This data is from observations,
not opinions, hearsay or someone's blog, or some political hogwash.
The area where these measurments have taken place for the last 19
years is open to observation by any scientist or weather observer
who wishes to see the area. The measurments have taken place in the
same spots for 19 years as of this March, 2024. (We started in
March of 2005 while still in college at the University of
Washington). Furthermore, for the past 7 years the measurments made
by us here using 2 commercial rain guages (non electronic) have
been compared to a Davis Vantage Vue commercial electronic weather
station. Our data is within 8 percent of the Davis weather station
data for measurments in the "clearing".
The author of this webpage is the person
taking these measurements and making these observations. This
person:
- has a Bachelor of Arts degree in environmental science from the
University of Washington (Class of 2006);
and, along with other activites, has
spent the past 44 years observing changes in forests in Washington
state
Update, November 21 2012: In the past 4
days there has been 3.89 inches of rainfall at this location in the
"clearing"; in the "forest" there has been 2.41 inches of rainfall.
Trees and forests do make a huge difference!!!!.
Update, May 13, 2015: For the past 16
months, the totals in the tables below have been compared to the
totals from a commercial rain guage which is a Davis Vantage Vue.
The totals from our original rain gauges described below are within
5 percent of the Davis Vantage Vue totals.
See the totals here.
Update, October 6, 2016: Taking into
account some inaccuracy in measurments, the average (mean) total
yearly rainfall at this location over the past 10 years is 43.771
inches per calendar year(January 1 through December 31) in the
"clearing". In the "forest", the average (mean) yearly totall
rainfall is 21.573 inches per calendar year. These measurments have
been taken in the same physical location with the same measurment
containers the entire 10 years. The measurements in the clearing
have been compared to a commercial weather instrument, located in
the same clearing within 25 feet of the original measurment
container, for the past 2 and a half years, see above link.
Update, June 22, 2020: Taking into account
some inaccuracy in measurments, the average (mean) total yearly
rainfall at this location over the past 15 years is 44.07 inches
per calendar year(January 1 through December 31) in the "clearing".
In the "forest", the average (mean) yearly totall rainfall is 21.59
inches per calendar year. These measurments have been taken in the
same physical location with the same measurment containers the
entire 15 years. The measurements in the clearing have been
compared to a commercial weather instrument, located in the same
clearing within 25 feet of the original measurment container, for
the past 6 years. Measurements are within plus or minus 5 percent
of each measurment system.
Update, July 7, 2024: In the past 4 years 3
large hemlock trees have died and had to be cut down. Record heat
and lack of rain, and pests are to blame. Now, a huge fir tree is
dying here and must be cut down because it is a danger to human
life and property. This tree is over 100 years old, as are most of
the other fir and hemlock trees here. It was very healthy for the
first 95 years of its life. The same conditions that have caused
the hemlock trees to die have caused this tree to die (we have had
a professional arborist here to check this out). Climate
change?
| PRECIPITATION in 2005:
monthly totals |
|
January and February had
no measurable rainfall)
|
| March: 2.5 inches |
| April: 4.25 inches |
| May: 5.80 inches |
| June: 7.3625 inches |
| July: .795 inches |
| August: .810 inches |
| September: 1.715 inches |
| October: 2.0 inches |
| November: 8.8765 inches |
| December: 9.159 inches |
|
| Total: 43.268 inches |
|
| PRECIPITATION in 2006: monthly totals |
|
| Clearing |
Forest |
| January: 14.6250 inches |
January: 4.1487 inches |
| February: 3.785 inches |
February: .8438 inches |
| March: 3.8438 inches |
March: 1.8000 inches |
| April: 3.7575 inches |
April: .8437 inches |
| May: 4.2375 inches |
May: 1.54525 inches |
| June: 3.625 inches |
June: .675 inches |
| July: .2 inches |
July: 0 inches |
| August: .8220 inches |
August: .3750 inches |
| September: 3.28 inches |
September: 1.217 inches |
| October: 3.155 inches |
October: 1.4063 inches |
| November: 12.0862 inches |
November: 6.4048 inches |
| December: 8.975 inches |
December: 4.875 inches |
|
| Total: 62.392 inches |
Total: 24.1346 inches |
|
| PRECIPITATION in 2007: monthly totals |
|
| Clearing |
Forest |
| January: 4.375 inches |
January: 2.765 inches |
| February: 2.6688 inches |
February: .2475 inches |
| March: 5.875 inches |
March: 2.3013 inches |
| April: 2.45 inches |
April: .7175 inches |
| May: 2.84 inches |
May: .775 inches |
| June: 3.6988 inches |
June: 1.463 inches |
| July: 1.8375 inches |
July: .76 inches |
| August: 1.985 inches |
August: 1.475 inches |
| September: 1.630 inches |
September: .413 inches |
| October: 2.5408 inches |
October: 1.3175 inches |
| November: 3.367 inches |
November: 1.38 inches |
| December: 7.157 inches |
December: 5.36 inches |
|
| Total: 40.349 inches |
Total: 19.179 inches |
|
| PRECIPITATION in 2008: monthly totals |
|
| Clearing |
Forest |
| January: 4.675 inches |
January: 2.19 inches |
| February: 2.085 inches |
February: 1.099 inches |
| March: 4.765 inches |
March: 2.076 inches |
| April: 3.925 inches |
April: 3.05 inches |
| May: 1.705 inches |
May: .496 inches |
| June: 3.26 inches |
June: 2.576 inches |
| July: .66 inches |
July: .32 inches |
| August: 2.04 inches |
August: 1.00 inches |
| September: .875 inches |
September: .380 inches |
| October: 2.165 inches |
October: 1.206 inches |
| November: 6.70 inches |
November: 4.99 inches |
| December: 5.62 inches |
December: 2.55 inches |
|
| Total : 38.455 inches |
Total : 21.933 inches |
|
| PRECIPITATION in 2009: monthly totals |
|
| Clearing |
Forest |
January: 3.12 inches
|
January: 1.98 inches |
February: 1.44 inches
|
February: .40 inches |
March: 4.33 inches
|
March: 1.765 inches |
April: 2.96 inches
|
April: 1.825 inches |
| May: 3.600 inches |
May: 1.68 inches |
| June: .69 inches |
June: .36 inches |
| July: .25 inches |
July: . 0 inches |
| August: 1.25 inches |
August: .58 inches |
| September: 2.73 inches |
September: 1.01 inches |
| October: 7.03 inches |
October: 5.53 inches |
| November: 8.035 inches |
November: 3.91inches |
| December: 2.11 inches |
December: 1.15 inches |
|
| Total: 37.55 inches |
Total: 20.19 inches |
|
| PRECIPITATION in 2010: monthly totals |
|
| Clearing |
Forest |
January: 5.495 inches
|
January: 2.138 inches |
February: 3.23 inches
|
February: .975 inches |
March: 3.35 inches
|
March: 1.45 inches |
April: 3.4 inches
|
April: 1.3 inches |
| May: 5.10 inches |
May: 2.06 inches |
| June: 4.50 inches |
June: 1.61 inches |
| July: .25 inches |
July: . 0 inches |
| August: 1.95 inches |
August: 1.15 inches |
| September: 3.66 inches |
September: 1.88 inches |
| October: 2.63 inches |
October: .86 inches |
| November: 4.93 inches |
November: 2.62 inches |
As of December 8:
1.5 inches |
As of December 8:
.82inches |
As of December 10:
2.75 inches |
As of December 10:
1.095inches |
As of December 12:
5.25 inches |
As of December 12:
3.425inches |
As of December 14:
5.70 inches |
As of December 14:
3.685inches |
As of December 21:
6.15 inches |
As of December 21:
3.785inches |
| December: 7.71 inches |
December: 4.295inches |
|
Total for 2010:
46.175 inches |
Total for 2010:
20.338 inches |
|
| PRECIPITATION in 2011: monthly totals |
|
| Clearing |
Forest |
January: 5.21 inches
|
January: 3.15 inches |
February: 4.26 inches
|
February 2.43inches |
March: 7.815 inches
(1.76 inches in the 48hrs
before the 15th)
|
March: 3.455 inches |
April: 4.79 inches
|
April: 2.31 inches |
May: 4.86 inches
1 inch. 12 hours. May 2.
