Vancouver, Washington (March 22nd 2012) – “Many cities across Western Oregon and Southwest Washington are setting all-time cold and snowfall records for this late in the season. Since Tuesday night, the Willamette Valley has been blanketed with anywhere from 2″ to 9″ of snow from Vancouver, WA. south to Eugene, Oregon.
Since Tuesday evening, many all-time March snowfall and temperature records have been broken up and down the Willamette Valley at airport locations. Portland, Salem, Eugene and Vancouver, WA. airports all set new coldest daytime high temperature records on Wednesday in addition to setting new all-time records for the heaviest snowfall this late in the season. Eugene, Oregon easily broke their maximum daily precipitation record for Wednesday with 1.92 inches with equated to a record setting 7.5″ of snowfall on Wednesday.”
“The Portland International Airport recorded 0.5″ of snowfall overnight last night which sets a new all-time record for that location. March 22nd 2012 will now go down in the record books as the latest measurable snowfall in Portland Airport history. The period of record at the Portland airport is 1940-2012.
The previous latest snowfall on record for the Portland airport was set on March 15th 1946. The excellent staff at the Portland office of the National Weather Service have reviewed daily records that previously indicated both March 20th 1995 and March 25th 1965 as the latest dates for measurable snowfall in Portland.
These reports were in fact hail, not snow! Hail was often reported under the snow column on the record sheets. Looking even further back, downtown Portland records indicate that as much as 5″ of snow fell in the first week of April in 1936. Records in downtown Portland date back to 1872. It is hard to believe that spring break is just 24 hours away for Oregon students.”
###
Image added by Anthony – source: http://www.nohrsc.noaa.gov/nsa/index.html?year=2012&month=3&day=22&units=e®ion=Northwest
Info/PR from: Steve Pierce President, Oregon Chapter of the American Meteorological Society
Oregon AMS web site: http://www.ametsoc.org/chapters/oregon/
E-mail: stevejpierce at comcast.net Phone: 503-504-2075
Here’s the official NWS record:
=================
RERPQR
RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OREGON
840 AM PDT THU MAR 22 2012
...RECORD SETTING LATE SNOW EVENT FOR MUCH OF WILLAMETTE AND LOWER
COLUMBIA RIVER VALLEY AREA OVER THE LAST 36 HOURS...
A FRONT STALLED OVER SOUTH LANE AND NORTH DOUGLAS COUNTY TUESDAY
NIGHT...THEN LIFTED NORTH A BIT BEFORE HEADING EAST OF THE
CASCADES. HEAVY PRECIPITATION FELL ACROSS THE REGION...BUT NORTH OF
THE FRONT SNOW LEVELS WERE VERY LOW...WITH HEAVY SNOW THE RESULT IN
THE SOUTH AND CENTRAL VALLEY YESTERDAY...AND THE CENTRAL AND NORTH
WILLAMETTE VALLEY INTO CLARK COUNTY OVERNIGHT. HEAVY SNOW ALSO FELL
IN THE CASCADES DURING THIS TIME PERIOD...WITH 1 TO 3 FEET OF SNOW
OVER THE HIGHER CASCADES.
WITH THE HEAVY WET SNOW...MANY AREAS HAVE EXPERIENCED DOWNED POWER
LINES RESULTING IN SCATTERED POWER OUTAGES. IN ADDITION...MANY TREE
BRANCHES HAVE BEEN BROKEN BY THE WEIGHT OF THE WET SNOW. THIS EVENT
WILL BE ONE THAT LOCAL RESIDENTS WILL NOT SOON FORGET.
=============================================================
ACROSS CITY OF PORTLAND... 0.5 TO 3 INCHES...BUT 3 TO 7 INCHES
OVER THE HIGHER HILLS OF THE METRO AREA.
AT PORTLAND NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE (NEAR THE AIRPORT)...
*** STORM TOTAL.... 0.5 INCH OF SNOW
THIS IS A RECORD LATEST MEASURED SNOWFALL AT THE AIRPORT.
** 2012 MARCH 22 0.5 INCH *** NEW RECORD ***
1946 MARCH 15 0.5 INCH PREVIOUS RECORD
RECORDS SHOW 0.4 INCH IN 1995 AND 0.3 INCH IN 1965...BUT BOTH OF
THESE EVENTS WERE SMALL HAIL ACCUMULATIONS.
HERE IS HOW IT COMPARES TO OTHER LATE SEASON SNOW EVENTS
(WITH STORM TOTALS).
