snownut

Yikes, don't think I have logged in since last spring. Just saw some weather headlines about fire danger back east. Made a quick trip to Virginia to visit family in late July and it seemed like a dry summer there. I did not realize it was one of the worst! Good luck for a wet and snowy winter!

Its been painful to watch and scan the MA forum. I have blink cameras on our home in Aldie VA and was expecting to watch the snow come and go this season. "blink" camera is appropriate because there was a blink dusting one time this entire season! I have my Old Davis VP 2 station set up there and the rain gauge tripper cracked. I ordered a new one but is arrived after I left last November so don't even have a record of how much rain there was this "winter" season. As mentioned we will likely move back there in retirement years. By then I'll be to old for cold and winter?? So if this is a newish normal? Then Virginia will be a "snowbird" destination for Canadians in the winter!

My 8th full year in the west and the cascades to my west have always had snow. (glaciers are common here in the 3 sisters bowls 25 miles to my west) So many of the higher western mountains have snow year round. Washington State stays pretty solid snow covered in many areas. The snow cover diminishes north to south with CA mountains snow melting out "pretty" fast. Deep snow packs are common in June. Several mountain roads don't get plowed open until late May and usually are closed again in early November. I skied here July 3rd in 2017 at Mt Bachelor with 3-5 feet still above 8,500 feet Only in August & September are my views mostly rocky looking. If you love snow, moderately cold winters its hard to match the higher mountains in the west. Lots of "snowbirds" here that go to AZ or Palm Spring areas during the long winters. The locals joke that we have 9 months of winter and 3 months of summer. Reality it depends on location. You can easily ski in the morning, golf, bike or even lounge by the pool on a sunny May day with temps in the 70's. And that can happen 15 miles apart!

It's quality everything outdoor recreation here. It's just gotten crazy expensive to live here. Very strict high-density building laws preserve the extraordinary outdoor public wilderness recreation areas which attracted us here. That just creates continuous housing shortages and “are you kidding me” home prices. Moved here coming out of the 2008 financial crash. Could never afford to move here now.

snow photos from lower cascades today. Had to drive over the pass toward Portland today for a specialty vet procedure for our cat. I often forget how different it is on the wet side of the Cascade Range. I live on the desert side, its colder and way sunnier here and need just the right storm track & wind direction or I get major downslope. Nice snow pack on the "wet" side. and this is under 4000' elevation. The really deep snows are 6,500 and up. The pass is only 4,800 feet so don't get to drive into the 6-8 foot base areas. Still a nice 35 mile stretch of 2-4 feet. Snow banks pretty high in some areas.

Lived in Winchester/ Frederick County area from 1973 to 2004 so recall many borderline events that Cross Junction area way outperformed Winc. He is a real “drought whisperer” it follows him wherever he goes! Are you in Winchester? I lived on Allen Drive in town a couple years when going through a divorce. Then moved to Aldie (Loudoun County) and Boyce (Clarke County) before moving to Oregon. Childhood I was in Frederick County.. little place called Grimes. Still had the post office in 1973. Never forget the Feb 1983 storm.. 32” plus in Grimes with thunder / lighting and 4” per hour rates! Once-in-a-lifetime event to experience.

EastCoast NPZ ... Wow ... how much snow have you had there in Cross Junction area? It's been a toxic train wreck (worse than the real one in OH) of a season there! Increasing odds of split time retirement between VA & OR for me. Certainly will be interesting how the climate unfolds over the next 20 years. After that I will be too old to care! Photo from my last winter in Virginia. Taken in Boyce VA Feb 2014. remember the nice storms that winter? My daughter in the picture is now a graduating senior. visiting Universities all over the USA including this weekend in the midwest.

The Rockies Rock for snow! enjoy your travels.

Being a snow lover no regrets leaving VA for high desert in OR very near high Cascades. Actually ready for spring and warmer weather. it's been a long winter. 8 + years here and always snow nearby (year round glaciers above 9000’ ) stunningly gorgeous * low humidity summers for every outdoor activity you can imagine. . * ( except when we have smoke from wildfires ☹️) If you really love snow? now is the easiest time to move. There are so many work remote options. Get away from the mid-Atlantic! West of the high midwest plateau is full of snowy locations. Elevation consistently works for snow. It even snows in the Dominican Republic! http://mydominicanvacation.com/attractions/Pico-Duarte-Dominican-Republic.html https://www.dominicanabroad.com/hiking-pico-duarte-dominican-republic/

Not true at....when the west/Midwest is seeing above average snow and were in shutout modre...its all about the pattern. The whole country can't be cold and snow Not claiming a scientific knowledge of the correlations of snow in the east to the west. However I do think there is a clear opposite in play. Having lived in the Mid Atlantic for 47 years and now the past 8 in OR I have observed a strong correlation from east to west. Forget the high elevations of the west. They have their own micro climates. Most of the time when it's cold and stormy here it is typically warmer in the east. Opposite, when you had the really cold dry pattern around Christmas it was above average warm here and my snow pack was washed away. Just a small example yet I have observed this over and over during the past 8 years. I would wager if our winter sucked this year yours would be far better with more winter storms to track. Fingers crossed you still get a big snow this year. Not trolling. I have a genuine interest in the weather there. My oldest daughter lives in Leesburg and most of my family in the Shenandoah Valley area so I do follow along what's happening there.