|
May: 2.435 inches |
June: 3.28 inches
|
June: 1.52 inches |
July: .95 inches
|
July: .05 inches |
August: 0 inches
|
August: 0 inches |
September: .9 inches
|
September: .23 inches |
October: 3.30 inches
|
October: 1.17 inches |
November: 5.56 inches
|
November: 2.71 inches |
December: .7 inches
|
December: .4 inches |
|
Total (for 2011) :
41.625 inches |
Total (for 2011) :
19.86 inches |
|
| PRECIPITATION in 2012: monthly totals |
|
| Clearing |
Forest |
January: 4.75 inches
|
January: 2.50 inches |
February: 4.95 inches
|
February: 2.76 inches |
March: 5.67 inches
|
March: 2.805 inches |
April: 2.31 inches
|
April: 1.735 inches |
May: 3.255 inches
|
May: 1.18 inches |
June: 5.2 inches
|
June: 3.05 inches |
July: 1.45 inches
|
July: .5 inches |
August: 0 inches
|
August: 0 inches |
September: .6 inches
|
September: trace |
October: 7.10 inches
|
October: 3.05 inches |
November: 6.26inches
|
November: 3.46 inches |
December: 9.93 inches
|
December: 6.26 inches |
|
Total (for 2012) :
51.475 inches |
Total (for 2012) :
27.30 inches |
|
| PRECIPITATION in 2013: monthly totals |
|
| Clearing |
Forest |
January: 5.525 inches
|
January: 3.24 inches |
February: 1.95 inches
|
February: .46 inches |
March: 4.00 inches
|
March: 1.765 inches |
April: 4.96 inches
|
April: 2.31 inches |
May: 1.76 inches
|
May: .31 inches |
June: 3.3 inches
|
June: 1.49 inches |
July: .75 inches
|
July: .12 inches |
August: .65 inches
|
August: 0 inches |
September: 4.15
inches
(record high amount)
|
September: 2.1
inches
(record high amount) |
October: 1.98
inches
(record low amount)
|
October:
.12
(record low amount) |
November: 3.10
inches
(record low amount)
|
November: 1.00
inches
(record low amount) |
December: 2.49
includes 3 inches of melted snow from Dec. 19
|
December: 1.26 inches
includes melted trace of snow from Dec. 19 |
|
Total (for 2013) :
34.615 inches (record low total) |
Total (for 2013) :
14.975 inches (record low total) |
|
| PRECIPITATION in 2014: monthly totals |
|
| Clearing |
Forest |
January: 4.135 inches
|
January: 1.99 inches
|
February: 3.74 inches
|
February: 2.26 inches
|
As of March 20: 8.13 inches
|
As of March 20: 4.895 inches
|
As of March 27: 8.71 inches
|
As of March 27: 4.995 inches
|
March (total): 9.71 inches
|
March (total): 5.315 inches
|
April: 3.565 inches
|
April: 1.43 inches
|
May: 2.25 inches
|
May: .95 inches
|
June : 2.59 inches
|
June: .70 inches
|
July: 1.36 inches
|
July: .70 inches
|
August: 1.13 inches
|
August: .41 inches
|
September: 4.01 inches
|
September: 1.97 inches
|
As of October 21: 2.605 inches
|
As of October 21: .96 inches
|
As of October 22: 3.705 inches
|
As of October 22: 1.57 inches
|
As of October 23: 4.215 inches
|
As of October 23: 1.800 inches
|
As of October 26: 5.075 inches
|
As of October 26: 2.120 inches
|
As of October 31: 7.325 inches
|
As of October 31: 3.380 inches
|
As of Nov 7: 1.83 inches
|
As of Nov 7: 1.27 inches
|
As of Nov 17: 2.44 inches
|
As of Nov 17: .97 inches
|
As of Nov 23: 4.17 inches
|
As of Nov 23: 2.12 inches
|
Nov: 5.48 inches
|
Nov: 2.89 inches
|
As of Dec 20: 3.71 inches
|
As of Dec 20: 1.380 inches
|
Dec: 7.02 inches
|
Dec: 3.370 inches
|
|
Total (for 2014):
52.135 inches |
Total (for 2014):
26.985 inches |
|
| PRECIPITATION in 2015: monthly totals |
|
| Clearing |
Forest |
January: 3.130 inches
|
January: 1.45 inches
|
As of Feb. 5: 1.25 inches
|
As of Feb. 5: .52 inches
|
As of Feb. 6: 1.96 inches
|
As of Feb. 6: .76 inches
|
As of Feb. 7: 2.79 inches
|
As of Feb. 7: 1.22 inches
|
As of Feb. 12: 3.69 inches
|
As of Feb. 12: 1.61 inches
|
As of Feb. 28: 5.19 inches
|
As of Feb. 28: 2.33inches
|
March: 4.06 inches
|
March: 2.16 inches
|
April: 2.48 inches
|
April: .93 inches
|
May: .89 inches
record low total since 2005
|
May: .19 inches
record low total since 2005
|
June: 1.00 inches
|
June: .41 inches
|
July: .81 inches
|
July: .28 inches
|
As of August 31: 1.78 inches
|
As of August 31: .45 inches
|
September 1.55 inches
|
September .67 inches
|
October: 3.92 inches
|
October: 1.99 inches
|
November: 8.04 inches
|
November: 4.98 inches
|
December: 10.55 inches
|
December: 5.63 inches
|
|
Total for 2015:
43.20 inches
|
Total for 2015:
20.97 inches
|
|
| PRECIPITATION in 2016: monthly totals |
|
| Clearing |
Forest |
January: 6.48 inches
|
January: 3.67 inches
|
Feb.: 6.50 inches
|
Feb.: 2.95 inches
|
March: 5.68 inches
|
March: 1.97 inches
|
April: 3.41 inches
|
April: 2.10 inches
|
May: 1.5 inches
|
May: .5 inches
|
June: 1.75 inches
|
June: .5 inches
|
July: 1.00 inches
|
July: .5 inches
|
August: 1.1 inches
|
August: .6 inches
|
September: 2.25 inches
|
September: .81 inches
|
Oct: 11.08 inches
|
Oct: 5.63 inches
|
November: 3.75 inches
|
November: 2.15 inches
|
December: 4.18 inches
|
December: 2.00 inches
|
|
Total for 2016:
48.68 inches
|
Total for 2016:
23.38 inches
|
|
| PRECIPITATION in 2017: monthly totals |
|
| Clearing |
Forest |
January: 3.61inches
|
January: 1.8 inches
|
February: 3.50 inches
|
February: 1.85 inches
|
March: 7.86 inches
|
March : 3.68 inches
|
April: 4.89 inches
|
April: 1.7 inches
|
May: 3.10 inches
|
May: 1.48 inches
|
June: 1.2 inches
|
June: .6 inches
|
July: 0 inches
|
July: 0 inches
|
August: .1 inches
|
August: 0 inches
|
September: 1.00 inches
|
September: .45 inches
|
October: 5.11 inches
|
October: 2.7 inches
|
November: 8.18 inches
|
November: 4.41 inches
|
December: 3.35 inches
|
December: 2.6 inches
|
|
Total for 2017:
41.90 inches
|
Total for 2017:
21.27 inches
|
|
| PRECIPITATION in 2018: monthly totals |
|
| Clearing |
Forest |
January: 7.56 inches
|
January: 5.00 inches
|
February: 3.50 inches
|
February: 2.50 inches
|
March: 3.86 inches
|
March : 1.90 inches
|
April: 6.21 inches
|
April: 2.90 inches
|
May: 3.10 inches
|
May: 1.48 inches
|
June: 1.2 inches
|
June: .6 inches
|
July: 0 inches
|
July: 0 inches
|
August: .1 inches
|
August: 0 inches
|
September: 1.00 inches
|
September: .45 inches
|
October: 5.11 inches
|
October: 2.7 inches
|
November: 8.18 inches
|
November: 4.41 inches
|
December: 3.35 inches
|
December: 2.6 inches
|
|
Total for 2018:
41.17 inches
|
Total for 2018:
24.64 inches
|
|
| PRECIPITATION in 2019: monthly totals |
|
| Clearing |
Forest |
January: 1.6 inches
|
January: .2 inches
|
February 2.4 inches
|
February: 1.8 inches
|
March: 1.7 inches
|
March: .9 inches
|
April: 4.15 inches
|
April: 1.65 inches
|
May: 5.00 inches
|
May: 1.0 inches
|
June: .8 inches
|
June: .2 inches
|
July: 1.5 inches
|
July: .5 inches
|
August: 1.18 inches
|
August: .5 inches
|
September: 6.03 inches
|
September: 2.80 inches
|
October: 3.7 inches
|
October: 1.8 inches
|
November: 3.05 inches
|
November: 1.6 inches
|
December: 7.2 inches
|
as of December 21: 3.5 inches
|
|
Total for 2019:
38.31 inches
|
Total for 2019:
17.09 inches
|
|
| PRECIPITATION in 2020: monthly totals |
|
| Clearing |
Forest |
January: 7.50 inches
|
January: 3.15 inches
|
February 5.88 inches
|
February: 3.8 inches
|
March: 3.77 inches
|
March: 1.7 inches
|
April: 2.72 inches
|
April: 1.4 inches
|
May: 5.25 inches
|
May: 2.04 inches
|
June: 4.24 inches
|
June: 1.95 inches
|
July: .74 inches
|
July: .21 inches
|
August: 1.17 inches
|
August: .6 inches
|
September: 3.88 inches
|
September: 2.00 inches
|
October: 6.54 inches
|
October: 3.1 inches
|
November 5.75 inches
|
November 2.8 inches
|
December: 7.10 inches
|
December: 3.41 inches
|
|
Total for 2020:
54.5inches
|
Total for 2020:
26.16 inches
|
|
| PRECIPITATION in 2021: monthly totals |
|
| Clearing |
Forest |
January: 8.73 inches
|
January: 3.85 inches
|
February 4.82 inches
|
February: 2.12 inches
|
March: 3.40 inches
|
March: 1.7 inches
|
April: 1.61 inches
|
April: .7 inches
|
May: 2.25 inches
|
May: 1.04 inches
|
June: 2.70 inches
|
June: 1.20 inches
|
July: .03 inches
|
July: .0 inches
|
August: .8 inches
|
August: .35 inches
|
September: 4.01 inches
|
September: 2.20 inches
|
October: 4.15inches
|
October: 2.5 inches
|
November 8.59 inches
|
November 4.00 inches
|
December: 6.06 inches
|
December: 3.21 inches
|
|
Total for 2021:
47.24 inches
|
Total for 2021:
23.80 inches
|
|
| PRECIPITATION in 2022: monthly totals |
|
| Clearing |
Forest |
January: 3.10 inches
|
January: 1.8 inches
|
February 7.02 inches
|
February: 3.9 inches
|
March: 5.65 inches
|
March: 3.8 inches
|
April: 2.65 inches
|
April: 1.8 inches
|
May: 5.75 inches
|
May: 3.9 inches
|
June: 4.55 inches
|
June: 2.98 inches
|
July: .44 inches
|
July: .2 inches
|
August: .0 inches
|
August: .0 inches
|
September: .11 inches
|
September: .03 inches
|
October: 3.97 inches
|
October: 2.00 inches
|
November 5.34 inches
|
November 2.5 inches
|
December: 8.70 inches
|
December: 4.95 inches
|
|
Total for 2022:
49.55 inches
|
Total for 2022:
28.92 inches
|
|
| PRECIPITATION in 2023: monthly totals |
|
| Clearing |
Forest |
January: 5.47 inches
|
January: 2.7 inches
|
February 3.14 inches
|
February: 1.6 inches
|
March: 3.47 inches
|
March: 1.8 inches
|
April: 4.00 inches
|
April: 2.10 inches
|
May: 1.27 inches
|
May: .8 inches
|
June: 2.35inches
|
June: 1.2 inches
|
July: .30 inches
|
July: 0 inches
|
August: .63 inches
|
August: .05 inches
|
September: 4.82 inches
|
September: 2.2 inches
|
October: 3.29 inches
|
October: 1.8 inches
|
November: 5.40 inches
|
November: 2.73 inches
|
December: 9.09 inches
|
December 4.5 inches
|
|
Total for 2023:
43.28 inches
|
Total for 2023:
23.25 inches
|
|
| PRECIPITATION in 2024: monthly totals |
|
| Clearing |
Forest |
January: 6.13 inches
|
January: 3.15 inches
|
February 3.26 inches
|
February: 1.8 inches
|
March: 3.30 inches
|
March: 1.7 inches
|
April: 3.04 inches
|
April: 1.7 inches
|
May: 3.55 inches
|
May: 2.65 inches
|
June: 3.19 inches
|
June: 1.75 inches
|
July: .01 inches
|
July: .00 inches
|
August: 3.27 inches
|
August: 1.90 inches
|
|
Summaries of yearly weather and information about the records on
this web page:
These measurments are taken in an area about 30 miles northeast of
Seattle, Washington; near the foothills of the Cascade mountains.
