Weekend eye candy: Weather time lapse videos

With the weather relatively tame and no more drama around what the record rainfall will be in March (9.44" for those who missed it), how about a relaxing weather blog to get us through the weekend? 

And what better way to relax than watching some gorgeous time lapse video?  http://ow.ly/vtQUj

Blood Moon Lunar Eclipse Ahead

check out this video!!

http://www.weather.com/video/blood-moon-lunar-eclipse-ahead-46655?

Safeco Field roof likely closed for opener, but rainy M's games remain rare

In what appears to be quite the poor timing by Mother Nature, a weak and brief cold front will sweep through Seattle Tuesday evening and is expected to require the roof to be closed at Safeco Field for the Mariners' home opener.

But while you might think the roof gets quite a workout through the season in soggy Seattle, did you know Safeco Field's retractable roof is the least used in baseball?

According to Rebecca Hale, the Seattle Mariners Director of Public Information, the roof is used on average just under 19 times per season -- or about 23 percent.

And here is how that compares to other parks: 

Arizona isn't listed because their situation is unique, mainly closing nightly for excessive heat but they can essentially open windows. Houston and Miami also close frequently for heat and humidity comfort.

Toronto and Milwaukee are perhaps our best comparisons although Milwaukee sometimes has to close for chilly weather. Of course, when extended, Safeco's roof is just a covering and doesn't seal the stadium so temperature has no effect on a decision to close or open the roof in Seattle. 

Now, how about something even more surprising -- that 23 percent roof closure rate? It's slightly more frequent than the number of times it's rained at CenturyLink Field for regular season Seahawks games in the heart of our soggy autumn and winter! (21 rainy days during 96 regular season home games or about 22 percent). 

As for this week, it appears the Safeco roof statistic will hold true as the next four home games should eke by dry enough to have the roof open (Friday is a bit of a wild card but should hold.)
http://ow.ly/vAhAz

GARDENERS & GROWERS:

Freeze Warning / Growing seasons in the Inland Northwest: 

Freeze Warnings are typically issued by the National Weather Service

when freezing temperatures are expected during the growing season,

which is defined as the dates between the average first freeze and last

freeze dates for a geographic area. However, every growing season is

different, so it's possible Freeze Warnings may be issued outside of the

usual growing season. For example if the first 3 weeks in April are

unusually warm and free of any freezes in the Spokane Area, then a

freeze warning may be needed prior to May 1st if freezing temperatures

are expected.

Growing seasons in the Inland Northwest:

Wenatchee Area, Moses Lake Area, Lewiston-Clarkston Valley
Apr 15 - Oct 15

Spokane/Coeur d'Alene Area, Okanogan Valley
May 1- Sep 30

Palouse and Upper Columbia Basin
May 15 - Sep 30

Mountain zones including the east slopes of the Cascades, Okanogan
Highlands, Northeast Washington Mountains, North Idaho Panhandle,
Central Panhandle Mountains, Camas Prairie
May 15 - Sep 15

For questions or comments on these changes, please contact the Spokane
National Weather Service at 509-244-0110 or w-otx.webmaster@noaa.gov

Will Your Area Reach the 70s This Week?

High pressure will bring dry conditions and warming temperatures to the Inland Northwest for the start of the work week. High temperatures will warm into the 70s for many valley locations. This will be the first time reaching the 70 degree mark since October 2013 for Lewiston, Wenatchee and Felts Field in downtown Spokane. Spokane International Airport has not reached 70 degrees since September 20, 2013. If it does not happen on Tuesday, it will be a while. A cold front will sweep through the region Wednesday with falling temperatures. 
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/FXC/wxstory.php?wfo=otx

Julia's Lewiston Forecast

Suddenly Spring - the first 70s since October

Lewis/Clark Valley 5 Day Forecast

MONDAY: Sunny and 71 degrees, south wind 5mph.

TUESDAY: Partly Sunny, afternoon high 74 degrees, west wind 5mph.

TUESDAY NIGHT: Slight chance of light showers overnight, low temperature 48 degrees.

WEDNESDAY: Cooler & Breezy with a few light showers, (expected rain total 1/10 inch or less), afternoon high temperature 62 degrees.

THURSDAY: Mostly sunny, 65 degrees.

FRIDAY: Partly sunny, 66 degrees.
forecast by meteorologist Julia Sandstrom AMS,NWA

What is Thunder? Why is it so Loud?

Thunderstorms can be scary.

Lightning is loud and dangerous.  Perhaps if we understand what it is, it may rattle our nerves a bit less. I found this article to be a great explainer, complete with animation:

Thunder is the sound that accompanies lightning during a thunderstorm. Sounds simple enough, but why does lightning even make a sound?

Any sound you hear is made up of vibrations. The vibrations travel as a sound wave through the air, until they reach your ear. Lightning is a huge discharge of electricity, and this electricity shoots through the air, causing vibrations to be formed in two ways:

1. The electricity passes through the air and causes air particles to vibrate. The vibrations are heard as sound.

2. The lightning is also very hot and heats up the air around it. Hot air expands, and in this case the air expands very quickly, pushing apart the air particles with force and creating more vibrations.

read the full article: http://ow.ly/vtUBc

TOP 10 Family-Friendly Destinations

1. San Diego, CA

Families are drawn to San Diego's year-round idyllic climate and variety of attractions. Start with the renowned San Diego Zoo, home to six giant pandas, the most in any U.S. facility. The zoo and its companion Wild Animal Park have 4,000 animals and 100 acres to explore. SeaWorld has its famous Shamu the killer whale and opportunities to get close to marine animals.

