‘Well, Andy, surprise, surprise, surprise!” That phrase always sticks in my mind and makes me chuckle just a bit when things go astray. We’ve come a long way since the days of Mayberry, Andy Griffith and Gomer Pyle.
OK, it is my turn. “Well folks, surprise, surprise, surprise!” I mean what else can I say in regards to Tuesday’s snowfall? I mentioned in Tuesday’s column that I was pondering my words in regards to the weather but just glazed over that fact that a little bit of snow was possible but not probable. Weather forecasting is not an exact science, for sure, and is always a challenge with those relentless east winds. There was certainly enough dry air to facilitate evaporative cooling as the moisture fell from the skies.
Another factor was that the amount of moisture was more than computer models indicated.
So, no excuses here, just a missed forecast, which unfortunately came at the commuter rush hour. I did recognize around 11 a.m. Tuesday that the band of moisture moving northward would start out as snow somewhere between 1 and 3 p.m., as did a few other weather forecasters. Still, the intensity was a surprise, and those east winds . . . . well.
I was just heading out of town to the coast as it began falling heavily in Salmon Creek, and I drove through moderate snow all the way to Chehalis and halfway to the coast. At least I was chuckling most of the way.