(Latitude 47.847996° Longitude -122.150403°) This area is
forested but the measurments in "the clearing" are taken in an area
approximately .35 acres with trees surrounding. There are also
measurements taken in "the forest". "The forest" is an area that
includes second growth fir, and hemlock trees approximately 95
years old from approximately 35 feet tall to approximately 85 feet
tall and some big leaf maples about 50 feet tall. The container is
in an area with 50% cover in the
winter - the area is typical of what is found in healthy second
growth forests in the Pacific Northwest. The containers have
straight sides, flat bottoms. This puts the surface area to volume
ratio at 1 to 1 (with the exception of the calibrated devices) in
other words if an inch of water is measured inside the container,
it will represent an inch of precipitation that has fallen on the
ground ( rain guage info )¹.
Accuracy of measurements: plus or minus five percent of the actual
rainfall; precision plus or minus .0150 inches. In the totals,
anything over 4 places to the right of the decimal is rounded.
Here, a trace of rain refers to the condition where rain
fell, but not enough to be accurately measured. ( less than .015
inches ). The containers are checked in the morning, precipitation
is measured and then the containers are emptied.Note:
The amounts listed for each date represent the
amount of rain 24 hours prior to the measurment During
periods of fog the containers are not emptied until the fog lifts
permanently.
This site is useful for demonstrating the difference between
rainfall in the forest and outside of the forest, and for getting a
general idea about rainfall. No entries for dates indicate no
measurable rainfall.
Please note: There are differences in
the amount of rainfall in different areas within this observation
area. Here is a more
detailed look at the records.
Since the rainfall here (in and around the forested area) has
virtually no impervious surfaces to deal with and there is a
normally dense covering of forest understory plants and there are
many large fir trees present; the effect of precipitation is
completely different than it would be in a city with roads,
buildings, parking lots, thousands of vehicles and modified
terrain, or in a clearcut (logged) area where the vegetation has
been removed and the topsoil compacted by heavy equipment. In both
of these situations, the city and the clearcut, water from
precipitation runs off rapidly and can (and does) cause massive
destruction. There is no measurable runoff anywhere in the forest
beyond a pre-existing winter flowing creek, with the exception of
the roof of the house that is here. The water from that structure
does not stay on the surface more than 8 hours; there is enough
topsoil and herbage to absorb all of that runoff. The measurments
made in another area in the county will be different but the water
in another area is not absorbed by this soil. The purpose of this
information is to reinforce the suggestion that measurements made
here are relevant here and will show the difference between what
happens in a forest compared to what happens in areas cleared of
trees, or locations with large areas of impervious surfaces that
are not forested.
This site should not be interpreted as an authoritative source for
quantitative precipitation records in the Pacific Northwest area in
general; but as a reasonably accurate indication of what happens to
rainfall in a forested area; and as a record of the frequency of
rainfall periods and general seasonal weather conditions in this
location. Also this website will hopefully act as yet another
starting place for finding answers to important questions such
as:
What difference does it make whether or not forests (collections of
trees and the associated native plants) are converted into shopping
malls and residential housing areas?
Do we really need forests?
Yes, we do. This study, published in 2008,
explains how "turpenes" released from pine trees, actually
help form clouds above forests. The overall effect is a cooling
of the climate. Cut down more trees and the place gets
hotter.
See the news article here
Are housing developments, cities, and shopping malls more important
than having forests undisturbed?
To help answer these questions this site can provide some
information. First, note that almost twice as much rain reaches the
ground in the clearing compared to in the forest, and even less
snow. If 1 inch of rain falls; only 1/2 inch reaches the ground. On
1 acre of land this amounts to 13,576 gallons of water held in the
trees - the same as a 15 by 30 foot swimming pool full of water 4
feet deep. 1 acre is 43,560 square feet, multiply that by .5 inches
which is 1/24 th of a foot or .014666 and you get 1815 cubic feet.
there are 7.48 gallons per cubic foot multiply that by 1815 cubic
feet and you get 13,576.2 gallons. That's just for 1 inch of rain
falling on the forested area with less than 1/2 inch actually
reaching the ground. Where does that other half inch of rain water
go? Does it just vanish?, no of course not. The records here
strongly suggest that the trees are somehow holding back thousands
of gallons of water from hitting the ground. This area averages 40
inches a year, and there are some areas in this state that average
over 80 inches a year. Also, there is no measurable loss of topsoil
from runoff in the forest.
1 References:
From www.weather.gov
https://www.weather.gov/iwx/coop_8inch
More scientific information about rain guages can be found here:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/rain-gauge
About the Author of
this page
David:
Back to detailed summary
of rainfall.
Summary of the weather here in
2024
Spring was wet and cool with several sunny warm days. The summer
has been warm, so far, as of July 7. Temps in the upper 70's and
mid 80's. Winter last year and this year was cold; down below 15
degrees; and there was about 12 inches of snow. Rainfall so far is
near average for this area. Some high wind but no major storms here
at this location. Other areas did get some very high winds and some
damage.
The forest is still quite damp, but humidity levels are low and
the area is drying out quickly. There are forest fires burning now
in Washington state, but no smoke or fires close by here - yet.
There is a very, very large fir tree here that is dying from the
top down. The arborist that looked at it confirmed my worst fears:
excessive heat and dry weather has stressed many of the fir trees
here in the pacific northwest. This stressed condition allows
viruses and insects to destroy the tree by destroying the root
system and the folaige.
So far, for August 24, we have had 2.50 inches of rain in the past 3
days. Temps are in the mid 50s. Very heavy rainfall at times. Prior
to this time, August was hot and dry. Temps averaged in the mid 80s
daytime and mid 60's night time. Lots of rain in the mountains
which is somewhat easing the forest fire danger.
Summary of the weather here in
2023
The summer was hot and dry. Forest fires all over the pacific
northwest, particularly in areas of recent logging where dry
conditions were extremely severe because of no forest canopy to
keep moisture in. Winter was cold. No severe wind storms. So far
this year, rainfall has been below average. This made the dry
conditions worse this year compared to others when more rainfall
occured.
Summary of the weather here in
2022
January, February, March, April, and May were cooler than "normal".
Not much snow, some wind but no severe storms. Lots of rain, and
lots of clouds. Very little sun and a very depressing time. May had
record rainfall. We have had several days in the 70's, but mostly
dismal grey rainy weather. July, August and September were very dry
and hot. The Bolt creek fire spread smoke and ash all over Western
Washington. The smoke was very heavy and toxic to people. Had to
stay inside. October was dry to start, then cold and rainy. The
forest was very dry here. Extreme fire hazard.
November, and December have been colder than average. As of
December 22 a total of about 12 inches of snow has fallen in
November and December. As of December 22, the forecast is for more
snow and an ice storm also. The low temp here was 11.5 deg f the
morning of Dec. 22. Brutal summer, and Brutal winter also. The "ice
storm" did not happen, however some ice did form, but nothing
destructive at this location. There was some wind but nothing
destructive here. In other areas areas nearby, the wind was quite
severe and many trees down and damage resulted.
Summary of the weather here in
2021
Winter was not severe. Some snow. Not much wind. Temps were near
average. Rainfall was above average. March and April were cool and
wet. May and June were warm and wet. May had 4 days in the low 80s.
So far, June has been warm. Today, June 5, very heavy rain and
clouds. Cool temps in low 50s. As of today, June 13, lots more
rain. This has been an excellent year for the garden. Rain, then sun; rain
then sun. Mild temps. T storms possible in a few days, according to
weather forecast.
