99 F Surface Temperature Change in Eight Hours!

Early fall can bring very large daily temperature variations in our area, particularly when it is clear or nearly so.   Nights are getting longer and with clear skies, there is good radiational cooling to space, which allows temperatures to plummet near the surface.  The result is often a strong inversion (temperature increasing with height) in the lower atmosphere, as illustrated by the vertical sounding yesterday (Wed) morning at Spokane, WA.  (see below, in C)

The sun is still fairly strong and clear skies allow maximum warming at the surface.  Furthermore, the atmosphere above the surface is still relatively warm and that warmth mixes down during the day.  As a result, there is often a large diurnal (daily) temperature range during this time of the year.

We can can a feeling for the diurnal variations by looking at Wednesday's high  and low temps.  First the highs.  East of the Cascades and south of Olympia, 80sF were not rare and temperature variations were not huge.

In contrast, the minimum temps, were not only much colder (mainly 40s), but the range was huge, getting down into the 20s in much of eastern Oregon and around Spokane.  It is cold over the high plateau of eastern Oregon, particularly in the valleys

There is an amazing example yesterday (Wednesday) of extreme behavior at a very reliable observation site to the southeast of Spokane (Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge).  Here is a plot of the temperature variations at this site for Tuesday and Wednesday.   Huge daily range, particularly yesterday, when the temperatures rose from the low 20s to the mid 70sF.  Below freezing to shorts weather in only a few hours!  A diurnal range of a bit more than 50F.

Perhaps you are not impressed with this.  No problem.  Now let's consider the change in temperature of the surface soil layer, as shown in the table below (TRNW1 is the identifier for Turnbull and TSFC stands for surface temperature).

 WOW!  The temperature of the surface ranged from 18F at 6 AM (1300 UTC) to 117F at 2 PM (2100 UTC).  99F change!    Just stunning.  From well below freezing to warm enough to cook some food.

Between 8 AM and 10 AM, the temperature rose from 34 to 81F!  You would notice that.  Don't like big temperature variations?  Don't worry...clouds and rain are in store for this weekend and they suppress diurnal temperature changes.
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Talk on Northwest Climate Surprises on September 28. 

During the evening of September 28, I will be giving a talk in Seattle at at the Mountaineers in NE Seattle on Climate Surprises: Unexpected Impacts of Global Warming on the Pacific Northwest.

You think global warming will simply bring warmer temperatures, drought, less snow, and more storms? 

Think again. The latest climate model simulations provide a far more nuanced prediction of what will happen here, with some of the results quite surprising. This talk is sponsored by CarbonWa and the Audubon Society. To find out more or to secure tickets, please go here.

And if you already secured tickets please not that the location has been shifted to the Mountaineers location in NE Seattle (in Magnuson Park).  Parking will be easier and free.  Right near Sand Point Way (lots of buses) and the Burke Gilman trail.

Seattle's Super Ice Cube is Melting Quickly. Plus, Our Ice Block History

Perhaps a metaphor for global warming or simply a literally cool thing to do, Seattle giant ice cube is melting rapidly.   Let's check it out.  Here is an image tonight (Monday evening).  Still standing tall but substantially diminished.

 Or the view Monday afternoon.  The shade from the trees is clearly a positive for the cube.

Compare this against what it looked like on Friday when it was installed.

The temperatures during the past several days have been near or slightly higher than normal.

And the forecast is for warmer than normal conditions this week, with temperatures reaching the mid-70s.   Not good for Mr. Cube.

Regarding our little contest, please no more entries..in fact, we won't count any posted after Saturday, since it would not be fair to do so.

Seattle's Ice Block History

And now a little history about ice blocks in Seattle.   Back in the early 1870s, there was growing demand for ice in Seattle for cooling drinks and making ice cream.  Insulated ice houses were prepared using saw dust from local mills....but where to get the ice in summer?   Some folks suggested shipping it down from Alaska, but that is not what happened.  It was cheaper to purchase Sierra Nevada ice from near the Truckee River, which was shipped by rail to San Francisco and then northward in insulated lumber ships traveling over cold water.  In 1872, starting with a shipment of 300 tons of ice, Puget Sound Ice Company sold the ice for 3 cents a pound, delivered.  Cheaper than you can get it in local supermarkets today!  And kind of ironic that Seattle got its ice many hundreds of miles from the south.

Seattle in 1872.  Ice cream was the rage then thanks to California ice

Talk on Northwest Climate Surprises on September 28.

During the evening of September 28, I will be giving a talk in Seattle at UW's Kane Hall on Climate Surprise: Unexpected Impacts of Global Warming on the Pacific Northwest. You think global warming will simply bring warmer temperatures, drought, less snow, and more storms? Think again. The latest climate model simulations provide a far more nuanced prediction of what will happen here, with some of the results quite surprising. This talk is sponsored by CarbonWa and the Audubon Society To find out more or to secure tickets, please go here.