Rain shadow

[PRB]

This is a weather radar of the area where I live. Rains all the time around Seattle, right? Well, not so fast. Where I live, precisely, northern Whidbey Island, is about in the center of this radar image, right in the middle of the dry patch. This is, I'm told, a rain shadow from the Olympic Mountains, and it's pretty much a constant. It does rain here, but we're almost always dry when everywhere around us is raining. Like today!

[papab]

That radar sweep is pretty amazing...
Thanks for sharing

Absolutely beautiful area of the Country!!

Back in 2004 wife & I plus Brother that lives in Oregon,went to Bellingham, Wa and chartered a 40 foot sail boat from San Juan Sailing and spent 10 wonderful days in the San Juan Islands. Beginning of September and had sunny days in the 60's, nights a little cool....



Rick

[Jagdflieger]

Lucky you! Down here in the South Puget Sound we only dream of a rain shadow. Summers usually make up for the winters though.

[deKoven]

Lucky you! Down here in the South Puget Sound we only dream of a rain shadow. Summers usually make up for the winters though.

Hmmm, dunno. I live in Everett and do know that Seattle can be having miserable weather but Everett will be "high 'n' dry" and even sunny out. South end, close by the Boeing plant, is usually fairly nice out. Less rain than Seattle any day.

:guinness:

[Jagdflieger]

Down here in the South Sound, I guess Federal Way south to Olympia, there's no rain shadow from the Olympic Mountains and thus no protection from the rain as PJB mentions on Whidbey Island.

The "Convergence Zone" from Seattle north to the Everet area is also a unique weather phenomenon here in the Sound. When air masses are deflected around the Olympics or when a moist-south-west air mass hits a colder air mass from the north it can create quite a bit of rain for the Central Puget Sound area.

The "Pinapple Express" is another weather system that can deluge us here in the Sound. It occurs when moist and tropical air masses come up from around Hawaii and then dump their moisture on the Puget Sound before crossing over the Cascade mountains to the east.

It's a little over 60 miles from Canada to the south end of Puget sound so there are a couple of different areas weather wise.

It's all part of the fun of living in the Northwest. Of course when it's 40 degrees and soggy here and it's -20 degrees back home, I'm often glad to be here and not there.

[limjack]

Yes, we get the rain all around you but you PRB get the HUGE winds all the time! That would really stress me out since I have three very tall fir trees that would eat my house. I do love the weather in the NW. Always unpredictable at that.

Jim