Record heat here: The last week in
June we had temps in the 100s. On June 28th, the temp went to 104.2
here. An all time record in recorded history. This was horrific
heat, humidity was up to a max of 93 percent. Other areas here had
near 110 degrees. Trees were literally burned from the heat. All
around can be seen fir trees with the ends of their branches
burned. Ferns were burned, leaves on the salmonberry bushes were
burned, some bushed killed from the horrific heat. No huge fires in
this area. July and August were hot and dry. Temp hit 91 degrees
August 12. Heavy rain in September. Over 3 inches in 48 hours. Over
4 inches total for the month of September.
Summary of the weather here in
2020:
January and February were cold with some snow. Some wind, but no
big storms. Rainfall was above average for this location. March,
April and so far, May have brought above average rainfall and some
very warm sunny weather. The Covid19 virus pandemic has been raging
for 3 months. The first case in the U.S. was here in Washington
state about 10 miles from this location. We've been in lockdown for
3 months now. Our political leadership was totally unprepaired for
this. The rain may have helped slow things down, but that remains
to be determined. The salmon berry blossoms are more numerous this
year than any time I can remember. June, July, a August have been
hot and dry. Smoke from fires in Oregon, California, and Eastern
Washington have made air quality hazardous here.
September: About the second week in September the weather
changed, and slowly winds and rain caused the smoke to subside and
now aqi is excellent (about 10 or so). We are due for heavy winds
tomorrow, and might see power outages and some large branches down.
Covid 19 is still here. Masks are required in all indoor public
areas in this state. People here locally are decent about wearing
masks. Not so in other parts of the country. So far our nation is
doing terrible; the worst in the entire world. Over 200,000
fatalites due to the virus, and in many people's opinions, the
worst leadership we've ever had in the history of our country, are
to blame. I mention this here on this site because it is a national
catastrophe; the kind of which we have not seen in nearly 100
years. Weather may have an effect on virus cases increasing,
because outdoor locations do not appear to be as hazardous for
virus spread and indoor locations. Foul weather means more indoor
interactions.
November: As of November 1st, most Big leaf maples still had
more than half their leaves. It is now November 18, 2020. Covid 19
is still with us and increasing. Testing is also increasing,
however, and at about the same rate. The weather has turned cold,
windy, and rain is heavy at times, this reduces outdoor activity,
which then increases indoor activity. Rain total here at this
location is at 43.19 inches; which is above the "average" for this
time period.
We've had thunderstorms, hail, and some below freezing weather so
far. No snow on the ground yet here at 585 foot elevation.
All the leaves except those on the Hazelnut tree, have fallen now,
as of Nov. 18, and the salmonberry bushes still have leaves. There
have been several moderate wind events here; nothing serious and no
structual damage but one power outage lasting several hours. The
most recent wind carried wind advisories for 45 mph gusts. We came
close to that here.
December:As of the 21st all leaves have fallen. On the 21st
we have had 1.85 inches so far today. Very heavy rain and wind. The
power went out briefly. The temperature is dropping rapidly. There
may be snow and rain this evening. Hopefully no ice storm, but it
sure looks like that may happen. The temp has dropped 15 degrees in
the past 3 hours.
Summary of the weather here in
2019:
January, February, and March brought the worst winter in at least
20 years. There was 22 inches of snow here in 3 days, which then
turned to ice. the 4 wheel drive truck got stuck in the driveway.
Not much wind, but lots of damage from the snow. The rainfall has
been "normal" so far. The temperatures have been normal as of July
21. The garden is doing well. We have lots of hemlock trees that
are dying because of infestation from non-native organisms and
warmer drier temps here for the past 10 years. The combination of
warmer weather, infestation, modified rainfall patterns (we have
been getting rain all at once rather than over long periods of
time) and excessive shade from larger trees has caused at least 15
percent of the hemlock trees here to die. The surface well still
had 30 inches of water the first week of june. Lots of rain in
September and 3 big thunderstorms. Two lightning strikes within .1
miles of this location. The rain in September was super heavy and
in Everett, Wa. several city streets were actually flooded and
impassible by car. People were in boats. Last week of September on
the cool side upper 30s at night. No big wind - yet. Some wind in
november, below freezing for about 1 week in late October. As of
December 18, the hazelnut tree still had green leaves on it. We had
5.25 inches of rain the past 2 days December 21. Some flooding
locally and regionally.
Summary of the weather here in
2018:
January, February, March and April have been colder than average by
approximately 12 degrees, but the maximum low has not been as low as to
be expected. Not much sunshine and it has been a grey dark rainy
spring.
As of April 16 The leaves have not started showing on the
vine maples yet. The big leaf maples are just getting their
blossoms now (as of April 16). The trilliums have been out for
about a week now. The salmon berry blossoms have been out for
nearly 2 weeks. The elderberry bushes are getting leaves but no
blossoms yet.
There have not been any severe wind storms but lots of wind at the
"advisory" level. Some nearly "high wind warning" gusts. One tree
fell - made a huge noise - have not located it yet. This winter
brought snow, but not much accumulation. Total of approximately 6
inches. Saw the first bumble bees last week when there were two
warm days with sunshine.
Summary of the weather here in
2017:
JanuaryThe first three weeks of January were much colder
than average. For nearly 3 weeks the average temp was 32 deg F.
Everything froze solid.
FebruaryThere were several warm days in the upper 50's but
for the most part February has been cooler and wetter than average.
There have not been any major wind storms . . . yet.
March colder and wetter than usual. Some high wind (40 mph)
but nothing destructive. A huge piece of a big leaf maple (approx.
15 inches in diameter) was snapped off. some frost in early March.
The last week of March, the indian plum (Oemleria cerasiformis, or
Osoberry) leaves were fully out and the blossoms were out also.
April The first week of this month salmon berry blossoms out
and some leaves. As of the 22nd the big leaf maple blossoms are
out; no leaves yet. Salmonberry leaves are out not fully, but
nearly. Salmon berry blossoms are out. Elderberry blossoms and
leaves are out in full now. The elderberry blossoms started last
week. The vine maple leaves and blossoms are just starting, still
mostly not out. The hazelnut tree had leaves and blossoms the first
of this month. Alder leaves not out yet. The trees here are
somewhat behind others that are not in the forested areas. Precip
has been above average for the month.
May The first two weeks of this month were colder than
"normal". The leaves are nearly totally out on all trees now (as of
May 16). There has been wind but not severe. The salmonberries are
forming now, and the thimble berries blossoms are out and starting
to form berries. The trilliums showed up on time at the beginning
of April. Precip has been considerably more than average.
June, July, August, September, October This summer was
warmer than average with temps in the 90s quite often. Very dry.
less than two tenths of an inch of rain from mid June to late
september. As of October 15, the big leaf maples leaves have not
changed color. The vine maples are turning bright red. No wind
storms here, but lots of fires in Washington state, Canada, Oregon.
No large fires here locally, but in other areas lots of fires and
damage. Today, Oct. 15, bright sun and 56 degrees. This coming week
big rain and wind due in.
Summary of the weather here in
2016:
January was about average in temps and rainfall. Some below
freezing temps. Some wind and lots of branches blown down, but
nothing catastrophic. One small dead tree was blown down at this
location. February has been mild so far. Temperatures have been
slightly above average. Slightly above average rainfall and not
much heavy wind. As of April 30, there have been several days in
the upper 80's the past 3 weeks. As of May 1, we are headed for
more weather in the upper 80's. All the trees are now fully leaved
out. There have been several windstorms this past winter that have
done much damage here. The tops of two fir trees were blown off.
Several large alders have been blown down. One large hemlock tree
(2.5 feet in diameter at ground level) has been dislodged and is
leaning at about 15 degrees off vertical. There have been an
unusually large amount of fir tree branches blown down this year. A
large amount of foxglove has shown up this year in the garden.
From May to August the weather has been very nice. Not too
hot but lots of sunshine.
September The first 3 weeks were also quite sunny and warm,
but nothing above average. From that point on, the weather has been
cooler than average and the precipitation has been slightly below
normal.
October has started out cooler than "normal" and average
rainfall. All that is about to change, according to the forcast.
Wind and heavy rain are in store for us.
The weekend of the 14th, 15th, and 16th was windy but no
damage. There was supposed to be a windstorm simialar to the
Columbus day storm but the low pressure system broke up as it hit
the coast. We were really, really lucky. If that storm had hit here
full strength, there would have been hurricane-like damage in the
Seattle area. This place would have likely sustained major
damage.
October 27 About half of the leaves have fallen. Some still
green here. Filberts, and Elderberry bushes still green. Mint still
growing.
The week of the 24th, we found a cantrelle mushroom on the trial at
the south west corner of the property. The first one we've seen
there in 40 years.
NovemberWas fairly average, slighlty warmer than
"normal".
DecemberThe first part of December was fairly normal. The
last two weeks were cold. The last week of December was below
freezing the whole week the temps got down in the 20's.
surface well / winter creek:
The winter creek has been flowing off and on since January 1. The
flow rate has been moderate. The surface well has been full since
January 1.
The surface well went dry the first week of July.
As of October 16, the surface well was full. Record rainfall has
occured this October.
Summary of the weather here in
2015:
January was warmer than average with a couple of windstorms
passing through. Winds of about 40 mph. One of them blew down two
fir trees; the largest being about 30 inches in diameter at the
bottom and about 100 feet tall. Rainfall was about average. No
significant snowfall.
February so far (as of Feb 7) has been warmer than average
with some wind but nothing damaging, winds about 40 mph. Rainfall
has been heavy at times. Some of the vine maples have buds showing
now. The blueberry plants also have buds showing. Last night (Feb
6) the frogs were making noise, this is somewhat early for that to
be happening. The Narcissus have emerged as of Feb. 1.
