Are we getting more gales here in PNW & BC

[rsn48]

Seems to me that here in normally windy Qualicum Beach even for us we are experiencing far more gales than normal. What say you on the rest of the island and maybe Blaine, Billingham and Point Roberts?

 

[Portage_Bay]

I'm further south, central Whidbey Island. My view and exposure is the eastern Straits of Juan de Fuca. It seems to me there have been more strong blows this year.

https://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/station_page.php?station=sisw1

 

[Ken E.]

I'm north of Bellingham at Sandy Point, the bottom end of Georgia Strait. West winds here have fetch from where you are at Qualicum Beach and beyond, lots of room to build big seas. At high tides with say, 35+ kts of wind, there is flooding. Further to your question though, the number and severity of west winds is about the same as typical winters and I've been here for 40 years, living on the west beach. South winds, though, have been stronger and more frequent. The most recent big south blow was in early January and clocked 72 mph. Several others earlier this winter were 40-50 and gusting, which is more than normal.

 

[rsn48]

For those that don't know, winds in the Qualicum Beach area even have a name - the Qualicum winds. If you just do a basic google map of Vancouver Island, you will see the closest point, the shortest distance is from Port Alberni (in a valley) to Qualicum Beach. That means when winds blow down or up the Island, the wind bends and blows down the Alberni Valley and meets up with the winds on the east coast side. So you have a conjoining of winds. So if you are ever coming up this way on your boat, you might find it helpful to check the marine weather forecast. It will often sound something like this: " Winds 5 to 10 knots off the....... Qualicum winds at 25 knots."

 

[rgano]

Check out the recent harsher hurricane data too. I felt it here in October 2018 with category five Hurricane Michael.

 

[SteveK]

Yes definitely more winds this past 6 months. BC Ferry system is shut down more often which for me is best evidence.

 

[koliver]

Nah
Haven't you been around here as long as I have?
The gales I have seen!
In fact, this year the grass is starting to rize, spring is on the way.
About 10 years ago I recall complaining to my wife that I ought not to need to cut the grass in a month ending in "ruary". Didn't happen this year, though it was warm.
Also, in front of our place there was a 4' diameter log that, from its age, was washed up above some large rocks at least 40 years ago. Then one winter 10 or more years ago, a storm took it away. This winter, no storms big enough to make any real changes on the beach.
We have noted more driftwood, likely due to the Bute Inlet glacier collapse and all the wood pushed down into Georgia Strait.
As for the ferries, this year they are running at 25% capacity, on a busy day, so will stop on the slightest excuse.

 

[MurrayM]

Situation pretty much normal on BC's north coast, except that the pussy willows are 4 weeks late showing up this year despite hardly any snow being on the valley floor.

Were they late down south?

 

[RT Firefly]

Greetings,
The climate and climate patterns ARE changing. NO comment what-so-ever on the cause(s), just an observation.

 

[sunchaser]

RT
One group of animals that really hated climate change were dinosaurs. Not to mention wooly mammoths and saber tooth tigers.

There will be some new revelations from the "we're doomed" crowd upon realization of the rapid erosion of Niagra Falls structures causing near term shoreline retreat and 90%+ aerial drainage of the Great Lakes.

Some have suggested the earth is ever changing and now face expulsion from Face Book.

RSN
In a "few" years Vancouver Island will be split with boat traffic commencing from Qualicum Beach to Port Alberni. New Johnstone Strait or Juan de Fuca type winds will occur in this new channel to the sea. Lower Vancouver Island will slip down and begin shrinking as it submerges.

 

[O C Diver]

There will be some new revelations from the "we're doomed" crowd upon realization of the rapid erosion of Niagra Falls structures causing near term shoreline retreat and 90%+ aerial drainage of the Great Lakes.

Maybe it's time to convert the falls to a 100% hydroelectric facility like the outflow from Lake Superior. I'm sure Canada would be willing to join us again on another energy project like the recent pipeline.

Ted

 

[stubones99]

Anyone expelled from Facebook is better off...

 

[Nomad Willy]

I spend time on FB and mostly enjoy it.
In some ways I seem to get better news there.
Old ladies post a lot of frilly silly clutter stuff.
But on my merry way most days my index finger seems to flip along leaving the undesirable stuff just a blur.
I’ve found quite a bit of boat stuff too. Again some is by idiots.
I do get and to some degree like having some family stuff to keep up with. Family wise I’m as predicted by the astrologists .. family “at a distance”. But I still like being there.

