Weather Eye: Before next storm hits us, a look back to how wet January was

Before any more rain fills the bucket, let’s look back to last month and see how much rain was recorded by our friends and neighbors around the region for January.

I measured 5.07 inches here in the Salmon Creek area.

Gary Collins, Brush Prairie, 7.15 inches; Murphy Dennis, near Clark County Rifles, 9.71 inches; Claudia Chiasson, Carson, 10.97 inches.

Tyler Mode, Minnehaha, 3.62 inches; Judy Darke, Felida, 4.84 inches; Irv St. Germain, Southwest Prune Hill, 6.34 inches; Bob Starr, Cougar, 21.65 inches; Pete Conrad, Battle Ground, 6.02 inches.

Robin Ruzek, Lakeshore, 4.58 inches; Phil Delany, above Dole Valley, 15.70 inches; Barry Fitzthum, Amboy, 7.39 inches; Phil Harris, Washougal, 7.31 inches; Bill Sobolewski, Livingston Mountain, 8.83 inches.

Bud Maddux, Home Valley, 7.48 inches; Chuck Houghten, Hockinson Heights, 8.32 inches; Nancy Ellifrit, Mt. Vista, 7.15 inches; Larry Lebsack, Northeast Hazel Dell, 5.33 inches; Merle Moore, two miles west of Yacolt 10.46 inches; Dave Campbell, one mile west of Heisson, 6.19 inches.

Tom Dixon, Amboy, 7.25 inches; and Ellen Smart, Ridgefield, 4.85 inches.

Calm before the wind

The weather has been so mild I keep hearing a few frogs here and there.

Last Sunday, weather watcher Ellen Smart of Ridgefield had this to say, “The spring peepers, or tree frogs or whatever, are singing away tonight in the Refuge. It’s a great chorus, not just one or two.”

With southerly winds Saturday, temperatures were well into the 50s around the area and some pretty gusty winds at that. Winds 35 to 50 mph were prevalent from southern Oregon to the Canadian border.

With a cold front passage Monday, snow levels will drop down to about 1,000 feet. It will feel much cooler as we endure a few days of very unsettled weather.

This will be great news for the mountains as we add some snow back to the slopes. I wouldn’t rule out some ice pellets or wet snowflakes being reported around Clark County later in the week. Have a good one!

Pat Timm is a local weather specialist. His column appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Reach him at http://weathersystems.com.