The entire month of February was warmer than average. The first
five days of March have seen "normal" temperatures and no
measurable rainfall. Due to the warmer temps in February, snow has
melted in the mountains and the snowpack is way below average. The
ski resorts have not had a good year. Water could be an issue for
some people this summer if the weather gets hot.
March, and April Both these months were warmer and drier
than "normal". Spring weather arrived about 4 weeks early.
Salmonberry, blackberry, thimbleberry, and blueberry blossoms were
about 2 weeks early here.
May, and June Both these months were warmer and drier than
"normal". June was hot and dry with temps in the 80's often. On the
morning of the 19th about .02 of an inch of rain fell as drizzle.
Things are getting dried out here. The big leaf maples have
unusually large numbers of seeds this year, making the trees look
as if the leaves are turing brown. The vegetable garden is doing
really well, however.
July The first week of July has been hot. High 80's to low
90's. Water is becomeing an issue here. Drought has been declared
througout the state. All of July has been hot: mid 80's to low 90s.
Clear and sunny all month with only 2 days of rainfall and
clouds.
As of August 15 Sunny and warm mid 80's to low 90's every
day with the exception of the 13th, and 14th when we had .99 inches
of rainfall and thunderstorms. Today at 7:00 am the temp is 57
degrees F. A half inch of rain fell here in 20 minutes on August
14. From the 18th to the 24th fires in eastern washington caused
haze to form. Clouds and haze for most of the time.
This past saturday, August 29th, there was a strong wind storm
here. Some places had 65 mph gusts. With all the leaves still on
the deciduous trees, there was lots of damage, many trees down and
the power was out for several days here. A large alder tree (18
inch diameter) was snapped in half and blown to the ground not far
from the house. More damage elsewhere. In my entire life here,
66 years, I've never seen this kind of weather in August in the
Puget sound lowlands.
September 5 The first days of September have been cool. Some
sun and some rain. Last night the temp got down to 42 degrees F.
And yesterday was the first day that it really felt cold. The temps
were in the 50s and mostly cloudy skies. In the past 2 weeks there
has been slightly over 2 inches of rainfall here; enough to end the
dangerously dry conditions on this side of of the cascades. The
outside humidity is now up to 95 percent.
October 6 October started out with some rain and fairly
warm. 60's. The vine maple trees are very colorful this year here
at this location and elsewhere. The big leaf maple leaves are just
now starting to change color. The vine maples were first this year.
This summer was very hot and very dry. One of our big leaf maple
trees looks as if it won't make it. Not enough rain this year. Some
significant rain is forcast for the next 10 days.
November 14 November precip has been near average so far.
Temps have been slightly above average. A moderately strong
windstorm came through Starting on the 11th. It lasted through the
morning of the 13th. One tree fell. Power was out for several
seconds. Most of the leaves on the big leaf maples have fallen.
Some of the vine maples still have bright yellow leaves. The
hazelnut tree in the front of the house still has green leaves and
none have changed color or fallen. The stump from the big leaf
maple has produced a large bush of green leaves in the past month.
They are still there and not changing color. The last bell pepper
was harvested yesterday. The pepper had started to ripen in this
weather. Throughout the month of October we were still harvesting
cucumbers.
November 18 A major windstorm, along with lots of rain (0.8
inches), came through yesterday. 40 to 50 mph with gusts higher.
The power was out here for about 8 hours. About 250,000 without
power in our area. One person was killed in Monroe, wa. when a tree
fell on their car. The wind came from the south west for most of
the day, and then, at about 4:30 pm switched within several minutes
and was from the north west and even stronger. Freezing weather is
on the way, with some light snow forecast next Tuesday.
November 29 Below freezing temps at night have occured for
the past week. Mostly clear and sunny days.
The filbert tree in front of the house still has mostly green
leaves.November 19, 2015
The big leaf maple still has green leaves. November 19, 2015
surface well / winter creek:
The winter creek has been flowing off and on since January 1. The
flow rate has been moderate. The surface well has been full since
January 1. As of May 1, the well water was down about 3.5 feet from
the ground surface.
The surface well went dry on June 16.
As of November 18, the surface well is full, within 3 inches of the
surface of the surrounding terrain.
Summary of the weather here in
2014:
This has been a very cold winter. Some snow; about 4 inches so far.
Some wind but no destroying wind. February has brought very cold
temps, the low was 13.5 deg F. . The first 2 weeks of February were
below freezing most of the time day and night. Three big storms
came through right after the cold. The wind was 35 to 40 mph here
with each storm, the third being the most powerful. There have been
several very nice warm (50 degree) days. Temperatures listed
after April 29, 2014 are taken from a Davis Vantage Vue weather
station. May was warm and fairly dry towards the end of the
month. The first week in June was very warm and sunny - upper 60's
to upper 70's.
surface well / winter creek:
As of February 14, 2014; the winter creek is flowing at
about 50 - 60 gallons per minute; 3 feet (maximum) wide and 4
inches deep maximum (moving very slowly makes no sound).
As of February 14, 2014; The surface well is full and
supplying water.
As of March 5, 2014; the winter creek is flowing at about
375 gallons per minute (six 55 gallon barrels would easily fill in
less than 60 seconds). It is 4.5 feet wide and 4.5 inches deep at
the center, and flowing at 1 foot per second (moving very rapidly
can be heard splashing from 20 feet away). There is no foam or visable
discoloration to the water, it is crystal clear. These flow rates
are very conservative estimates. The actual body of water is about
9 feet wide, but some of that water is not flowing as fast and sits
in slow moving pools at the side.
As of May 20; the surface well has about 6 feet of water in
it.
As of June 5, 2014; the surface well has about 14 inches of
water in it. The pump is not able to bring water up from that
depth.
As of June 24, 2014; the surface well has about 4 feet of
water in it.
The surface well was dry from July 4 to October 31.
As of October 31, the surface well has about 10 inches of
water at the bottom. Not useable yet.
As of November 7, the surface well has about 8 feet of
water. 10 inches below the surface. It took 7 days for the water
table to rise 7 feet at that location.
As of December 26, The winter creek has been running off and
on for the past 4 weeks. As of today the creek is flowing at about
200 gallons per minute and the water is crystal clear.
end surface well / winter creek
March 20, 2014:The first Daffodil (Narcissus) Was blooming.
The Elderberry leaves have started to emerge, as have some of the
salmonberry leaves. The first trillum has broken through the ground
and produced leaves. No blossoms yet. Maple seeds are sprouting
double leaves. The frogs emerged a week ago.
On April 30 at 2:28 pm the temperature got up to 80 degrees
F. and then on May 1 the temperature got up to 86 degrees. At the
same time on May 1, in Las Vegas Nevada at the McCarran
International Airport, the temperature was 84.6 degrees F. .
On July 23 Rainfall total in 9 hours was 1.1 inches in the
clearing, and .56 inches in the forest.
The first week in August saw temps in the mid 90's.
September 7, 2014: The big leaf maples' leaves have just
begun to start changing color. The entire month of August was very
sunny and warm. The first week of September was sunny and warm,
with several days of heavy rainfall. The heavy rain fall days were
immediately followed by continued sunny warm weather. Yesterday,
Sept 6, was in the low 80's. Today is forcast to be about the same.
This has been a very nice summer. Every thing in the garden is
doing very well. The tomato plants have actually produced fruit
here in the partial sunshine of the forest, they are still green,
but plentiful.
September 24, 2014: 1 inch of rain fell in 14 hours here the
night of the 23rd / morning of the 24th. Daytime temps in the
60's.
September 25, 2014: 1/2 inch of rain fell here at 7:40 am in
15 minutes. By 9:00 am the total was .67 inches. All the gutters
were overwhelmed. The whole yard, where there were paths and no
vegetation, was about 1/2 inch deep in standing water for about 45
minutes. The forested area had no problem absorbing the water and
it was as if there was only a mist or drizzle.
October 15, 2014: The leaves are changing color now and
beginning to fall to the ground. They are about 35 percent into the
fall change. Some trees show only a few changing leaves, and others
show many. The first wintery day was today. Rain, and wind. Wind at
about 20 mph max., so far as of 14:00 hrs.
October 19, 2014: Today it got up to 70 degrees F. Breeze
and sunshine. Very nice. Leaves 50% changed.
October 22, 2014: Today in the past 14 hours we have had
1.100 inches of rain. Some wind last night blew down a large maple
trunk onto the sheds and severely damaged two roof sructures.
November 17, 2014: For the past week, the temperature as
been below freezing in the 20's at night each night. Clear and
sunny however. There was a wind storm that blew very large branches
down here and the temp. at the time was near 30 degrees. Some
places south east of here (Enumclaw area) were without power for 5
days, and the storm was much worse there. Wind speeds here around
30 mph at tree top level(approx 80 feet above ground). 14 mph max
at 9 feet above ground level. This is dense forest, so the wind
speed up in the trees at about 50 feet above ground is much higher.
The leaves are nearly all fallen now with the exception of salmon
berry leaves, and some of the vine maple leaves. This was an early
cold spell that has caused the remaining leaves on the hazlenut
trees, and the salmonberry bushes to curl up and dry up.There are
still a few leaves left on the big leaf maple trees.
November 28, 2014Lots of wind for the past 3 days
continuous. No damage but windy. Lots of branches blown down. Snow
due in this evening and tomorrow (the 29th). Nearly all the leaves
have fallen now. A few left on the Hazelnut tree in the front yard.
Heavy rain today. .62 inches in 3 hours.
