This weather is awful!! 2008-2021

[Brat]

I am the OP and I was writing about a particularly nasty storm in Portland. This weekend was nasty.. the honestly minor snowfall was very very wet and heavy, brought down a lot of trees and has melted quickly. Some towns in the Willamette Valley got over 10 inches of rain in two days and are flooding, one car was sucked into a water filled ditch killing a mother and child. We needed moisture but could do with it in smaller doses. My son's home was out of power for a day so the grand-kids came to our house . [Funny: the 3yo likes to read on the potty, with the power out he was not a happy camper so his Mom found a flash light mounted on a hat. Kid didn't notice mom snaping a pic. Sooo cute.]

Seattle was on the north in of this storm and had lower temperatures. They got significant snow and ICE. Seattle is as hilly as San Francisco, no sensible person should be in or near a roadway as for all practical purposes it will be bumper cars. SEA was closed for hours, our local media outlets say that their traffic was diverted to PDX but based on my own experience long haul aircraft may have waited in Spokane (a flight training airport for heavy aircraft). Posting from an expert: http://cliffmass.blogspot.com/

Snow belongs on mountians, thank you. Flakes you should just get with the program and stay there until September when we need you to fill our rivers.

[Brdofpray]

We had a similar experience. Our first winter in South Carolina (2.5 years ago) was the coldest winter on record, according to the locals. We were quite encouraged by this, after spending the previous 30 winters in Chicago.

It all is a matter of perspective.

[ziggy29]

Meanwhile, this is shaping up to be The Year We Had No Winter down here in Texas. We had a long, horrific drought period and then some appreciable rain from October to December. The October rains made the weeds shoot up rapidly. And since we're not getting hard freezes (we usually have some by mid-December), the weeds aren't dying. I still have to mow 2-3 times a month in January at a time when everything is usually dead and dormant.

It hit 82º here yesterday and forecast for almost the same today. We've only had about 5 days this winter drop below freezing.... and all just barely. The 10-day forecast calls for highs and lows considerably above normal in each and every day (which should be around 60).

I'm not complaining about not getting a few nights in the teens and low 20s as we get in most years, just that I am tired of mowing in January. It's ridiculous. I guess nature is making up for the drought leading me to not mow at all from May to October last year.

[haha]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R I have been thinking of our members in Seattle and the northwest, who are getting pounded by this storm. I saw footage on the news and it looks crazy. They also said that people in Seattle are urged to stay home if they can. Stay warm and safe, kyounge1956!!

Many of the main roads are salted and sanded. Nevertheless buses are getting stick even downtown on the flats, and most of the hilly routes are cancelled. I have a set of city crampons that fit my boots, so I can walk around safely on the ice, and everything I need is walking distance. Today I would like to go out to north city though, I'll have to check if the buses I need are running.

Here in central Seattle it has been kind of festive, for those who don't have to drive anywhere. Wenesday I walked down to Seattle U. The students were sledding on those steep hills, and making snowmen and snow forts.

That evening I went out for wine and tapas with someone from my former building who happens to live just down the street from me now. She has been off work from snow emergency all but one day this week.

The tapas place was mobbed to where we had to wait a little while to get a table.

Ha

[grasshopper]

They didn't use salt on the roads in Washington, when I lived there in the 90's One of the reasons my old Dodge truck is still rust free, that and 15 years in Arizona.

Quote:

Originally Posted by haha Many of the main roads are salted and sanded. Nevertheless buses are getting stick even downtown on the flats, and most of the hilly routes are cancelled. I have a set of city crampons that fit my boots, so I can walk around safely on the ice, and everything I need is walking distance. Today I would like to go out to north city though, I'll have to check if the buses I need are running. Here in central Seattle it has been kind of festive, for those who don't have to drive anywhere. Wenesday I walked down to Seattle U. The students were sledding on those steep hills, and making snowmen and snow forts. That evening I went out for wine and tapas with someone from my former building who happens to live just down the street from me now. She has been off work from snow emergency all but one day this week. The tapas place was mobbed to where we had to wait a little while to get a table. Ha

[haha]

Quote:

Originally Posted by grasshopper They didn't use salt on the roads in Washington, when I lived there in the 90's One of the reasons my old Dodge truck is still rust free, that and 15 years in Arizona.

Yes. But former Mayor Greg Nickels lost his job after refusing to salt Seattle streets in the long lasting snow of Dec 2008. Nothing went anywhere for almost 2 weeks, and that was too much for many. So this time, even "Bicycle Mike" McGinn saw the writing on the wall, and down went the salt.

Since I am mainly a pedestrian, I prefer that everything be packed snow, then when I cross a street there are almost no cars, and my crampons bite cleanly.

2008:
Local News | Seattle refuses to use salt; roads "snow packed" by design | Seattle Times Newspaper

2012:
Mayor McGinn » City Preparing for Winter 2010-2011: SDOT to keep streets clear using salt, salt brine pretreatments and technological upgrades

Ha

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by haha Yes. But former Mayor Greg Nickels lost his job after refusing to salt Seattle street in the long lasting snow of Dec 2008. Nothing went anywhere for almost 2 weeks, and that was too much for many. So this time, even "Bicycle Mike McGinn" saw the writing on the wall, and down went the salt. Ha

A lot of places in the midwest are using this beet juice stuff in place of or to augment salt.

Beet Juice Salt | Ice Melt Headquarters | Beet Juice Salt | Snow and Ice Melter

I guess it's a waste product from sugar beets, I need to read up. But supposedly environmentally friendly. We see the streaks from the sprayers on the roads near us, hard to say how well it works, but I guess the tests are positive.