It’s hard for me to understand how many react to the mention of FB like a very contagious disease. Millions seem to think it’s a badge of honor to not do FB. But to me it’s one of those places where one needs to choose their friends. I cap my friends list to about 50 and w every friend request I first check how much they post and if it’s my kind of stuff. I have a slow but constant turnover. And defriending on FP should be like changing radio or TV stations. It’s just a selection.


Murray I don’t know if the’re late but pussy willows but they are definitely out.

 

[MurrayM]

...Murray I don’t know if the’re late but pussy willows but they are definitely out.

I know they are late because my wife doesn't like how long winters drag along here (her viewpoint, not mine!) so I go find a bunch for Valentine's Day. Some years they're out a couple weeks earlier than that, and some years I have to go on a bit of a quest to find one willow that's put out some pussy willows on February 13th.

That makes them weeks late this year. They also aren’t out in Terrace, which is usually a couple weeks ahead of us in spring.

This gets added to the list of weird environmental things going on in the past few years, like cedar trees dying along the Skeena River and around Prince Rupert, hemlocks dying by their thousands between Kitimat and Hazelton (140 Km inland), salmon berry bushes having the top three feet of their branches dying and alder trees going brown and dropping their leaves before fall.

Low and high level clouds are also moving in an east/west west/east direction a lot more than they used to, especially the high level clouds.

As a nature photographer I'm always paying attention to these things, and notice the distinct changes from what normally happens. I do realize my 60 year frame of reference is nothing in the geologic timescale of things, but dead, dying, and damaged plants perfectly genetically tuned to this specific place are hard to deny.

 

[John R M]

It’s hard for me to understand how many react to the mention of FB like a very contagious disease. Millions seem to think it’s a badge of honor to not do FB.

I abandoned FB when they neglected to delete the doctored video of Nancy Pelosi. Not because it was her but because they allow material to remain even knowing it is fictitious. If you can't trust it, why support it?

 

[Xsbank]

It definitely is a badge of honour to ignore Facebook. I also delete my cookies etc. every time.

I'm not voluntarily giving the 'net vampires anything they need, easily. Instead, why not go on down to your local favourite market and just give them a handful of cash? That's what you are doing on F.B.

 

[rsn48]

Situation pretty much normal on BC's north coast, except that the pussy willows are 4 weeks late showing up this year despite hardly any snow being on the valley floor.

I don't use pussy willows as my spring/summer harkener, but instead crocuses and they are late this year. By this time, I usually have seem quite a few poking their heads out of the ground. I like to take pictures of them and send the images to my eastern Canadian and American friends (living in the Canadian border states, translation: lots of snow). This is my way to laugh with them - or am I laughing at them - as we enjoy our snow free late winter and early spring.

Victoria has an event designed to piss off their Eastern friends. Link to follow. This is "The Greater Victoria Flower Count," in 2021 3-10 of March. Each year they go out and count blooms and report the count on the day after the count is over. Its Victoria's way to laugh at the rest of Canada. There is a place in BC called Hope. We like to say anyone living east of Hope is beyound Hope.

https://www.facebook.com/FlowerCount/

In a "few" years Vancouver Island will be split with boat traffic commencing from Qualicum Beach to Port Alberni.

I really hope you are right, this would make my boating life so much easier and save so much on fuel. I'm going to hold you to this promise.

I edited this in: My refit guy owns a Back Cove 34 sedan cruiser - diesel. He has seriously toyed with getting his boat trailered from Comox to Port Alberni to cruise the West side of Vancouver Island by saving fuel by not going over the top and down. He estimates the trailering would cost about a $1000 one way. Its only an hour and a half transit from Comox to Port Alberni so for the trailer guy, he could be there and back all in one morning.

 

[AusCan]

Weather in the pacific rim countries is very much affected by the El Nino / La Nina cycles.

These are differing ocean current cycles which cause variations in temperatures, precipitation and winds. The current cycle is the strongest La Nina cycle we have had since 2010/2010. This may be the cause of the cold wind on the BC coast.

https://ggweather.com/enso/oni.htm

 

[soin2la]

Nah. Haven't you been around here as long as I have? The gales I have seen!

So many people and boaters on our coast think BC was discovered around 1985.

As for the ferries, this year they are running at 25% capacity, on a busy day, so will stop on the slightest excuse.

Bingo! BCF can't be a measure of weather in the straits. Last Friday all three routes to the island (not Comox/Westview) cancelled ALL sailings in moderate winds which they would have sailed in normal times.

 

[Northern Spy]

It was a moderate ENSO (La Nina) affected autum/winter in the North Pacific.

So yeah. It wasn't a wonderful time weather wise.

 

[O C Diver]

It definitely is a badge of honour to ignore Facebook. I also delete my cookies etc. every time.