December 2, 2014For the past 5 days the temperature has been
below freezing with only several hours of 33 to 34 degree highs
during the day. Down to low 20s at night. Today (Dec 2) is the
first day the temp got above 34 degrees during the day. Its been
sunny and clear.There is still snow on the ground here. We got
about 2 inches the at the beginning of the 4th week in
November.
December 20, 2014A strong wind storm occured last week. No
major damage here, but lots of branches blown down, and 1 dead tree
blown over. Winds about 40 mph max. Another one due in tonight, and
snow next week possible. There have been some record breaking warm
days in the 60's this past two weeks. Some of the small maples have
buds emerging.
Summary of the weather here in
2013:
As of Jan. 1 no measurable precip. Temps last night were 26
degrees f. at this location. Sunny today, and some fog in the
Snohomish river valley. Snow is forcast for Wednesday, and Thursday
(the 3rd and 4th of Jan.).
As of Jan. 9, 2.37 inches of rain total.
In the past 12 hours 1.2 inches has fallen.
No snow here yet. Snow is forecast.
On Jan 8 - 9 a moderately strong wind storm passed hrough.
The top wind speed recorded in Snohomish county nearest this
location was 45 mph. One alder tree here (10 inch diameter) was
snapped in half and blown down.
One large fir tree was down across the road on 180th street (about
3 miles south of here).
Jan 10: 1 inch of snow fell last night, temp.: 28 degrees F
here at 0600 PST .
Jan 11: getting colder. 24 degrees F at night, fog and some
sunshine / clearing.
Jan 28: Warmer now - upper 30's to lower 40's. rain, no
snow. Above freezing day and night since Jan 25. From Jan 10 to Jan
24 the temperature was below freezing every night here, down to 20
some nights. The ground was frozen for 2 weeks (14 days).
March 17: So far, this year the weather has been cool, and
much drier than the "average". No major windstorms, but lots of
very blustery days and some high winds - brief power outages, but
only for several minutes each. Today: hail and cool. 3/4 inches of
rain in the past 2 days.
The bleeding hearts are just coming up, and the leaves on the
elderberry bushes are just now showing full on some plants. The
salmonberry leaves are now visible as leaves, but the bushes are
far from filled out. The alder trees' leaves are just beginning to
show as green buds opening.
March 20: Very heavy rain last night, 3/4 of an inch of
rainfall here in the past 12 hours; 1 inch in the past 3 days.
There is a wind advisory for gusts to 45 mph today through early
tonight. We'll see. Some wind now as of 8:42 am pdt. Blustery, but
no power outages and no big trees downed. Some branches downed. One
half-dead maple snapped half-way up.
March 22: Three inches of snow fell here. Very pretty. Most
of it melted off of the trees by evening.
April 2: March 30, 31, were very sunny and warm. March 31st
temps near 70 deg F. here. April 1st was mild and sunny half of the
day, other than these days, mostly cloudy and cool. Drier than
usual. The trilliums are blooming, the salmonberry plants are
blooming. The big leaf maples have buds. Leaves on elderberry
bushes. The frogs can now be heard. The varied thrush whistle can
now be heard echoing through the forest.
We have had several days of 60 degree sunny weather (end of last
week - week of March 11). This winter was not overly cold at any
one point in time , but 20 degree temps lasted basicly through
January, day and night.
The damage created by the ice storm last winter has had a major
effect here: The large fir tree next to the house has started
dropping cracked branches onto the roof. They are huge, 400 pounds
and more each - 5 and 6 inches in diameter - bigger than some
trees. We have had to have the tree's damaged branches removed, as
one branch falling could easly kill someone if they were hit.
April 7: 1.2 inches of rain fell in the past 12 hours; of
that .75 inches occured in less than 5 hours. Most of the leaves on
the salmonberry bushes are out. Big leaf maples are starting to
show blossoms.
surface well: As of June 25, there was 6 feet of water in
the well. 3 weeks ago there was 18 inches of water and I assumed it
was done for the year.
There have been 3 extremely heavy rain events in the past 4 weeks
resulting in 3.9 inches of rain. By July 4 the surface well was
dry.
As of November 4, the surface well is still dry.
As of November 20, there is a depth of about 6 inches of water at
the bottom of the well. Not enough to use.
As of December 1, there is a depth of about 14 inches of water in
the well. The pump brings up water, but not dependable.
As of December 30, there is a depth of about 9 feet of water in the
well, and it is supplyng water to the filters.
end surface well
June 30 2013: Very hot weather yesterday June 29, and today
in the low 90s in town and upper 80s here. The forecast is for more
hot weather through next week.
July, August 2013: Generally warm and dry for most of July
and August. Lots of sunshine and temps consistantly over 70 deg. F.
. As of August 26, the weather is changing. More clouds and less
sun. Rain is in the forcast , but only a trace has fallen here. The
leaves have started to fall and some are changing colors now.
To the north and east in the mountains there have been massive rain
storms that have caused mudslides in the north Cascades.
September 5 2013: The leaves on the maples (big leaf and
vine maples) have just now started to change color; only a few
leaves so far and very subtle.
September rainfall total is a record. 4.15
inches is the most rainfall in September since records started on
this site in back in 2005.
October 2013: This month was mild, not cold but not warm
either. One moderate windstorm, that brought down some branches but
nothing serious. 35 mph wind. Only 1.98 inches of rain for the
entire month in the clearing. Lots of sun. Maple trees very
colorful.
November 2 2013: Significant wind storm due in today. Most
of the leaves on the Big leaf maples have fallen. About half of the
vine maple leaves have fallen. Temp in the 50s, and lower 60's
yesterday.
November 3 2013: Significant wind storm hit this past
weekend. 45 - 55 mph winds here. Power out for 5 hours. No
significant damage at this location, but others had it worse. Big
leaf maple, and vine maple leaves 98 percent gone. Temps in the mid
40s day, low 40's night.
November 19/20: First freezing temps here overnight. Surface
of water in buckets frozen over. Leaves all gone except for some
left on salmonberry bushes.
December 6: Temps have been below freezing every night since
Nov. 20. Record cold temps at SeaTac. Temp. here at 8:00 am pst was
18 deg. F. Snow/ice/freezing rain is forecast for next week. (Note:
Quinhagak, AK at 7:54 pst has a record high temp of 50 degrees, and
rain is in their forecast. The average high for that area in
December is
15 deg F.)
December 20: Since Dec. 6 record low temp here 10 deg. F
with windchill close to 0 deg f. Three inches of snow fell last
night. Temps 29 deg. F. Change to rain and wind is forecast.
This is the driest year (lowest total yearly
rainfall from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31) at this location since we started
keeping records back in 2005 when there was a record dry winter
(2004-2005) with no snowfall in the mountains and the ski resorts
did not open.
Summary of the weather here in
2012:
This year started with very severe weather:
January: Severe snowstorm. Here we had 14 inches of snow and 1/2
inch of ice on top of that. Many trees and hundreds of branches
downed. This was a major weather event. Temperatures in the
20's most of the time. Below freezing weather started the last few
days of December 2011. The snow started Jan 14. By the 15th there
was 7 inches. Over the next 3 days this increased to 14 inches.
Then the freezing rain started and ice built up on the snow. At
least 4 very large trees (30 inch diamter 80 foot tall) were downed
at this location, and hundreds of branches torn off - many were at
least 6 inches in diameter, some larger. One person lost their life
from a falling tree in east King county. Many locations lost over
half of their trees. Power was out for hundreds of thousands of
people for close to a week. Power out here for 3 days, and very
cold. This was a major event. A state of emergency was delcared by
the governor of the state. The total precip. for January was 4.75
inches (including snowmelt).
February has brought some very strong windstorms (50 mph
gusts) and much rain; several large (80 foot tall) trees, damaged
by the ice/snow storm, were blown down. As of Feb. 21: 3.65 inches
of rain has fallen here; 2.25 inches in the last week; and 1.25
inches in the last day. So far, here we have been extremely
fortunate: no major damage to any property or injuries to anyone at
this location.
March and April have been cool with slightly lower
precipitation than "normal", some windy days but no damaging winds
- yet. . . . As of May first, the leaves on the big leaf maples are
just starting to appear as small vine-maple sized leaves. The vine
maple blossoms are out. The big leaf maples blossoms are out. Lots
of salmonberry blossoms this year, more than "usual". The
elderberry blossoms have been out for about a week.
On June 23, there was a storm system that passed
over us. High wind gusts, thunder and heavy rain resulted. There
was an accumulation of .35 inches of rain in 15 minutes. The
water was coming off the roof as if from a small stream overflowing
at each downspout. There has been 4.8 inches of rain total in June
as of the 23rd in the clearing. There is an abundance of
salmonberry fruit this year.
July 9 at approximately 2:45 am: A strong thunderstorm
passed within 2 miles of this location causing .2 inches of rain to
fall in about 4 minutes.
The downpour was thunderous; EXTREMLEY heavy rain. Thunder and
lightning also - very little wind.
The last week in July, and the first week of August have been
moderately warm with considerably overcast skies about half the
time. No rainfall (as of
August 10) since the middle of July. The second week of August has
been sunny and warm, but not hot. Very nice weather. 85 degree F
max here.
Surface well / winter creek:
May 1: The surface well is still providing water as of May 1, and
the winter creek is not flowing.
July 8: The surface well has 6 feet of water in it and is still
producing a good clean flow of water.
As of August 8, The surface well was still Supplying water.
August 9: The surface well has 10 inches of water in it and
not supplying water now. (The pump can't pull the water
up).
November 1: The surface well was dry, even after 7.2 inches of rain
total from October 1 , to Nov 1.
November 4: The surface well has 6 inches of water in it.
