Weather Eye: We’d be happy to take some of that snow from the East Coast

Many high-temperature records are being set not only locally but all over the Northwest. Seattle is having its warmest winter since records were kept at Sea-Tac in 1945. Even if cooler temperatures prevailed the rest of month, they still would probably achieve that record.

The snowpack around Mount Hood is less than 10 percent of normal, with hardly any snow below 5,000 feet. Things are looking pretty grim in the Cascades.

If one was to believe some extended forecast models, March could come in like a lion and provide cold, wet, blustery weather. But that is still two weeks out, and high pressure and dry weather most likely will dominate the rest of this month.

A weak system will slide by to our north late Wednesday and Thursday, but only clouds are expected. Maybe a sprinkle, but showers may drip on Puget Sound. Then it’s back to sunny and mild weather this weekend and beyond.

Could we go from sun to snow? Anything is possible in the great realm of weather. It is not unheard of to get snow in the lowlands in March.

Just something to watch in the extended outlook.

Meanwhile, spring is bursting out everywhere locally. Flowering trees are showing their color, and some varieties of rhododendrons are flush with color. Besides those annoying stink bugs flying around, I noticed a few ladybugs as well Monday afternoon under bright sunshine. Everything is waking up to spring!

A friend of mine said that while cutting his grass he had to battle a few mosquitoes. Yikes, already? With no snow in the mountains and foothills, many are enjoying fine hiking weather on snow-free trails. It may be an early wildflower season this year unless winter returns. Our meteorological winter ends on the last day of February, and spring comes to play on March 1 for us weather and climate folks.

The East Coast is setting records for cold and snow. Oh, what we would give for all of that snow in our mountains.

Patrick Timm is a local weather specialist. His column appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Contact him at patricktimm.com.

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