Dry January here.. wow these non alcohol bourbon substitutes are worse than a Mid Atlantic Winter!

Enjoying my final couple of years in OR before returning to Virginia. 7 out of my 8 winters here have been pretty solid. 2017 was a once-in-a-lifetime season. this year there have been lots of little snows and some rains. Heavy storm tracks have focused on Washington and CA. Very nice snowpack in the high country right now with a foot or two more this weekend. Planning a day trip to crater lake sometime soon. February and March typically feature big snows so base should reach the roof top?

Where are you in Aldie? As a long time Vikings fan gotta say I have never seen them be this lucky on the winning side. And todays games have been "wow not sure any team is the favorite" On the weather side moved from VA more than 8 years ago and watching from afar its been pretty bad there every winter since I left . One huge HECS? My father-in-law died this past summer. Wife is an only child so we now have a home in Aldie. Question is will we retire back in VA or stay in the Oregon High Country? My daughter lives in Leesburg so I do continue to follow the weather there all the time. And Jay Wintery Mix FB fantasy storm page. Ha ha Pretty intense fall and start to winter out here. After a brief reprieve late Dec Jan looks to resume full on Winter??

Don't leave out California Washington & Oregon. Utah & Washington are my favorites for stunning beauty...Even though I ended up in the Oregon High Desert. Any place west of the high plains is a different world than the east 7th winter here and would never even consider living on the east coast again. Outdoor recreation is off the charts and summers are insanely beautiful.. unless you love all the rain, humidity & bugs then the east coast is your place. Come and visit. The photo is from the trail near my home. https://www.visitbend.com/

Pretty photo! Lots of family back in that area. (Winchester area my home for 47 years) My sisters ( just south of front royal around 1500" ) said she had almost 7" on the ground at her house today??? Below average snow year here in the lower elevations of OR but the forecast changed dramatically in the past 48 hours. We were just to get glancing blow from the artic air and now they are forecasting it building back west. That's when we get the best lower elevation snows here. Thursday through next Sunday single digit lows & mid teen highs with snow around everyday. If it happens?? would be the coldest snowiest part of the winter here. Cheers from OR.

I have been rooting for you all and much of my family that still lives there. My 7th winter here and very little snow at my house. Actually the least I have seen in 7 years. Consistently a bit too warm and the strong west flow off the Pacific gets sucked up by the mountains. Similar to the Allegheny Front in WV & MD. The good news for snow lovers (like myself) the snowcover line is just 5 miles west. Go 15 miles west and there is the normal snow pack. Around 75” on the ground above 6000’ Crater Lake is a day trip from here but more of a summer destination when the Lake Drive is open.

That is amazing. One of the biggest reasons I moved west was to get away from all the rain and humidity. Lived in VA for 47 years and now my 7th year in Oregon. This was my driest year yet with just 9.3 inches for the year. Average is about 14”

Merry Christmas East Coast friend! Total crap season here so far. Consistently too warm for anything more than slop mix at my elevation. Drought year too continues, unless there is a surprise in the next week I will end up with less than 10” of precipitation for the year! That is even dry by high desert standards. Hell of a lot of bluebird clear sky days this year.

Interesting... My daughter said she goes back to all virtual beginning Monday. She teaches grades 1-5 ESL special classes. I know she loves her students and would rather be there with them. Particularly after so much home time. Her co teacher had Covid last month so my daughter had to quarantine and be tested. She was negative. Crazy year. Keep safe and think SNOW!

Rooting for you all you East Coasters to get buried next week! My oldest daughter is a School Teacher in Loudoun County and with the remote schooling I am not sure how they would handle a snowday? We have a strong PAC flow really kicking in here again through at least Christmas. The first 11 days of this month being unusually boring & dry. Had the first bit of snow at my house on Nov 7th.

Ha ha, I never hate snow, yet love it is alway so close by. The bulbs are up at my house and trees are budding out.

Changing the subject, some snow porn from a late spring blast here in central Oregon. Had a coating at my house overnight and flurries all day with temps in the mid 30's. However, the higher elevations (above 4500' ) have been pummeled the past 48 hours. Ski resort is closed because of Covid but drove out and took some photos this morning . At least 3 feet of new snow and more than 10 feet on the ground. They are, fingers crossed reopening in May sometime? Base should be fine and more snow is coming.

I totally agree, crazy amounts of snow can totally F-UP productivity and routines. That is why I love having moved close to the Cascades. Crazy amounts of snow a very short drive away. Love spring time, I can ski in the morning, drive 10 miles to golf at Widgi Creek and drive 10 more miles and mow my grass in shorts and a t-shirt. Got all the climates here without the damn humidity and bugs.

Flat landers.. lol.. my brother struggled when he visited me here ( he is 62 ) hiking 7000 - 8000 feet. I recall getting light headed at pikes peak when I was in my late teens. Colorado has some seriously high ski locations, which hopefully will preserve the ski seasons as the planet shifts into “torch mode”

Many of the beautiful towns (Like Jackson) in the rockies there just is not enough culture or economic diversity ( good paying jobs ) I've met three people over the years that lived in Jackson, they all said the town was too small. One guy (actually a horse rancher here now) told me he got tired of his guests / visitors spending much of their visit being altitude sick. LOL Gorgeous places to visit and see for sure.