pacific northwest- whats with the whining?

[DS]

I have been reading all these posts and articles about how the PAC NW has had no winter. However, just looking at several sites (seattle, bellingham, olympia and a few others), the average temperatures for the Dec-Feb period have been near or slightly above normal. In fact, Feb was below normal in many places. I know that there's been very little snow in the PAC NW, but thats just part of the variability of winter at these latitudes. In fact, here in NC, we were forecasted by virtually everyone to be below normal, and our DEC-FEB averages were 2-4 F above normal. So whats all the fuss about?

[Aslkahuna]

The whining is NOT about the temperatures but about the lack of rain-Seattle is somewhat further north than the Carolinas being about the latitude of Paris (48N) therefore is closer to the main storm track and is used to having far more rain than they have been getting. It's difficult for people in the Eastern US to realize just how important than winter snowfall in the mountains is to us in the West-it's more important to us than Gold because that's our water-the same water that grows crops (like Washington Apples) that feeds you and therein lies the problem. we have an ongoing drought in the West that seems to be progressing north and it has already caused problems in the Interior of the Pac NW (regions that average FAR less rain than SEA and depend upon the winter snowpack) from an agricultural and hydrological standpoint.

Steve

[R-Dub]

Aslkahuna said it perfectly! Our mountains are bare!! Spring runoff is where we get our water, but as it stands now there will be little if any runoff!! I believe this winters snowpack is the lowest in recorded history, scary stuff!!

[snow_wizzard]

There is still time for us to make up a lot of the deficit though! I still bet that when this over, we will have more snow than 1976 - 77. Another very intersting note, is the fact that the summer of 77 had copious amounts of rain in August, so the crisis was cut short. It will get even with us one way or the other.

[TT-SEA]

Snow_Wizzard... you are absolutely correct!!

[Aslkahuna]

Possibly-I wouldn't bet the farm on it though, the coupled sea-air oscillations were in a different mode then.

Steve

[DS]

Hmm. Good points- I didn't give much thought about that

[Garnetcat5]

Without the spring run-off the river level will be too low and the area with lose not only crops $ but $ from fishing. I was just in Oregon and they are dropping the amount of water released by the dam from 700 psi to 400 psi in order to have enough water for the salmon to make it upstream...if they don't spawn the true impact will hit in a couple of years...