Washington State Patrol trooper Josh Griffith jumps down after talking with a truck driver on Interstate 90 where the pass ahead was closed due to heavy snow near North Bend, Wash. Tuesday. Snow has been falling steadily in various parts of western Washington since the weekend, but meteorologists with the National Weather Service in Seattle said that the biggest snowfall could come on Wednesday. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
I envy all those folks who had Monday off. Not only could you focus on a man who worked to help lead a movement that
forever changed this country, but you could enjoy that absolutely beautiful weather not in a windowless office.
It was 72 degrees at 4:26 p.m. (remember that time…we’ll get back to it), just six degrees shy of the record for that day. Six shy of the record, but 24 degrees above normal.
It was a warm weekend all around, with highs in the 60s and sunny (but ridiculously windy) weather. It was just a fantastic time to be outside, which doesn’t happen all too often in January. If my dog was going to pick any weekend to run off, at least I didn’t have to put shoes on to chase her down. (Stand down…I got her back.)
Then, the bottom
dropped out.
By 7:59 a.m., it was 25 degrees. That’s a 47-degree difference 15.5 hours.
In fact, the maximum temperature today was at 1:51 a.m., when it was 66 degrees. After 2, the winds shifted from the north and the temperature plummeted 20 degrees in an hour. It’s hovered that low since with a brisk north wind driving it down.
When I went to sleep last night, it was still wonderful. The heater hadn’t been on in a long time, wasn’t using the electric blanket and I even had the fan on. (No air conditioning until May. I’m sticking with it.)
Now today, while it’s still sunny, it’s not a day I’d like to spend inside.
And it will get colder tonight. The low is forecast to be 18.
After this weekend, however, the temperatures will start to climb and we can look forward to another lovely weekend, the same pattern we’ve been in for some time now.
But who is not looking forward to a lovely weekend?
Seattle.
BREAKING NEWS! It’s precipitating there. I know, I know. It’s hard to believe.
But, what is strange is that for the next few days, it will be snow.
Because of where Seattle is situated on the Puget Sound and near sea level, massive snow events are rare. But the next few days there will be like Tulsa last year.
Between 5 and 10 inches are currently predicted in the city, which will burden and strain that city. The mountains will have up to 24 inches.
So, to my friends in Seattle and the Pacific Northwest, good luck with that…
Here, it’s looking pretty good as the cycle continues. Warm weekend followed by a weekday rain and cool down.
Hey, at least the cycle has the dreary days during the week, amirite?!
--Jerry Wofford
