La Nina returns

This winter the Seattle weather news has been no news at all. It finally arrived. John drove the Honda to work yesterday in the snow and I didn't leave the house except to take a picture of sad old Tree Man on the yard fence. Yes, I could have gone out for a slushy sloppy walk, but instead made myself useful around the house doing uninspiring chores like cleaning out the refrigerator. And so I spared my little group of followers the exciting details of my day.

On Sunday, NOAA sent a special plane over the ocean north of Hawaii to drop weather instruments where the next storm was developing. Just like they do with hurricanes. That sounds like a good bit of trouble and fuss over the possibility of snow, but they were trying to figure out how much we're going to get tonight and tomorrow before it finally turns to rain. The prediction so far is for a "major snow event" in Seattle-- several inches at least. Followed by possible flooding when it all turns to slop.

The old weather myth says there will be three snows after the forsythia blooms. Maybe in other parts of the country, but around here one good dousing of snow is usually it for the winter. That's a good thing, because the road chaos and media hysteria of multiple snow storms would be too much for poor laid-back Seattle.
I brought some forsythia branches in to "force" in a vase of hot water right before the storm hit on Sunday. That should be a cheerful sight in a few days if the yellow buds pop open.