We are actually at roughly the midway level of Northwest winter, and it’s attention-grabbing to guage the place we’re weatherwise.
In distinction to California, which is experiencing the wettest winter in a era…if not longer… a lot of the Northwest has had a muted winter thus far, with the December ice storm being the primary exception.
Let’s begin with the temperature over the previous 60 days ( the distinction from regular, under).
Your complete area was cooler than regular by 0-4F, however jap Washington and components of jap Oregon have been MUCH cooler than regular…by as a lot as 6-8F. Not significantly stunning for a La Nina 12 months.
What concerning the precipitation distinction from regular for the previous 60 days (under)?
A better-in view for Washington of the precipitation distinction from regular for the previous 60 days extra clearly exhibits the dry western slopes of the Cascades, whereas the jap slopes are wetter this regular.
Why this sample you ask?
Good query! The reason being that we have now had persistent low strain offshore and better strain inland, leading to offshore-directed easterly circulation. So extra upslope precipitation on the EASTERN aspect of the Cascades however much less precipitation on the western slopes of the Cascades.
For instance the state of affairs, under you will discover the strain averaged for the 60 days ending January eleventh. Excessive-pressure inland (purple), decrease strain offshore (purple).
What about Northwest snowpack? As proven under, the Washington snowpack is almost regular for this time of the 12 months. The identical is true for all of Oregon apart from the southeast aspect, which has far more snow than regular.
At this level, I think the Northwest will proceed this near-normal regime for some time.