-ERD50

[Chuckanut]

I remember the snow of 2008. For two weeks the trash was not picked up, the private package delivery companies did not deliver, repair people did not get out to fix things, etc. However, one organization did make its daily rounds and only missed ONE DAY. The United States Postal Service! Somehow they got the mail delivered almost every day when everybody else cancelled and waited for the snow to melt.

[ziggy29]

Cold front tomorrow! It's only going to reach 65º according to the current forecast.

It got up to 86º here today and there were bees flying all over flowering weeds around the place this afternoon.

You heard me. Bees. Flowers. In January.

[Nuiloa]

It's been snowing and cold here in Vancouver all week. To be fair, there's very little snow but it only takes a couple of flakes to panic everyone. Freezing rain today.

I'm taking it philosophically. This is my last winter in Canada - at least until senility really sets in.

As of June 1st, every day will be a Saturday and every month will be July!

[kyounge1956]

The long awaited warm front appears to be moving in. This evening I went over to my mom's house for dinner, stay overnight, play cards, and pick up car, possibly with a side trip to take my aunt to the airport for her (already twice-postponed) flight home. There is a bus that goes within two blocks of my mom's house, but I waited for it for 45 minutes downtown and it never showed, so I took a bus that doesn't get that close and walked the last 3/4 to a mile from there. This was about 6 Friday evening. The main roads were bare and wet but the sidewalks were still full of snow, ice and/or slush, depending on how steep, how traveled etc. My car is parked only one flat block off a main street, but that one block was a rutted, slushy mess when I came by on my way from the bus stop. We'll see how far I get once I pull away from the curb It's been raining pretty steadily all evening and I think the temperature is supposed to stay above freezing all night. If it keeps that up until morning, maybe by the time I leave there won't be a problem.

[beowulf]

I'm sorry to hear about all the bad weather in the Pacific Northwest. Here in Phoenix it has been in the 40's at night, going into the 60's during the day. Maybe some rain next week - otherwise it's been bone dry. A lot better than the 115 in the Summers.

[Khan]

Last night: sleet/ice/snow; not too bad by late morning.
Daffodils on south side of house showed up about Christmas; daffodils on east side, 18 Jan.
Roses putting out spring growth.

[NW-Bound]

Just read the latest post of my favorite musician RV full-timer blogger, who was passing through New Orleans and could only spend 3 hours there before having to leave because of the humidity. Whoa! In the middle of the winter? He just came from the coast of Alabama and Mississippi, and he had no problems there.

So, I looked up the weather info, and sure enough the temperature was 71F, but the humidity was 100%. Whoa! I think I will stay with the dry heat of the southwest.

We have been to NO once, and it was in spring, I thought. I do not remember it being so bad.

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW-Bound Just read the latest post of my favorite musician RV full-timer blogger, who was passing through New Orleans and could only spend 3 hours there before having to leave because of the humidity. Whoa! In the middle of the winter? He just came from the coast of Alabama and Mississippi, and he had no problems there. So, I looked up the weather info, and sure enough the temperature was 71F, but the humidity was 100%. Whoa! I think I will stay with the dry heat of the southwest. We have been to NO once, and it was in spring, I thought. I do not remember it being so bad.

New Orleans really is extremely humid much of the time, and when there is no breeze the humidity can be oppressive. Personally I love the humidity here because it is good for my skin. When I lived in low humidity places like San Diego, even with a humidifier my skin would crack and bleed, and I was so dependent on chapstick. My skin feels great here, supple and relatively elastic, with none of those problems. This is hard to understand given that essentially all buildings and vehicles are well air conditioned, but it is the case.

I think it is uncomfortable to do physical work outside here. I don't mow the lawn any more or work hard outside in this humidity, and luckily, I don't have to. It is easy to overdo in our heat and humidity. When I did mow my lawn (until my late 50's), I usually would mow for 15 minutes and then rest inside in the air conditioning until I was cooled off, then repeat. Although there are plenty of runners and walkers who exercise outside here, I only exercise at the gym or inside at home. That's due as much to the crime situation as to the humidity, though.

[bbbamI]

It's raining....1.28 inches so far. Might get two or three more inches by tomorrow night.

It's supposed to storm in the morning. I look forward to more rain, but I have an early dental appointment. I don't want the lights to go out when the dentist is drilling my tooth.

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bbbamI It's raining....1.28 inches so far. Might get two or three more inches by tomorrow night. It's supposed to storm in the morning. I look forward to more rain, but I have an early dental appointment. I don't want the lights to go out when the dentist is drilling my tooth.

I would be worried too! But realistically it probably won't happen, and even if it does I'm sure he will know what to do.

Rain is still a good thing for your part of Texas, right? I hope so, and hope that you don't have tornados or flooding.

[bbbamI]

Quote:

Originally Posted by W2R I would be worried too! But realistically it probably won't happen, and even if it does I'm sure he will know what to do. Rain is still a good thing for your part of Texas, right? I hope so, and hope that you don't have tornados or flooding.

I hope he does! It seems like every time I go to the dentist, the weather gets weird.

Oh yes...we need the rain. I think the last time I read an article about our area; we were 26 inches below where we should be. We've got a lot of catching up to do.

[Walt34]

We've been lucky so far. Two little snowfalls, and neither amounted to much, both gone in a couple of days.

But it's not even February yet and that's usually when the hammer falls.

[ls99]

Balmy + 40 F in SW PA.

OTOH glad I am not in Fairbanks or Tanana.

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - Temperatures fall to 50 below in Fairbanks small air carriers cancel flights