The zoo is part of Balboa Park, which bills itself as the "nation's largest urban cultural park." It also features restaurants, free concerts, gardens, and 15 museums — including the kid-friendly Fleet Science Center, Natural History Museum, and the Children's Museum.

If you can't take a family vacation without visiting a theme park, there's Legoland, with more than 50 rides, shows, and attractions. In San Diego, shop and eat at the city's historic Gaslamp Quarter and waterfront Embarcadero districts. Want to just relax and play in the sun? San Diego has 70 miles of beaches to enjoy, especially the lovely Coronado Beach.

San Diego, CA Orlando, FL Yellowstone National Park Hershey, PA Atlantis, Bahamas Caribbean Cruises Maui Washington, DC Estes Park, CO Myrtle Beach, SC

Read all about them: http://ow.ly/vukxl

Washington Fish & Wildlife stock ponds with rainbow trout

ASOTIN, WA - Good news for local fishermen who aren't getting their fill along the river, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is preparing to re-stock local ponds. 

WDFW leaders said as soon as this month through June, three ponds in Asotin are getting fishery raised rainbow trout. Those fish grow to be roughly half-a-pound to a pound in size. Between Headgate pond, West Evans Pond and Golf Course Pond, the agency is stocking 35,000 rainbow trout.

Fishing at Headgate Pond is restricted to only April 26th, but anyone can get fish all year round at the other two local ponds.

"A lot of our streams and rivers are very restrictive in the fishing because we're protecting anadromous runs," said Madonna Luers. "So a lot of these lakes and ponds and smaller waters need to meet the fishing demand."

Luers reminds fishermen that if you haven't gotten a new permit yet, the 2013 permit expired last Saturday on the first. You must have a renewed license to start fishing for the 2014-15 season   http://www.klewtv.com/news/local/local-ponds-253962591.html

Is a Super El Nino Coming Next Winter?

There are increasing reports in the media of the potential for a SUPER EL NINO next winter, one reminiscent of the some of the great ones, like 1997 and 1982.

During the last two years we have been in a neutral (or La Nada) situation with the tropical Pacific sea surface temperatures (SST) and winds being near normal.  But a strong El Nino, in which the waters of the tropical Pacific warm substantially, could bring significant changes to U.S. weather, including:

• The movement of the jet stream southward into California, bringing the potential for heavy precipitation next winter.
• Poor snow pack and less major storms in the Northwest 
• Warmer temperatures over the northern tier of the U.S.

Read the full article:   http://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2014/04/is-super-el-nino-coming-next-winter.html

RECORD WET MARCH ACROSS INLAND NORTHWEST

RECORD REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
FRI APR 4 2014

...RECORD WET MARCH AT 3 SITES IN E. WASHINGTON/N. IDAHO...

THREE COOPERATIVE WEATHER OBSERVING SITES IN EASTERN WASHINGTON AND
NORTHERN IDAHO RECEIVED RECORD AMOUNTS OF PRECIPITATION IN MARCH,
2014.

TWO SITES IN NORTHERN IDAHO, SANDPOINT AND PLUMMER, SET NEW RECORDS
FOR WETTEST MARCH. SANDPOINT RECORDED 8.05 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION,
SURPASSING THE OLD RECORD OF 7.89 INCHES SET BACK IN 2012. PLUMMER
RECORDED 5.41 INCHES, WHICH SURPASSED THE OLD RECORD OF 5.23 INCHES
FROM 1989.

IN EASTERN WASHINGTON, STEHEKIN IN REMOTE CHELAN COUNTY SET A NEW
MARCH PRECIPITATION RECORD. OBSERVERS THERE RECORDED 7.04 INCHES OF
PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH, SURPASSING THE OLD RECORD, 6.24 INCHES
SET IN 2012.

SEVERAL OTHER LOCATIONS RECORDED TOP FIVE WETTEST MARCH RECORDINGS
AS WELL. SOME OF THE NOTABLE REPORTS WERE:

SITE                              MARCH 2014    RANK      RECORD    YEAR
                                      PRECIP                               PRECIP
___________________________________________________________________
BONNERS FERRY       5.25                    2                 6.04        2012
BAYVIEW                        4.56                    2                 5.54        2012
COEUR D`ALENE        4.70                    4                 6.14        2012
HOLDEN VILLAGE       7.74                    2               10.00        2011
MAZAMA                          3.63                    5                 5.23        2012
NEWPORT                     4.80                    5                 6.31        2012
PRIEST RIVER E.F.      6.04                    2                 8.12        2012
PORTHILL                      3.32                   4                  4.50        1897
WALLACE                       9.78                   2                11.70        2012
ST. MARIES                    7.09                   2                  7.77        1916

Possible Flooding Today...

TURN AROUND, DON'T DROWN

This is 1 block from my house

MAKES ME SMILE....

Share your fav pic of the day..even if its a re-send