November 6: The surface well has 12 inches of water in it, and the
pump is bringing water up, but just barely.
November 18: The surface well has 16 inches of water in it, the
pump is bringing water up.
November 20: The surface well is completely full and the winter
creek is running 3 feet wide and 3 inches deep. In the past 3 days
(70 hours) - just the past 3 days-the total rainfall has been 3.86
inches at this location. A 50 year record was broken at the
Seattle-Tacoma airport for rainfall.
Novemter 29: The surface well is still full, but the winter creek
is not running.
December 17: The surface well is full. The winter creek is running
8 inches deep and 5 feet wide and moving at about 3 feet per
second.
end Surface well / winter creek
October 1: As of today we have had .65 inches of rainfall
here since July 14. September 9th brought .45 inches of rainfall,
and .15 inches fell on the 25th of September. It has been, for the
most part, very dry, sunny and warm for about the past 80 days.
Temps in the 70's. The leaves on the big leaf maples, and the vine
maples, as of today, have just barely started to change color at
this location. In other places trees are changing color. It was a
good year for blackberries, salmon berries, and gardening in
general. No storms yet. . . but, no doubt we will be in for it
soon.
October 31: As of today at 12:00 noon the total rainfall is
7.01 inches. There have been some windy days but nothing
destructiive. The power did go out briefly for just a few moments
on Monday of this week. Leaves on the big leaf maples are changing
and very colorful. Still about 50 percent of the leaves have not
fallen. Temps have been in the upper 50s.
November 7: As of today most of the leaves on the maple
trees have fallen. The weather has been very breezy and windy at
times, but no serious damaging winter wind storms . . . yet.
November 19: As of today all of the leaves on the maple
trees have fallen, with the exception of some of the small ones
under the canopy, and their leaves are still green. The elderberry,
and salmonberry leaves are half gone.
November 19: The total rainfall for November has been 4.56
inches as of Nov 19. In the past 18 hours there has been a total of
1.76 inches of rainfall here and it is still raining moderately.
Some wind, and some very violent sudden gusts lasting 4 or 5
minutes - very powerful. The power was out briefly, but was back on
in minutes.
November 20: Another .4 inches of rain fell last night.
November 21 (6:00 am pst) : Raining now and has been for
most of the night; .7 inches total (since Nov. 20 measurement) as
of 6:12 pst. still raining.
Total for the month of November 5.66 inches (in the clearing). The
chart above will be updated in 3 hours. Ok, now at 9:00 am .03
inches additional precip, for a total of .73 for today the 21st of
November.
November 29: So far, the temps have been "normal" or
slightly above.
Here at this location, the rainfall total to date (nov. 29) this
year: 41.545 inches.
Median (the middle amount between the highest and the lowest) for
the totals to date of the past 7 years for this same date at this
location: 35.44 inches.
The numerical average (in other words, the mean; add them all up
and divide by how many values there are, in this case 7) is 32.89
inches.
December 18: As of 6:00 am pst: temp: 32 degrees F.
snowing/freezing rain and we are expecting more - no accumulation
yet. There was a moderately powerful windstorm (50-60 mph gusts)
yesterday that knocked power out to parts of King county (the
Seattle area). The wind here was not as strong. Lots of rain here:
5.6 inches (in the clearing) so far this month (the chart above
will be updated later).
December 19: As of 5:00 am pst, snow is falling at this
location. 1 inch accumulation. 33 degrees F. More is forcast, then
rain.
December 31: Record rain total for December here (since
2005): 9.93 inches. 27 degree temps on the night of December
30.
Summary of the weather here in
2011:
There was very heavy precipitation in March along with high
winds in February and also for the first two weeks of
March.
typically around 40 mph - 50mph. There was about 1 inch of hail
here on the 15th and very heavy rain along with thunder
and lightning and high winds 35 - 45 mph very gusty. There was 1/2
inch of additional water in the gauge in a little over an hour
on the 15th and on the 14th 1/4 inch of rain fell in less than 15
minutes at this location. In general the last 2 weeks of
February
and the first two weeks of March were very cold very wet and very
windy.
In April, May, and June the weather was cool and wet and
cloudy. The temp did not get over 70 until the middle of June.
The last two weeks of August and the first week of September
were very warm and sunny - low 70's to upper 80's. No measurable
precip in August.
As of October 9, the leaves have not started to change
overall. There are a few starting, but generally, 95 percent of all
the leaves are still green, and still on the trees.
Temperatures the last half of September and the first week of
October have been mild, in the 50's and upper 60's. Some sun and
partly cloudy breezy days, very nice.
As of October 19, the leaves on the big leaf maples and vine
maples have started changing and some are falling. Elsewhere,
around Snohomish and King counties, lots of leaves on are changing
color and very bright. No frost yet, but 40 degree temps at night.
The big storms have yet to start.
Surface well / winter creek The surface well was at 6 feet
deep on June 29 - the water was 3 feet below the surface at the
well pipe and 4 feet below average terrain.
The surface well was at 2 feet deep on August 3; and at 4 inches on
August 19.
As of November 23 the surface well was dry.
As of November 25 the surface well had 1.5 feet of water in it -
not enough to keep up with the pump. In the last 48 hours we have
had 2.87 inches of rain at this location.
As of November 28 the surface well had 7 feet of water in it - A
5.5 foot increase in 3 days with an additional .4 inches of rain
since the 25th of Nov.
The surface well went dry in December and was basically unusable
for the entire month.
As of Dec 17 there was 57 inches of water in the well.
As of Dec 21 there was 54.5 inches of water in the well.
end surface well / winter creek
As of November 25 all but the salmonberry leaves have
completely fallen. We have had 1.5 inches of snow, several days of
below freezing (25 deg. F.) and heavy rain. Some wind (35 mph) but
nothing big . . . yet. The power did go out 2 times but only for a
few minutes.
December was one of the driest on record. .7 inches total
here for the entire month. Not much wind to speak of except for
Christmas day - there was a very strong storm that blew through in
the afternoon. 50 mph winds. The temps were cool and there were
numerous days below freezing, but no unusually cold temps. The
coldest here was 20 degrees F.
Summary of the weather here in
2010:
Mild winter. Not much snow. Cool spring - felt like winter. Below
average temps into September. Several storms blew through, the one
in May being quite strong. 40 mph Wind and rain in this location.
More severe on the coast and towards the south east.
Surface well / winter creek:
The surface well (97 inches deep) went dry on July 9.
The surface well, (97 inches deep) on September 24, had water at
the bottom but not enough to keep up with the pump. On October 2,
more water but still went went slowly and lost its prime.
As of October 29 the surface well was completely dry (visual
inspection)
As of November 7 the surface well had 12 inches of water in it,but
that was not enough to keep it from being sucked dry by the pump.
The rainfall total for November up to the 7th has been 2.1 inches
in the clearing and 1.29 inches in the forest. The total for
September, October and up to November 7 is 8.39 inches in the
clearing and 4.03 inches in the forest.
As of November 21 there was 3 feet of water in the surface well.
Pumping ok.
As of November 30 there was 6 feet 4 inches of water in the surface
well (2 feet 8 inches below the surrounding surface). As the pump
was running at maximum flow, the depth of the water in the well did
not change. (visual observation)
As of December 9 the winter creek was flowing at
50 - 75 gallons per minute. This is a typical maximum winter flow
that has been observed over the past 35 years (the surface well was
full - 9 feet of water). The water flowing is twice as wide as a 5
gallon bucket and 3 inches deep. The flow is sufficient to fill a 5
gallon bucket in less than 5 seconds.
As of December 12 I cannot accurately estimate the
flow of the winter creek. Maybe 2000 gallons per minute. At the
widest it is about 15 feet and about 6 inches deep. At the deepest
about 8 - 9 inches and about 6 feet wide. Enough volume and
velocity to throw a 200 pound adult off balance if they are not
paying attention. At the very least 1 foot per second, probably
closer to 2 feet per second at the point where it is 8 inches deep
this is between 35 and 70 gallons per second. or between 4.5 cf per
sec and 9 cf per second. In gallons per minute 2100 to 4200 gallons
per minute. In 35 years I have only seen the creek close to
this way once.
end surface well / winter creek
the week of July 5. Temperatures were in the low 90's
September 28:Leaves started to change
As of October 17 leaves still mostly green
October 25 windy: about 25-35 mph gusts - right at the point
of being a dangerous situation - but not quite - still I am very
reluctant to venture outside near any of the large Maples or
alders.
By the beginning of November most of the leaves were gone from the
maples; only remaining leaves were on the salmonberry plants, and
the elderberry bushes. By November 23 leaves still on the
elderberry bushes and the freezing weather wilted them.
November 7: warm and partly sunny in the after noon.
Slight trace of rain, not measurable.
November 22: cold and snowing
November 23: very cold 18 degrees
November 24: 9 degrees F low at night
As of November 25: 5 inches of snow total and 31
degrees F
December 8: Record high temp 55 degrees yesterday -
this morning violent thunderstorms wind, and rain 3/4 inch fell
here in 1 hour.
December 13: A violent thunderstorm blew through the
pacific northwest just after the record rainfall. This storm had 70
mph winds in places and here several large trees blew down about
3000 feet to the east. The power was out here and it was very
windy. 40 mph. This was a very fast moving storm, the weather
service reported it moving at about 65 mph through the area. The
lightning was very impressive and other areas in the pacific nw had
it much worse. Also the recent heavy rain caused flooding and
numerous landslides.
