[Vision2020] [Fwd: Why I am not getting in the cycling miles... :(]

[Sam Scripter]

© 2008The Daily Herald Co., Everett, WA

/Published: Wednesday, June 11, 2008/

*There's rain on the grill and snow in the passes*

*UW prof says it's the coldest spring since 1917*

/By //_Jeff Switzer_/ <mailto:jswitzer at heraldnet.com>/
Herald Writer/

There's further proof that this spring has been uncomfortably and 
depressingly cold -- the coldest in memory, the coldest since 1917.

Validation came Tuesday from the University of Washington, where Cliff 
Mass, an atmospheric sciences professor, published his new "barbecue index."

"I've gotten a lot of calls about how unusual this weather's been," said 
Mass. "In roughly 90 years, this is the most unpleasant year for being 
outside and having a barbecue."

Mass and meteorologist Mark Albright found proof of the pain after 
reviewing warm spring days since 1894. They tallied the number of spring 
days above 60 degrees.

"Sixty degrees is a very important temperature," Mass said. "Most people 
are fairly comfortable being outside."

He found that most years have about 42 days of warm weather between 
March 11 and June 10.

This year, there have been only 23 days with temperatures above 60 degrees.

Not since spring 1917 -- when there were only 18 days of warm weather -- 
has there been so many chilly spring days, Mass said.

The first nine days of June are supposed to average about 68 degrees, 
but this year temps averaged 57 degrees, measured in downtown Seattle. 
That's the coldest ever since records started in 1891.

Five Western Washington sites including the Seattle-Tacoma International 
Airport and Bellingham all broke records for having daily high 
temperatures that are very low.

"Our high temperatures this month are closer to our average low than our 
average high," meteorologist Dennis D'Amico said.

It's not just the cold weather that seems weird. Winds whipped up 
Monday, briefly knocking out power to 20,000 customers in north 
Snohomish County.

A few inches of snowfall in the mountain passes Monday and Tuesday made 
international TV news, and drew calls to local meteorologists from media 
outlets in Vancouver, B.C., and Los Angeles.

The snow fell at low elevations, bringing out state highway snowplows in 
June for the first time in 30 years. The winter-that-never-ended broke 
the state snowplow budget by at least $9.1 million, and crews were 
forced to plow when they are usually mowing grass.

Mount Rainier set a record for June snowfall with 33 inches, breaking 
the previous record of 22 inches. The odd late snowfall also prompted an 
avalanche warning in mountain backcountry starting today.

*The cold temperatures are blamed on the La Nina cold surface water 
temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean. They've influenced the jet 
stream and helped drive down temperatures in the Northwest, Mass said. 
The cold weather has slid south from the Gulf of Alaska.*

Forecasters predict a cooler than normal summer without any sign of how 
wet or dry it might be, D'Amico said.

Weather is expected to get nicer through the rest of the week, with 
temperatures warming up into the mid-60s and with the possibility of a 
dry weekend. On Monday, it might drizzle but temperatures are forecast 
to stay in the 60s, meteorologists said.

Mass confesses even he's ready for a change. He planted vegetable seeds 
in April: zucchini, green beans and peas.

"They rotted in the ground," he said. "A lot of my flowering plants were 
delayed. My tomato plants are not going anywhere, but they're still 
alive. My friend who is a beekeeper said the bees are suffering, and the 
amount of honey laid into the frames is way below expectations."

Although, according to the calendar, summer starts June 21, the whole 
month tends to be overcast and gloomy. Summer doesn't/ really/ start 
around here until July 11, Mass said.

Until then, it's still wool socks and sandals season. Remember, wool 
helps to wick away the water -- even the tears that fall because you 
can't barbecue.

/Reporter Jeff Switzer: 425-339-3452 or //_jswitzer at heraldnet.com_/ 
<mailto:jswitzer at heraldnet.com>/./

© 2008The Daily Herald Co., Everett, WA 

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