A wintry landscape greets the eye wherever one may look,
and we’ve had several cold days. Tonight there is a bluish look near the
horizon that seems to presage a Chinook. Have had some two inches of snow and
frost since Christmas.
Ethel Dobson Robinson, Jan. 1, 1937
A "chinook," the dictionary says, is a warm moist southwest wind of the coast from Oregon northward. It's a word we don't hear much any more. For one thing, it denotes a weather phenomenon that doesn't happen often, and for another, the word is not scientific, and perhaps it isn't even politically correct.
I would say a chinook is an unseasonable warming trend in the
Pacific Northwest characterized by wind and rain. Snow will quickly melt, but we don't have a lot of snow. In fact, according
to the report, we could use a lot more precipitation. The summer will be
difficult if we don't get it.
Anyway, as we retired last night, Mike observed that it was 50 degrees. (That's warm for this part of the country.) The evening was warmer than the afternoon's high and remained warm through the night. It was still 50 when we got up. Christmas week was cold; this week it's warm. "Crazy dang weather," says Mike.
Here we are midday, and it's 55. I'd predict that Mike would cycle this afternoon, beginning his 2020 goal of at least 2000 miles, but it's windy, and cyclists don't like wind. KW
Dan always uses the term Chinook whenever it warms up, and I seem to remember hearing it growing up, although I'm not certain who it was who said it. We had a little snow last night but today is bright and sunny. I'm kinda enjoying it! If we can't have snow, might as well have sunshine.
ReplyDeleteI think we did hear the word "Chinook" in our growing up years -- more so than now. The sun (or moonlight) on the snow is always a sight to behold.
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