Washington Weather - Daily Weather pics and reports! (Vancouver: around, change)

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by mayfair

Does anyone remember the winter of 74 when Nixon declared permanent DST? I was just a kid, living almost this far north. It was very unpopular.

Why was it unpopular? That's exactly what everyone seems to want, now.

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

No. First of all, the days start getting noticeably longer already in the first week of January. So to help you get through the remainder of the dark period, observe the gradual lengthening of the days. Week by week, you'll notice the days getting longer. Focus on that extra daylight and the gradual process of pushing the night back. Thinking positive in that way makes a big difference.

And the grey breaks up in April, when you get brilliant sunbreaks some days, in-between those April showers that bring the May flowers. April bounces back and forth between sun and cloudbursts in a dramatic way, while trees and shrubs are budding, and gardens are starting to show color. It's a spectacular month in Seattle, IMO. Everything is coming alive after the "big dark", and the sun and clouds take turns vying for your attention. It's a great time to take walks through colorful neighborhoods and parks, and enjoy the scenery and the fresh air.

Yes, absolutely, Ruth. Although the shorter, darker days of winter can feel a bit much around winter solstice, these swings are fairly extreme compared to other states. So, what that means is that when you turn that corner, you really can start to see things beginning to change for the better even during winter.

Just for a little winter fun in the sun, my son and I took a little trip to Brookings over the New Years holiday. And wow, just going a bit south to the Oregon/California border made a big difference in terms of daylight. Here's a shot from December 30th where it was light until 5 pm. And of course you have the NorCal redwoods right there to enjoy along with that gorgeous coastline. This is all drivable from WA during winter months. No need to hibernate in a cave all winter.









Derek

[04kL4nD]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

No. First of all, the days start getting noticeably longer already in the first week of January. So to help you get through the remainder of the dark period, observe the gradual lengthening of the days. Week by week, you'll notice the days getting longer. Focus on that extra daylight and the gradual process of pushing the night back. Thinking positive in that way makes a big difference.

And the grey breaks up in April, when you get brilliant sunbreaks some days, in-between those April showers that bring the May flowers. April bounces back and forth between sun and cloudbursts in a dramatic way, while trees and shrubs are budding, and gardens are starting to show color. It's a spectacular month in Seattle, IMO. Everything is coming alive after the "big dark", and the sun and clouds take turns vying for your attention. It's a great time to take walks through colorful neighborhoods and parks, and enjoy the scenery and the fresh air.

I'm a pretty big nerd when it comes to weather data, and as an amateur photographer I like to know when to time the "golden hour", so I use an app that can calculate these time intervals on a daily basis. The cool thing is being able to set any date/location in the future and know precisely when the the actual sunrise/sunset times are, so I went ahead and looked, and you're absolutely correct! The sun will start setting after 5PM on January 26th, so that's...[checks notes]...71 days from now.

I know folks in Alaska have it way worse (was in Fairbanks a few years back in January), which is why they celebrate the winter solstice since it means the day will only grow lighter going forward. Just found it a bit more jarring than I was anticipating, even though I knew it was coming.

On the brighter side, yesterday was absolutely gorgeous: sunny and clear, and Rainier popped out all over while I was running errands. With the leaves mostly being gone, I'm noticing it in places I hadn't seen it before which is pretty cool. When we were house hunting last winter, it was pretty grey and drizzly so we had no idea where to even try to look for it, and by blind luck, it's super easy to find a good viewing point nearby on a clear day. I think this year it's been out more than average and it truly never gets old seeing it.

And you're right-- it's far better to just accept it's a different season and to look for positives, since we truly live in a stunning place.

Originally Posted by MtnSurfer

Yes, absolutely, Ruth. Although the shorter, darker days of winter can feel a bit much around winter solstice, these swings are fairly extreme compared to other states. So, what that means is that when you turn that corner, you really can start to see things beginning to change for the better even during winter.

Just for a little winter fun in the sun, my son and I took a little trip to Brookings over the New Years holiday. And wow, just going a bit south to the Oregon/California border made a big difference in terms of daylight. Here's a shot from December 30th where it was light until 5 pm. And of course you have the NorCal redwoods right there to enjoy along with that gorgeous coastline. This is all drivable from WA during winter months. No need to hibernate in a cave all winter.


Derek

Fantastic photos, as always. We still haven't really made it out to the coast to explore much in depth, but if it's going to pouring, dark, and grey here and we see sunshine in the forecast for the coast, we will do what we can to take day/weekend trip for a bit of a reprieve. Ditto for the mountains.

Also that Portlandia clip cracked me up. Reminds me of the one where they go down to LA and almost die from the "heat"

[mayfair]

Nice 30 degree crunchy frost for the morning walk. I prefer when it's dry and cold because it's easier to dress for than dumping rain. Sky is gray but there's a line of sun near the horizon.

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by 04kL4nD

I'm a pretty big nerd when it comes to weather data, and as an amateur photographer I like to know when to time the "golden hour", so I use an app that can calculate these time intervals on a daily basis.

Fantastic photos, as always. We still haven't really made it out to the coast to explore much in depth, but if it's going to pouring, dark, and grey here and we see sunshine in the forecast for the coast, we will do what we can to take day/weekend trip for a bit of a reprieve. Ditto for the mountains.

If you enjoy photography, you will never tire of all the beautiful places to enjoy in the PNW. It's home to many famous photographers and hobbyist alike. I vacationed here far before the move and it has always been stunning.

Regarding the coast, it can surprise you even during winter. Sometimes you can leave rain/clouds and find some sun. Other times, its just too nice to pass up even if the sun emerges where you are. Since you like to look at weather, do yourself a favor and keep an eye on eastern WA as well as different parts of OR as well (coast & Bend).

The PNW coast is a must see and alone a worthy destination for weekends or extended trips. If you look a bit south, the Oregon coast can sometimes be 10 degrees warmer in the winter especially between Bandon and Brookings - the Banana Belt of the PNW. A few pics from the rugged coast.












Derek

[mayfair]

Another absolutely gorgeous frosty 30 degree morning. The frost is beautiful on tall grass and leaves. Crunchy under the feet. Nice crisp air that freezes your nostrils. You could hear the quiet dripping of the frost melting off trees when the sun rose.

Unfortunately the rain will be back Saturday.

[CalWorth]

It was sunny today. Because of the latitude, the sun is much lower on the southern horizon at this time of year, casting long shadows in the afternoon, great for photography.

[MechAndy]

Dang Derek!
Outstanding.
Got milk?
.

[mayfair]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

Why was it unpopular? That's exactly what everyone seems to want, now.

It was popular in the idea, but unpopular once people lived one winter of it. Being dark very late into the morning was tough on people, especially schoolchildren.

[MtnSurfer]

TGIF my dudes. There was some beautiful color over the Columbia tonight on a paddle after work. Temps in the 50s today. It was a little bumpy, but not too bad. And the mountain was out which is always a glorious sight for sore eyes.





















Derek