** 2012 MARCH 21-22 0.5 INCHES
1950 MARCH 10 0.8 INCH
1951 MARCH 3-10 12.9 INCHES
1956 MARCH 5 1.8 INCHES
1960 MARCH 2-3 2.6 INCHES
1989 MARCH 1-2 2.0 INCHES
OF NOTE... DOWNTOWN PORTLAND HAS RECEIVED MEASURABLE SNOW IN
APRIL...WITH THE LARGEST EVENT OCCURRING IN 1936 WHEN 5.2 INCHES
FELL ON APRIL 1...WITH THAT STORM TOTAL OF 6.8 INCHES (MARCH 28
THROUGH APRIL 1). THE LATEST THAT DOWNTOWN HAS RECEIVED MEASURABLE
SNOW WAS APRIL 14 1924...WHEN 0.1 INCH OF SNOW FELL IN DOWNTOWN
PORTLAND.
ON AVERAGE...PORTLAND AIRPORT RECEIVES 0.2 INCH OF SNOW IN MARCH.
SNOWFALL RECORDS AT THE AIRPORT DATE BACK TO 1940. DOWNTOWN RECORDS
DATE BACK TO 1872.
=============================================================
CITY OF EUGENE... 6 TO 10 INCHES...HEAVIEST IN SOUTH HILLS.
AT THE EUGENE AIRPORT...
*** STORM TOTAL.... 7.5 INCHES OF SNOW
THIS IS THE BIGGEST SNOWSTORM TO STRIKE THE EUGENE AREA THIS LATE
IN THE WINTER SEASON. HERE IS HOW IT COMPARES TO OTHER RECORD LATE
SNOWFALLS OF THE WINTER SEASON (WITH STORM TOTALS).
** 2012 MARCH 20-21 7.5 INCHES
1951 MARCH 5-7 7.6 INCHES
1916 MARCH 3-4 13.7 INCHES
HOWEVER...IT IS NOT THE LATEST MEASURED SNOWFALL. THE LATEST
MEASURABLE SNOWFALL OF THE WINTER SEASON AT THE EUGENE AIRPORT...
1911 APRIL 13 0.3 INCH
ON AVERAGE...EUGENE RECEIVES 0.5 INCH OF SNOW IN MARCH.
RECORDS FOR EUGENE DATE BACK TO 1892.
=============================================================
AROUND THE CITY OF SALEM... 2 TO 7 INCHES OF SNOW FELL...
WITH THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS ON THE HILLS IN SOUTH SALEM.
AT THE SALEM AIRPORT...
**** STORM TOTAL.... 2.5 INCHES OF SNOW
THIS IS THE BIGGEST SNOWSTORM TO STRIKE SALEM THIS LATE IN
THE WINTER SEASON. HERE IS HOW IT COMPARES TO OTHER RECORD
LATE SNOWFALLS OF THE WINTER SEASON (WITH STORM TOTALS).
** 2012 MARCH 21-22 2.5 INCHES
1951 MARCH 5-9 9.6 INCHES
1960 MARCH 3-4 8.5 INCHES
BUT THIS IS NOT THE LATEST MEASURED SNOWFALL. THE LATEST
MEASURABLE SNOW EVENTS OF THE WINTER SEASON AT SALEM AIRPORT...
1920 MARCH 31 1.5 INCHES
ON AVERAGE...SALEM RECEIVES 0.3 INCH OF SNOW IN MARCH.
RECORDS FOR SALEM DATE BACK TO 1892.
===============================================================
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Do you have any idea how large the natural temperature range is for most states the U.S.?
For example March in Colorado:
Normal high temps in the month of March range from 50-58 deg F, all time record high for the month 84 degrees on 3/26/1971. Record low max temperature 6 deg F set in 1920 and 1948.
Normal low temps for the month ranges from 22 to 30 deg F, All time record low -11 degrees on 3/28/1886.
That gives us a total temperature envelope of 95 deg F for the month of march. The all time record low is 33 deg F below the typical low temperatures, the record high is 26 degrees F above the typical high range.
During periods where the jet stream loops high over the mid-continental U.S. and allows warm air to intrude far north, 2/3 or more of the country can have above average temperatures (ie your high number or record highs). By the same token, when the Jet stream loops in the other direction the entire eastern 2/3 of the country can be plunged into arctic temperatures during a spring cold out break.
I’ve seen high temperatures of 79 deg F in December, and we have had record low temps of 42 deg F on July 4th here. The same applies for most any part of the country you care to examine the weather records for.
The only thing unusual about the high temperatures is you have not seen enough weather to know that this sort of thing happens all the time.
Larry
The earth has been cooling since 1998. So I suppose record high temps—a thing that always happens whether the earth is in a cooling or a warming trend—are the only thing some global warming believers have to cling to as their boat goes down.
