Much of the region has seen very still conditions over the past week-plus. And while windy conditions this time of year can trigger wind chill concerns, no wind means air stagnation, foggy conditions, and for some locations freezing fog. Not only does the fog limit visibility and create dangerous driving conditions, it limits the kind of weather the PNW sees. Marilyn Lohmann with the National Weather Service said over the past couple of days, temperatures have showed very little range, varying only a few degrees between the daytime highs and overnight lows. And she added the stagnate air has made rain and snow very hit and miss.

“Far southern parts of Oregon on into parts of northeast Oregon and on out to Baker City and Ontario are still well below normal for the month of January, and even a part of the lower Columbia Basin from around the Tri-Cities up through Moses Lake and up into that area have seen well below normal precipitation.”

However, Lohmann noted, the east slopes of the Cascades, areas such as Yakima, Wenatchee, have seen 200%-400% of typical precipitation for the month of January.

Will we see a change in this stagnate weather pattern?

Lohmann said a system will roll in Thursday and stir up the area, but she noted that areas covered with snow most likely won’t see those foggy conditions change. And she adviced the region should enjoy the change when you can.

“But then we do go back to high pressure as we go out into the 7-10 day period and also the 8-14 [day period], so I think we’re going to see that air stagnation redevelop in areas that do clear out and continue across a lot of the other areas.  And that means foggy conditions, ice fog during the night and early morning hours with those colder temperatures and continued slicked roadways.”




If you have a story idea for the PNW Ag Network, call (509) 547-1618, or e-mail gvaagen@cherrycreekmedia.com

More From PNW Ag Network