November Statistics

November ended up a very warm month...roughly 4F warmer than normal. Although we had above normal precipitation...this is very deceiving, since much of it occurred over two days. Many of our Nov days had highs near record values and many were above normal (see graph). In fact, lately our minimum temperatures were greater than the normal maxima! The cause? Persistent ridging or high pressure over the eastern Pacific/west coast.
Today most of the region is cloudy (see the visible satellite photo)...and there are some light showers on the windward (western) sides of local mountains. Want sun--head to the eastern slopes of the Cascades.
The high pressure builds AGAIN tomorrow and Thursday--with no precipitation and some sun. Friday will be mostly dry as well..until a warm front approaches late that afternoon and evening...rain should be after dinnertime.
The weekend looks cloudy and wet right now...but we have been so fortunate the past month, no one can complain. Snowpack is very low and there will be no additions in the Cascades at least until this weekend.

What winter?

We continue to run much warmer and drier than normal and this persistent pattern will continue this week.

Yesterday we had very warm air above us, but the fog and low clouds held in sufficiently to prevent temperatures from climbing into the 60s except for a few favored areas (like North Bend, where I was biking yesterday). But still, much of the area got into the mid to upper 50s and only a little morning drizzle to dampen things.
Today the warm air is still around, with a mixture of sun (over Seattle and Olympia) and clouds (along the coast and the western foothills of the Cascades)--check out the latest visible satellite image attached. Looking at this satellite picture, I would think it was June, not December. Lots of low clouds on the coast..and these clouds are moving westward...like a summertime onshore push. On the far western border you can see some higher clouds associated with a Pacific front
This front will cause increasing clouds this afternoon, with rain coming in around dinnertime. Showers tonight, with some hanging on into tomorrow morning...particularly on the mountain slopes.
Later Tuesday into Thursday, ANOTHER ridge of high pressure builds in with more warmer than normal, dry weather. Forget skiing. No significant snow this week.