Our weather pattern is back to normal, with numerous weather systems poised to strike almost every day this week. Melting snow and heavy rains have caused many Western Washington and Oregon streams to rise but there’s been only minor flooding so far.
It was fortunate that most rivers were at lower than typical winter levels due to drought-like conditions, so there was room to accommodate an increased flow of water.
More heavy rain is on its way the next five days, so a few rivers that tend to overflow more easily could be an issue.
For those of you that have a three-day holiday weekend, it will be a stormy one. Snow levels are running fairly high with these storms, and when cooler air does follow, the moisture is about gone, so only the upper ski areas are piling things up.
That will change next week as a large trough of low-pressure carves out a large pool of colder air, with numerous showers likely by the middle of next week. The passes will then pile up some snow.
It will be a good weekend for indoor activities or a nice jaunt to the coast for some clam chowder and storm watching. Winds will be gusty at times, with high surf and plenty of foam blowing from the crashing waves. Can’t you just hear the sound?
The rest of the nation is getting the brunt of winter with more cold, snow and ice. I read where Lake Superior is almost frozen over, and is expected in the next couple of weeks to be 95 percent frozen, which is pretty much considered frozen over, the first time since 1979. That is a lot of ice!
I can still see signs of our snow piled up here and there and in certain areas protected by the warm mid-50-degree winds and rain we had Tuesday and Wednesday. More snow in the offing? I wouldn’t expect any large-scale repeat of last week’s storm this winter, although the possibility of occasional bouts of wet snow down to low levels, even here in the city, is not out of reach.
Happy Valentine’s Day and I will see you on Sunday with last month’s rainfall reports from around the area.
Patrick Timm is a local weather specialist. His column appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Reach him at http://patricktimm.com.
