Happy New Year to all my faithful readers. What a year 2021 was weather-wise.
Writing the date while working on my column Saturday afternoon, I noticed we have plenty of “2s.” I also noticed that the overnight low Saturday morning here in Vancouver was 22 degrees.
OK, we can all relax a bit as the new year brings us back to “normal” in the weather department. I have switched from the down jacket back to fleece, so all is good.
Snow watch is officially ended for now as a westerly flow of air brings us milder temperatures and plenty of rain and mountain snow this week.
The only concern I have with moderate to heavy rain expected this week is flooding. There is plenty of low-elevation snow in our foothills and the coastal mountains. With snow levels reaching a possible 5,000 or 6,000 feet this week, most of that snow will melt; coupled with the rains, it could flood many rivers. Salmon Creek may get quite high and show its usual gravy color during high runoff.
We’ll wait and see how that develops. Let’s hope the storms move quickly and the falling rains don’t persist. If you live near a stream or in a low-lying location, keep posted to the latest forecasts. Muddy and high rivers will deter steelhead fishing in our state this week for sure.
Clark County escaped the really cold air, and snowfall amounts weren’t all that crazy. Our friends in the nearby foothills did receive up to a foot of snow and enjoyed a white Christmas.
Our normal high and low now are 46 and 34 degrees. We will be close to the average high, but overnight lows may be higher due to the clouds, southerly winds and rain. I foresee no freezing weather this week.
The Seattle area, in the depths of the arctic air, set or tied many records and saw its coldest stretch of weather since 1990. Over 8 inches of snow was on the ground, and the city had below-freezing temperatures for days. Vancouver, B.C., had its coldest temperature in 50 years: 4 degrees. That could have been our weather if the arctic front had advanced farther south. Count our blessings.