I'm not voluntarily giving the 'net vampires anything they need, easily. Instead, why not go on down to your local favourite market and just give them a handful of cash? That's what you are doing on F.B.

Been Facebook free for 10+ years.

Ted

 

[MurrayM]

Went for a morning hike by a creek today. Still no pussy willows. Walked up a dry flood channel that had big blocks of 2' thick ice all piled up from the last flood, and there was 2' of snow on the ground.

I checked leader buds on the young cottonwoods growing there, and they were soft, sticky (absolutely love that spring cottonwood resin smell) and the leaves inside were green, pliable, and ready to go.

Whatever is delaying the willows must have been a combination of things from last years growing season, because the winter wasn't hard at all.

Weird...

 

[SteveK]

Went for a morning hike by a creek today. Still no pussy willows. Walked up a dry flood channel that had big blocks of 2' thick ice all piled up from the last flood, and there was 2' of snow on the ground.

I checked leader buds on the young cottonwoods growing there, and they were soft, sticky (absolutely love that spring cottonwood resin smell) and the leaves inside were green, pliable, and ready to go.

Whatever is delaying the willows must have been a combination of things from last years growing season, because the winter wasn't hard at all.

Weird...

Hey Murray, I know I have seen pussy willows, but where. In the interior I suppose. Asked the wife and neither can remember where we last saw them. So I ask is this more common up north?

 

[MurrayM]

Hey Murray, I know I have seen pussy willows, but where. In the interior I suppose. Asked the wife and neither can remember where we last saw them. So I ask is this more common up north?

Willows must grow from coast to coast to coast in Canada, from the southern border to the very last northern fringe of desperately hanging on 'trees' in the arctic.

Why they are so late I have no idea. Each year it seems to be different species that struggle, so it's a complex moving target of contributing factors.

 

[Conrad]

Yes, often the forecast winds for North Of Nanaimo have the caveat "except Qualicum...."

I will agree with you though that we (Campbell River) seem to have been having more than the normal gale force winds, and seemingly more NW than usual.

 

[soin2la]

Windy says there has been no significant change over the past 9 years at various Georgia Strait locations and 2019-2020 appear to have been fairly benign.

There are other statistical sites that seem to concur, but since many here rely on Windy, well…

https://windy.app/forecast2/spot/359143/Strait+of+Georgia,+Canada/statistics

Even though Blind Bay was home for an 11 day stretch in January, going back decades and thinking about Grief Point, Merry Island, Halibut Bank and Howe Sound, there's not really been any notable or consistant increases, over time.

 

[Pete Meisinger]

There is a small port on Green Bay we often stay at. For some reason that location got locked into my weather app. It seems all through the fall I was getting Gale warnings for it.
They have stopped now but they must have had a windy fall.

pete

 

[Xsbank]

The other consideration is that forecasting has become abysmal. Around here, with the closing of all those lighthouse reporting stations, wind and weather is frequently very wrong.

Back in the day, every hour or so there was a list of lighthouse reports on the (cough) teletype that would give us pretty much all we needed to decide to fly or not. All gone, now I rely on my arthritis to predict the weather and its more accurate than Environment Canada.

 

[Xsbank]

Besides, the only constant in weather is that there is no constant. Greenland springs to mind...

 

[Nomad Willy]

Murray wrote;
“This gets added to the list of weird environmental things going on in the past few years, like cedar trees dying along the Skeena River and around Prince Rupert, hemlocks dying by their thousands between Kitimat and Hazelton (140 Km inland), salmon berry bushes having the top three feet of their branches dying and alder trees going brown and dropping their leaves before fall.”


Cedar trees are found at their most northerly habitat just south of Petersburg. You’re seeing Cedars having trouble well south of that along w several other rain dependent species spells trouble for your area IMO.

I’ve thought for some time that the forces that are at the cause of the very troublesome polar vortex is almost certainly still evolving. As I’ve said elsewhere on TF “I’m not a record keeper” so my observation that we’ve had more easterlies this year could be in question but I do believe it is so. I think the polar vortex and it’s parent forces are very much still evolving and expanding either in size or position or both.

Our coastal mountains, massive in size, have been keeping the North American winter air mass centered in the continent .. at least keeping the vortex inland on our west coast. Perhaps the polar vortex weather is not fully keeping the huge cold/dry air inland and we are feeling the effects. The mountains are not going away so maybe our usual weather will return. But the climate changes are probably just getting started. Not thinking the Sahara desert will soon be a rain forest but we are probably in for serious trouble.

Alders, Hemlocks and Cedars in trouble may be a huge change in the PNW.