The Hits Just Keep On Coming

It's Prozac time here in the Pacific Northwest.

As of today, Winter 2009-2010 has steadfastly refused to unclench its stubborn grip on those of us who call this cool, damp latitude home. According to my weather station, which has dutifully compiled temperature and rain data in Battle Ground, WA since 2004, this month has been far rainier than the preceding five Junes -- and we're only halfway through the month. Similarly, last month was nearly twice as wet as even the wettest May during the years 2005 through 2009. As a result, skies are cloudy, lawns are drenched, and forlorn spirits sag.

Prolonged cool, wet weather is the topic of many a conversation among locals, especially those of us who imported their version and expectations of a more pleasant spring. I fully realize that if I want 300 warm and sunny days each year, I should move to southern California (no thanks -- been there, done that). But when indigenous Northwesterners lead the chorus of complaints, I know it's not just me.

According to my sources at the National Weather Service, the condition responsible for our upside-down weather is a rather potent El Nino which, however, has now decayed into neutrality. How a washed-out and nearly negated aberrant ocean current could be responsible for unseasonable late-spring gloom is beyond me. For another slant on this phenomenon, flash back six months to Christmas lights on Main St and a tree in your living room. You may recall the frigid, plant-killing low temperatures we had at the onset of winter. El Nino in the Northwest is characterized by less-than-normal precipitation, and typically mild temperatures. Surprisingly, brief record-breaking cold events do often occur during El Nino conditions. Simply stated, El Nino is a mixed bag.

But a winter that won't quit and a spring that won't begin? Where does that fit in?

To add a few variables to the mix, we may be heading for a mild La Nina late this summer, the effects of which will likely become apparent in the next four or five months. Since normal weather is normally abnormal, no one can say precisely what effect this will have on our local forecast. If the aforementioned La Nina does grace us with her presence once again, statistically we would likely see a harsher winter, followed by a milder spring. But that's eleven long months away. For now, I just want the sun to come out, the creek to recede so I can mow my pasture, and the mercury to settle in at around 75 to 80 degrees. After all, it is June.