I didn’t see them talking much about ice covered citrus fruit in Florida for two years in a row as record cold temperatures were happening across the Northern Hemisphere.
Wife reports that 30 miles south of Portland we had 3 inches of snow last night, with school’s closed and the neighborhood turned into a winter wonderland for children.
I wouldn’t know as I am in Sacramento area visiting the parents and enjoyed a nice 70 degree day.
I had the pleasure of driving from Burns, in the high Oregon desert, to Eugene Wednesday, while the storm was in full progress.
When I left Burns at 10 am, it was in the balmy 40s (Burns got 4″ of snow on Tuesday, all gone by that evening). The SW wind across the desert was really pushing my SUV around.
My wife called me while I was “resting” at the Brothers Oasis to tell me Santiam Pass had been closed by a landslide and two snow related accidents. So, I headed through Bend to Willamette Pass to Cross the Cascades.
What interested me so much about this storm that while Santiam Pass had received about 2 feet of snow by noon Wednesday noon, Willamette Pass, a mere 54 air miles to the south had nothing but rain. It rained just about the entire way from Bend to Eugene.
I guess the amount of “global warming” that falls on the ground depends on what side of the front you’re on. 😉 It was an interesting storm, that’s for sure.
King 5 weather says we may get one little high 50’s spike this Sat, my day off. It better happen, damnit. I’ve been standing in front of my BBQ in flip flops with beer and burger in hand pretending it is warm all freakin winter long! My fantasy is wearing thin!
[SNIP: You’ve been warned before. Site policy requires a valid e-mail address. -REP]
Sorry to change gears on you fine folks but has anyone seen any long term summer predictions due to the current La Nina? Curious as to what summer holds in store. Last thing we need is record breaking heat to pump up the Alarmist crowd. Arkansas has had a very nice mild (but wet) winter! Hope summer is mild as well!
Oh, by the way, I spent the last three winters in Afghanistan. I found all the missing cold from across the US this winter. Apparently the Warmist’s are trying to hide the cold in remote third world locations! It was misreable here!
We’ve had a wonderful, mild winter here in Southern New England. Yesterday was near 70 with lots of people on the beach. Global Warming: What’s to hate?
I am still a little wary, though. I can vividly remember driving in the snow during the Easter Sunday blizzard of 1970.
Anthony Watts writes (in reference to the March heat wave); “’what do I make of it?’ Normal variation. We have NH areas breaking records on both hot and cold, wet and dry, this winter. Planetary business as usual ”
At the conclusion of his analysis “Summer in March: more all-time March temperature records in U.S., Canada” found here: http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/show.html Jeff Masters concludes his analysis by writing: “It is highly unlikely the warmth of the current ‘Summer in March’ heat wave could have occurred unless the climate was warming.”
Anthony, I’d like to see you take on his analysis. Do you agree? why or why not? Do you have a different analysis?
I am also very interested to see Anthony’s take on the Jeff Masters’ analysis of the heat wave. It seems to me that 5 straight days of 80+ temperatures in the middle of March across the northern Midwest is so far outside the range of “normal” climate that it a site dedicated to “puzzling things in nature, science, weather and climate change” would want to evaluate it. You can be fairly certain that with March’s heat wave this will be the warmest winter on record in a good chunk of the USA (and Canada). I don’t see how that is not worth remarking on if you profess to be a climate scientist.
I thought I would add that Masters’ post today describes the March heat wave as “one of North America’s most extraordinary weather events in recorded history. ” I should think that a blog on climate and weather would want to discuss such an event.
http://www.wunderground.com/blog/JeffMasters/comment.html?entrynum=2059
[snip . . thought it was weather vs climate . . what happened? . . kbmod]
About 10 days ago when earlier March records were broken, I stated that if you wanted to forecast this and other “extremes” like droughts in Texas, floods…… just look at weather reports of about 60 years ago. One commenter from the NW said he hoped not because he was born about that time and they apparently had the coldest snowiest weather over a long stretch. While the present stretch still seems to be stretching, just like it did 60 years ago.
The cold should carry on for a while yet. Note that the Norwegian (Nansen Arctic Roos) ice area has crossed the “climatology” curve.
http://arctic-roos.org/observations/satellite-data/sea-ice/observation_images/ssmi1_ice_area.png
Also the Danish Meteorological Institute graph of ice extent in WUWT’s Sea Ice resource (header above) is the highest in years – also crossing the “line”.
Cryosphere Today is still on the stingy side. NSIDC is set to cross the line but is also on the stingy side.
Who are you going to trust: the Norwegians who have sailed and trudged all over the ice for a few hundred years in both polar regions, or the Universities of Global Warming. edu.