December 29: Snow and 32 degrees. About 4 inches fell
here over night. Very local snow accumulation. Extrememly dangerous
drving conditions as the snow is very localized. One inch was
forcast. The roads were a mess here locally. 30 miles south had no
snow at all. Several people in the ditch and as the morning wore
on; more and more unprepared people were in the ditch. Now is the
time to realize that studded tires are a good thing to have. Here
in this part of the country we have hills and lots of them. Its not
like the midwest where everything is flat. People get serioulsy
hurt here because they drive without the proper traction devices.
Yes, studded tires wear out the roads - but What's more important
roads or people's safety? I've driven here for 45 years and I can
tell you studded tires do make a big difference and provide safe
traction in the kind of snow situations we have here. The last days
of December were very cold - down to 15 degrees F at night.
Summary of the weather here in
2009:
Between May 19 and May 20, 1.32 inches of rain fell at this
location. On the 20th .57 inches of rain fell in less than 6 hours
at this location.
surface well
The surface well (9 feet deep) went dry on June 18.
end surface well
Last week in July: all time record high temperatures set.
Here high temp was 105 deg F in the shade. Ten days of over 95
degree temps.
Summary of the weather here in
2008:
December:
On December 13th the high temperature was 30 degrees F. The below
freezing weather lasted through December 31.
Dec 15: 18 deg F
Dec 16: 18 deg F
Dec 17: 34 deg F
Dec 18: 29 deg F
Dec 20: 12 deg F
Dec 24: 32 deg F
There was 3 inches of snow on the 13th, 6 inches on the 19th, and 7
inches on the 21st, and 3 inches on the 24th. The storm on the 24th
brought significant winds and below freezing temps in some areas
(50 plus mph). This was a major storm. Lots of power outages
dangerous driving conditions. The snow resulted in 3.5 inches of
water in the rain gauge (clearing) and 1.5 inches in the forest
rain gauge at the end of December. Total snow depth 16 inches.
Dec. 28 - significant wind 40 mph plus.
end December Oct. 7: 30 mph winds
April 12: record high temp: 82 deg F in the shade
April 15: hail and snow and 39 deg F.
April 18: snow.
March 11: windy - 25 mph.
March 29,30,31: snow 3 inches.
Feb 5 35 mph winds.
Jan 4: major wind storm 40 plus mph winds. 6 and 1/4 inches
of snow for January
Summary of the weather here in
2007:
Dec 24: Total rainfall here so far this
year is 41.245 inches.
Forest rain measure for the same time interval is approx. 19.9
inches.
January 5 2007: A strong windstorm hit at about 10:00 pm and
the power was out for a few hours here.
This was a strong storm with wind gusts at about 50 mph and heavy
rain. The sky cleared at about 2:30 AM as the winds
died down. Another one is on the way for Sunday.
January 9 2007: 40 mph wind gusts today.
January 12 2007: Temp. got down to 17 deg. F. and skies were
clear.
January 24: Sunny and warm 56 deg. F.
October 18: Windstorm - 45 mph winds. Leaves still on trees.
Power was out for several hours, but much longer in other
areas.
October 22: Warm temperatures 68 degrees here. windy 20
mph.
Summary of the weather here in
2006:
precipitation:
Jan 2006 total + Dec 2005 total : 23.784 inches
Jan 2006 total + Dec 2005 total in the forest : 5.4617
inches
Feb 3,4,5 strong windstorm. Winds in excess of 50 mph.
Snapped an 18inch diameter hemlock tree in half
Blew down an 80 foot tall fir tree 30 inches in diameter at
shoulder height
Feb 13/14 snow approx 1/2 inch. Most melted on ground.
March 10 6:00 pm P.S.T. hail/snow 1.6 inches.
Last half of June: dry and hot with several days in excess
of 90 degrees F.
Early in July there was some light mist but not enough to
measure here. Essentially there was only 1 day of measurable
rainfall here in the month of July. The temperature in the
immediate area outside of this small forest got up
to 98 degrees F; (much hotter near pavement and blacktop) but never
got above 90 degrees F here in the forest in the month of July, and
additionally the temperature in the house never got above 82
degrees F.
As of August 28 there has only been 1 day when there was any
measurable precipitation in the month of August. In the past 73
days we have had .21 inches of precipitation. Last year for the
same time period there was .61 inches and it was spread out over
more often occurances so the vegetation did not dry out; and
furthermore on August 29th of last year there was .5 inches of rain
which would bring the total to 1.11 inches which means (unless it
rains tomorrow) there was over five times more rain
last year than now in the same seasonal interval and the
precipitation was more evenly distributed over time last
year.This dry weather is taking its toll on the hemlock and
maple trees here.
August 29 2006: Rain started this morning at 9:15 AM pdt and
by 9:45 AM it was moderate to heavy and steady - what would be
considered normal rainfall by a person familiar with the weather
patterns in this area over the last half-century.
10:30 AM .25 inches of rain since 9:15 AM.
September 10 2006: The first cold morning since the
beginning of summer. 52 degrees F at 07:19 AM pdt in "the
clearing".
September 14 2006: Last year as of this date we had 1.34
inches total; this year we have 1.65 inches total. That is in this
location. More this year than last year. The total for the entire
month of September last year was 1.715 inches.The total up to
this date is 37.31 inches for this year (2006). Last year (2005) up
to this same time the total was 22.8 inches ( Last year (2005) the
winter was the one of the driest on record and virtually no snow
fell in the mountains - most ski areas were closed - no appreciable
rain fell in January or February).
October 29th: precipitation in the form of hail lasted less
than 10 minutes.
November 4: There was an omnious red sunrise among the storm
clouds this am along with brisk wind (about 15 mph gusts). The wind
has been picking up steadily nothing serious yet... 3 storms on the
way according to weather service. Temps near 60 deg F past 2
days.
November 5,6,7: There has been
severe flooding in the areas
around major rivers and creeks in the pacific northwest. This
exact location, however, received much less rainfall than those
areas to the south, north or east (3.73 inches since the beginning
of November. It is interesting to note that in the cover of the
forest only 1.81 inches of rain reached the surface - the amount of
water on the ground in the forest was less than half of that in the
open and it was all absorbed and held in the ground because of the
trees and associated understory vegetation). The wind on the 5th
and 6th was heavy: 35 mph gusts. Temperatures in the high 50's.
November 10: The total this month up to today is 5.92 inches
in the clearing and 3.26 inches in the forest. The total last year
at this time: 4.56 inches in the clearing.
November 13: The total this month up to today is 7.7325
inches in the clearing and 4.406 inches in the forest. The total
last year at this time: 5.998 inches in the clearing.
November 15: A strong windstorm came through starting on the
14th and lasting through about 10:00 pm pst on the 15th. Numerous
branches were snapped off but no major damage occured here.
Estimate of highest gusts near the house: about 30-35 mph; at about
75 feet higher - likely closer to 45 mph. Other parts of the
Pacific Northwest had it much worse and there were many downed
trees and some damage to buildings. This was a strong November
weather system with lots of rain and wind.
November 18: Temperature 58 degrees F at 1:00 pm pst. no
rain.
Novemter 19: Temperature 51 degrees F at 10:00 am pst.
rain.
Novemter 28: Temperature 16 degrees F at 8:00 am pst. total
snow fall past 3 days: 8 inches in the clearing
1.2 inches in the forest. More snow reached the ground on the 28th
because the trees were already loaded with
snow. The evening of the 27th traffic was gridlocked for hours in
Snohomish county. EXTREMELY dangerous driving
conditions in this area.
December 14/15: A powerful wind storm occurred with 65-70mph
wind gusts here and over 80 mph in other areas.
This was the third in a series of storm systems that passed through
in the past week bringing heavy winds and rain. It
Left 1.5 million people without electricity. This storm caused
severe damage throughout the entire Pacific Northwest
region of Washington state. The most damaging winds lasted only
about 6 hours but the effects were devastating. A
number of people lost their lives in this weather event due to
falling trees from the heavy winds, carbon monoxide
poisioning from improper use of generators and gas powered portable
stoves, and flooding. This storm was much stronger
than the one that occured in February of this year; it blew down an
80 foot tall fir tree 2.5 feet in diameter, and a
60 foot tall alder tree one foot in diameter that severly damaged 2
buildings on this property; and snapped a 14 inch
diameter 75 foot tall hemlock in half and blew the top half 75 feet
into another building on the property.
Summary of the weather here in
2005:
Over this past year (2004/2005), the winter was drier that most
on record. Virtually no snow fell in the Cascades and the ski
areas were not opened; however this has been a wet spring.
According to records of tree growth, (get records of
drought from tree ring growth records at the NOAA site) it
rains here quite often; and there have been hot dry spells in the
past. The volume of rain is what I am recording here; however it is
also important to consider the time period over which the rain
accumulates. Most of the rainfall usually occurs here in the fall
and winter months. Light rain and mist/fog and/or cloudy conditions
are "normal" in the late spring and summer; not repeated torrential
downpours like what we have seen here since the end of March.
Note that glaciers in the North Cascades have melted considerably
and some have disappeared completely because of a global warming
trend. This is the part to be VERY concered about; if you are one
of those who think global warming is a "myth" or "not a real
problem", you had better take a very close look at this
website: to find out
more from those who study these things from a scientific
standpoint. This condition cannot be made up for by lots of
rain in the summer; although it helps the small areas of forest
locally by supplying much needed water to the vegegation, the
overall larger picture is not that good. So please, do not
misinterpret these records as meaning everything is ok, back to
"normal" and that "mother nature" is somehow making up for the lost
precipitation.
1. The precip measurments consist of that which has accumulated
from the previous day up until 9:00 am on the date of measure and
recording. Because of this, it is possible for the weather to be
listed as clear and sunny on a day when any amout of rain or snow
is recorded.
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