Hello from icy, freezing cold Oregon!
We have been hit by a snow storm, beginning last night with snow and freezing temperatures. Our high temperature today will not be above freezing. The snow is beautiful, a blanket of white over all the city. Last night I watched the snowflakes swirl their way to the ground, powdery and white. Our “white” dog frolicked in the snow, licking it and jumping around with delight.

The snow and ice made for slow travel today. We are warned to stay home if possible. Living only a mile from work, we ventured out after thawing our vehicle, inching our way up the hill. The tires spun at one time as the pavement was a sheet of ice. We made it safe but the trip home should be another adventure.

It would be nice to be at home, warm by the fireplace, with the purring cat. This cold, wintry weather is due to last all week. Residents of Western Oregon are not used to this cold weather.

Oregon welcomed us home with cool temperatures and even some summer drizzle. We arrived home at 10pm, dropping through the thick layer of clouds, landing at the small airport, and then able to walk right out from the plane to the cool, summer evening. After the humid heat of Pennsylvania, the refreshing cool Oregon weather was almost cold to us.

Yesterday's sun and warm temperatures were a relief, with cool breezes. The humid air of the east tends to stick to the skin and hang in the air. In the west, the breeze whips the heat away and the air feels so fresh. Even when it's very hot, it's so unlike the humidity of the mid-west and east.

It's Sunday early evening and still 98F. This has been the hottest day so far, temperature-wise but at least there is a constant breeze today. Last night the air just hung, with no stirring. The fans blew all night, struggling to drive cooler air to the hot humans.

The garden is enjoying the heat, as the tomato plants seem to be racing to see who can be the tallest. The newly planted perennials don't seem to like the heat or need water every day.

The weeds have slowed their growth and now we had some time to pull them out of the flower beds, although we must endure the hot temperatures. The mist setting on the hose is our only way to cope with the heat. The dog even enjoys a cool off from the hose.

It's summer all right, full on hot!

Florence Oregon broke its record high for May 16th, with an official high temperature reading of 99F! Wow! The same official temperature reading was also registered in Corvallis, Oregon, with another record broken.

It was hot at the beach, there is no other way to put it. We walked down to the beach, wearing shorts and T-shirts. The kids made sandcastles, girls sunbathed in bikinis, surfers and waders all ventured into the water. The sun glistened on the crashing waves. It was like we had ended up on a California beach! Yet, the water was very cold. The surfers still wore their wetsuits.

While watching the Rhododendron Festival's Grand Floral Parade, we got a little color. The classic cars drove by, the clowns honked their horns and the princesses waved, all enjoying the unusual coastal sun.

Once back in the valley, we knew it had been hot, as the house was still warm and the plants needed a drink. We were amazed at how everything had opened up in just two days. The roses are all ready to explode with color. We spent some time in the yard, watering and cutting back some of the mint. We had so much extra mint that I made some iced mint tea. It was lovely on a warm evening.

I woke up feeling more alive today, my head clearing and the sun shining. Although not one hundred percent better, I aimed to enjoy the sun. I thought a little time in the yard can only make me feel better. So, we spent all day doing yard chores. My husband mowed and tended to the lawn while I weeded out dandelions and grass from the flower beds.

The sun blessed us with warm rays, soaking up the extra moistures left from a long week of rain showers. The tulips opened up wide, the bees buzzed and the hummingbirds zoomed here and there. I even got to give the dog his first bath outside. As I walked him afterwards, the prance in his step told me he felt good, nice and clean. His white fur shining in the sun.

So, here a few more pictures of the yard. The rain showers from last week, wiped away all the pear blossoms but here are some of the apple blossoms, which smell delightful.

This morning our cat came into our room, purring and wanting our attention. She does this a lot at 6 am. We're not sure what it is that wakes her up. But as we were awake at this early hour, we peered outside in amazement at the snow-covered ground and trees! They were right! It did snow!

It was dark for 6 am because of the heavy snow clouds but I got my camera out anyway. There was no way I was going to miss out on capturing this event: snow on April 20th! Not only were we a month into spring but it had been almost 80 degrees and sunny the last weekend. It was an amazing feat of nature. Reading the newspaper, we found out that this is only the 4th time in 100 years that it has snowed in April, and the latest date at that!

If we had not been awoken by the cat, we would have missed this event, because it was gone by 9 am. Here are the amazing pictures, though dark from the early morning light:

Well, the April showers part of April came back today after a lovely warm, sunny weekend. Saturday was spent out in the yard, making wood chips from fruit tree branches, weeding and planting flowers. I actually got some color, a slight tan on my upper arms from the sun. It was 75 and not a cloud in the sky! What a surprising delight!

But today, the clouds are back, bringing a few showers. It's colder too. The weather reports says, 30 degrees colder than this weekend. What a change!

But we must be patient, knowing that indeed, these April showers will bring May flowers. The flowers are already beginning to bloom. Our pear and plum trees are decorated with dainty, white blossoms. The bees were delighted to see the blossoms on Saturday, swarming the tree looking for a snack. Our tulips are just about in full bloom, brilliant yellow, bright red and deep purple. Here are a few pictures:

Ah, a break from the rain showers today as we were driving home from church. The sun was shining so I ventured out into our backyard. I found joy in the splendor of spring before me, as the flowers glistened in the bright sunlight. Wet from a recent shower, the raindrops looked like crystal shining in the sun. Here are a few images I took with my camera:

I've received several special weather reports from the National Weather Service today predicting snow for most of Western Oregon. Wow, I thought Spring just began! Well, March sure is a month for crazy weather, as it is a month of transition. The air is unstable, causing freak snowstorms and other spring extreme weather events.

Well, I'll be watching for snow tonight but I have my doubts it will appear. It has been cold but snow is not normal for the Willamette Valley, especially this time of year.

I do remember having snow one Spring Break as a kid, but we lived in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains then. I remember that we got a pile of snow that Spring Break, high enough to step right onto from our back stairs. We made snowmen and had snowball fights, and tried to stay warm all bundled up. I remember then thinking it was very strange to have snow that late.

I'm trying to finish an article on late season snow but am having trouble finding the right climate data on snow in March. I will continue searching, and hope to have my article posted before the snow begins to fall!

Stay warm and enjoy the last snow (maybe) of the season!
Read my article on extreme spring weather: Extreme Spring Weather article

Today it is sunny and feels like spring in the Willamette Valley. The sun is warm and it's almost 60 F! It feels like spring is here, although we still have all month before spring actually begins. These are the kind of days that give us hope in Oregon, for spring and summer to come. We have made it through the cold, wet, dark winter and we can start to enjoy the great outdoors once again!