Friday certainly fits into the “false spring” category, with full sunshine and temperatures hovering around the 60-degree threshold. However, it was already cold early Friday, with most areas dropping below the freezing point and into the 20s in rural areas. The official low in Vancouver was 33 degrees. Remember to enjoy the warm sunshine and blue skies on Friday as we return to winter weather for the rest of the month.
And now we get into the details of February's last stab at winter. As we reported here earlier in the week, a cold, low-pressure trough originating in the Bering Sea will migrate into the Gulf of Alaska and slide south off the Canadian coast. The coldest air will remain north of Clark County, but we could see snowflakes mixing or falling in the air Monday morning and again Monday night. At this point, I expect any snow cover to only cover the hillsides.
Otherwise, along with the cold rain here in the lowlands, mountains above 2,000 feet will receive heavy snow. On Tuesday, snow levels will reach 4,000 feet late in the day, and moisture will continue to fall. An increase of 3-4 feet is possible next week at ski areas. surprising.
There will be some brief but heavy snowfall in higher coastal areas before snow levels rise. For the rest of next week, heavy rain, combined with high freezing levels and rapid snowmelt, will continue, and many coastal tributaries will reach at least minor flooding.
When March arrives on our doorstep, it's not going to be any better, with a cold and wet system sticking around for a few days. Some forecast charts show a rise in temperature and drought once March begins, so winter could be winding down quickly. I'm sure Mars is ready to roar like a lion on day one, as the old saying goes.
Remember the bubbles in the cup of coffee I shared with you this week? Several readers who emailed me had never cared for their java and noticed bubbles concentrated in the center of the cup on Wednesday. And imagine what? We had a fun weather day on Thursday. Examine your cup today and see if bubbles are scattered or hanging around the rim. This would indicate stormy weather on the horizon.
Take good care of everyone.
