Feb 17, Sunday afternoon
It has been an excellent weekend, sunny both days - 82 Saturday almost 75 Sunday. A couple of record highs in the county, and a record high low. But now a Special Weather Statement for a cold system from Gulf of Alaska to reach us Tuesday-Thursday. A snippet from the statement - "* Thunderstorms... isolated thunderstorms Tuesday afternoon and
night... with small hail or graupel... gusty winds... and brief heavy
precipitation possible."
Even with the high end of the rain predicted we will still be way short for the month and season. But it will help!
Earlier February -
Is it graupel or no? We are finally getting a bit of rain from the 2 systems sliding down the west coast. Supposed to be a chance for graupel with the rain today and possibly Saturday morning before it all moves on. Just a few moments ago, there was a brief medium-light down pour with some solid precip included. It was too brief and the temps are still too mild for me to get out and retrieve a sample for close exam. maybe hail, maybe graupel.
The rainfall total prediction for this event is not impressive and will not help our growing Feb deficit. We should get around 3" for Feb, so far - less than .1" not counting any for the current storm.
Should be a coldish system, maybe calpoppy gets some snow and decent rain for sp. Looks like no fabulous February so it's all on miracle March.
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And found:
It's Raining Marshmallows? No, it's just 'graupel'
Click on the link above for pictures and the complete article. Here's an excerpt:
But perhaps the most amazing part of the cells was the "weird hail" that accumulated on the ground. It was like little mini snowballs -- described by one as "raining marshmallows" and another as "mini Styrofoam pellets that looks like the fake snow outside Santa's house at the mall."
That's called "graupel." It's basically a soft hail stone, caused when snowflakes fall through super-cooled raindrops (as in water that's gone below 32 degrees but hasn't frozen yet) and makes this cold rain freeze to the flake, turning it into more of a snow ball... or marshmallow....or... Styrofoam pellets.
As Puget said, we're having a drier-than-usual February so far, but I'm tired of the gray. Gray fog. Gray skies. And when the sun does come out, as it has several afternoons, it's hazy-looking and the sky persists in being more gray than blue.
If you happen to see some blue sky, you might post a photo so Puget and I can get a reminder of what it's supposed to look like.
We got quite the downpour on Friday and ultimately received .19".
Our winter sky, we know it's winter cuz no leaves on the tree ;)
Interesting looking fog forming in the valley across from the Park Saturday morning, by the time I decided to stop and take a photo it was not quite the same, but close. I guess you had to be there (at just the right time!).
Hi SBK - We never got a downpour, but by the time Friday was done, we got .24". I kept a watch out for more hail or graupel - did not see any.
Looks like we may be a week or longer from the next rain. If so, we will be about 2/3s through Feb with about 1/3" of rain in stead of the normal 2". Feb could be very dry this year.
Neat pic of the fog.
I had a co-worker who moved to Washington and her friend sent her many pictures of blue skies. She taped them to her window so she can look out and see blue skies.
If I take a picture, I'll post!
**Modify and hour later. Went for a walk and took these just for you!
Hey Karen, yes, looks like really nice by Friday! Nice palm trees.
PSP - Blue skies are coming, even if occasional for a while :)
Local TV is hinting rain by Sunday?? We'll see, hope so.
Something else funny (or sad, I'm not sure which!) - I (mis)read the text on the tee shirt and thought, hmm - December must the rainy-ist month since that's when the festival is. Ha, they should change that to Jan through Dec (more funny)...
Oh yeah, that's what it says. Not sure if that is dyslexia or my mind thinking - it's a festival, they are short, must be Dec to Jan. Logical??
More sun is on the way!
Seemed like a lot more hummingbirds today than for the last month. Not sure if the little hawk is to blame.
Storms a coming, but could not tell by yesterday or today. Maybe graupel Part II.
A kitten yet??
Happy snow week!
Andrea
I'm hoping for snow on the mountain across the river even though it's never happened before.
Hummingbird pics are wonderful, especially that one with the shadow :)
I was just looking out my window at the sycamore tree trying to see which birdy was singing a pretty song. I didn't see it but did see three doves, a woodpecker, and something the size of a hummingbird (but was not) flitting from branch to branch. The singer was out of sight. They all seemed to be showering in the drizzle - cute.
Hope you see some precip since it's going to be cold and gray, anyway.
My sugar usage is still way low - remember the little hawk? But soon the orioles should be back, nice!
sp, SBK, photoandy - I'm getting a little worried maybe this storm is wimping out! Not much more than drizzle so far. Snow down around 2000 feet would make for some cool photos. Speaking of cool, really nice photo of silk moth Andrea!
Also, cold, as advertised.
And that reminds me...
My mother said she read something in the Portland newspaper that said hummers were migrating early this spring. Something about their wintering grounds being warmer than usual and they'll have nothing to eat unless people put their feeders out early. The first Rufous hummers usually arrive at my house around March 15, give or take a few days. Guess I'll dust off my feeders and mix up some sugar-water March 1 this year.
Feb 21 - 3/4s through the month, should be around 2.25" rain, we're at well under 1" - deficit is growing and the next 6 days look like no rain. We could end Feb at around 33% of normal.
SBK - I held off as well, payoff was not great but I'll wait a few more days before watering now.
BC - I am looking at my collection of oriole feeders, will need to prep them up pretty soon. Am looking forward to seeing the migrating hummers come by and mingle with the regulars :)
sp - the local paper headline was Snow Level 1000'. It was cold, but not that cold here. Probably more like 2000-3000', that's still low for us.
Peafowl were looking in the kitchen window this morning, just about scared my slippers off!
Weather was very nice over the weekend (unless you want rain!), no clouds, very dry, and a bit windy Sunday afternoon. Mid 60s for highs, felt much warmer in the sun.
Only 3 more days of Feb left, but zero chance for more rain this month. We should have 3", average of 8 stations in town nets .76" or about 25% of normal for February rain. We will end the month under high pressure influence - low humidity and temps climbing to the 80s by the end of the week.
Here is a bit of bad news if you like rain -
Similar graph -
Still, it's a beautiful warm day today and I won't complain about that :)
Oh, we saw nothing like snow on South Mountain. It may have been cold enough up there but there just wasn't enough water. Various stations here recorded between .1 and .25 inches (very hit-or-miss but I got a nice, albeit brief, downpour or two). There was snow on the high Topa Topas to the north but, of course, that was gone by mid-afternoon. That's what is most bothersome - I checked the Mt Wilson cam the morning after the 'storm' and snow was on the trees but so little that it was clear by evening. If you check the cam at night under a full-ish moon any snow really stands out. Don't bother tonight, though.
Ah, well. Weather must be taken as it comes. I'll take the warmth, lol
And I just have to share this because it seems to fit in with your topic. Last night on the local TV news, the meteorologist started out his forecast like this:
As spring approaches, we start to see days when the sun comes out and the temperature makes it into the upper 50s and sometimes even into the 60s. Well, tomorrow's not going to be like that.
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