed. It was sunny every single day. Last week came off a mostly sunny week previously and this week the NWS says... More of the same. We are getting thick surface fog in the morning that burns off to gorgeous blue skies and warm sunshine. Careful driving, running or biking in the AM. Look at this week's forecast!

I have an out of town guest arriving next week and I just hope this nice weather can hang on. Has it ever gone this long in October without clouds and rain? The last rainy day was October 8th. Some weather sites are suggesting the dry sunny days will continue to the end of the month. We are going to need a wet November to offset this bone dry October. Well, what are you waiting for? Get out there and soak it up my friends, soak it up.

Wild Storm Pummels the 'Couv'

What a ride yesterday! A storm rolled in packing big wind and a brief deluge that would make Noah nervous. The streets are littered with tree branches and other natural debris. This one was packing quite a wallop and the rain was falling horizontal for a good portion of the day. I got over an inch of rain and most of it came in a one hour period of atmospheric rage late in the afternoon. Today it seems we have a little less anger from mother nature but the NWS still has a wind advisory up for the region today. Be cautious and enjoy our misfit behavior in the skies for the next couple of days. Soak it up my friends, soak it up.

The Last Ninety for Nine

How is that for a cryptic but quite likely accurate title for this late summer weather blog post? My station hit a toasty 89.4 degrees yesterday tickling ninety degrees but just failing to hit that "it's too darn hot" number. The official station at Pearson had 91 yesterday. Today however will be a different story. Ninety degrees will come quick and early in the afternoon and boil us all day long under a desert like blanket of big, bold, blue sky.

Either there is a Bunson burner under my temperature sensor or the NWS is right on the mark. The forecast today is for mid to upper nineties and if that pans out this will likely be the hottest day of 2013. Take that Autumn! Summer is stabbing at the fall, flailing away with all she has to give. It is that last blast of her furnace before the inevitable chill sets in next month. Today is expected to be the peak of this little heat wave and the last ninety of the year will probably fall on one of these next four days. The next time we'll see a ninety degree day most likely won't arrive until June of 2014. Nine months from now, thus "The Last Ninety for Nine" seems a fitting title :)

Our friends at the National Weather Service have this forecast along with a heat advisory for today.

Maybe this heat is just too much for you. Maybe you are secretly annoyed with Summer's attack on your long awaited season of brisk autumn breezes. Well the coast may offer you the solution. This NWS Cannon Beach forecast supports the conclusion that Coast equals Cool.

You can always play hooky and drive to the coast. Here is the situation at Cannon Beach, OR. It looks a little foggy right now (Noon) but will probably see a little clearing later on. Temps are almost always cool along the shore. This could be your last opportunity for somewhat warm weather along the Oregon Coast or SW Washington's Coast. As fall approaches the rain becomes relentless along those gorgeous cliffs. Autumn comes quickly.


Maybe the foggy coast is a little overkill on the beat the heat angle. 60's too chilly? OK Timberline Lodge could be the getaway for you! The NWS forecast for the historic Mt. Hood Lodge is 70s and sunshine.

Maybe a short drive up to Hood is just what the doctor ordered for heat expulsion. Keep in mind if you stay overnight it gets downright nippy after ten up at Timberline.



You know what do, get outside and take in the last blast of summer. If you don't fancy mid nineties then you will have to stay inside your cozy air-conditioned office until after 8pm. Of course, you could enjoy the coast or mountains one last time this summer. Either way, soak it up my friends, soak it up.

August is in the Books

Another gorgeous Northwest month has come and gone. August was stellar, with near perfect weather the whole month long. It started off a touch on the cool side and offered up a little wet stuff towards the end. Even the wet days were quite pleasant however.

The stats were pretty standard for the month of August. I showed not one day above 90 degrees. The official station at Pearson logged two at exactly 90 degrees, however. The warmest day here in Northeast Vancouver was 88.3 degrees on the 6th the coolest afternoon high was the 63.3 on the 1st. The warmest evening was the 64.5 on the 29th and the coolest temp was recorded on the evening of the 21st with a low of 51.6 degrees. We had five days with precipitation exceeding 0.03 inches with the only real soaker being the 26th with a damp 0.49 inches. El sol blazed the big blue sky for 20 days. The total rainfall for the month was a less than average 0.89 inches.

It was yet another month of paradise in our 75 days of summer. Alas, it is now September. The Autumn plunge is lurking on the near horizon. Tomorrow is Labor Day and we could see some showers, although the NWS suggests that is only a slight chance. The remainder of the week should be unsettled with scattered thunderstorms.

We will likely have a few warm to hot days as the first part of September fades to the latter half and we start to feel that fall chill. The plunge begins now with the historical average temperature for the 1st of September at 80 degrees and the average for the 30th is just a touch above 70. The 10 degree plunge is followed in October by a 14 degree drop, then November with her 11 degrees till we bottom out around the end of the year. It happens fast so get out and enjoy these last few 80s and maybe a bonus 90 before the plunge puts a chill on your outdoor activities. You know what to do. Soak it up my friends, soak it up :)

Great summer weather continues on and on and on...

Our run of great weather continues. As is typical for the "dog days" of summer it doesn't look like the good news is going away either. More 70s and 80s are on tap for the next several days. We may get a hiccup in the pattern or stray thunderstorm here and there but we should be all clear for quite some time as the 75 days of our glorious summer stretch on towards the horizon.

Here is the NWS forecast:

Take a look at the USGS "Volcano Cam" up at Mount St. Helens. This is a live camera that runs year round.  It is showing nearly 80 degrees up at Johnston Ridge.  That is worth the drive to see the mighty volcano that violently erupted 32 years ago. The devastation remains today.

http://www.fs.fed.us/gpnf/volcanocams/msh/