The Daily Bucket is a nature refuge.
We amicably discuss animals, weather, climate, soil, plants, waters and note life’s patterns.
We invite you to note what you are seeing around you in your own part of the world, and to share your observations in the comments below.
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March 8, 2019
Skagit Flats, Pacific Northwest
Returning from Mount Vernon the other day after an appointment, we crossed the Skagit River Delta flatland as we always do whenever we have the chance. Winter is an especially exciting time with migrant geese, swans and ducks congregating there in the hundreds and thousands, making use of farmland and wetlands. This winter we’ve had some spectacular skies there too, probably due to our unusually cold and stormy weather. This time the skies had something new and truly awesome to me: snow virga.
We’d stopped at Hayton Reserve and found the Snow Geese working the field there under big towering clouds. Snow Geese are in constant motion during the day, progressing across dormant fields grazing and digging as they glean, periodically lifting as a big flock to shift into different fields. They talk constantly, so you can listen for them if they’re not in sight. The geese appeared fewer this time; perhaps they’ve begun their spring migration back to Siberia for breeding season. This was the only big flock we saw that day. As we watched, groups of several hundred at a time lifted off, heading in a northwesterly direction.
There were no eagles doing a fly by, nor were birdwatchers getting too close — the geese were just moving from one field to another. It was pretty amazing seeing them against the backdrop of the varied shades of the towering cloud mass.
We drove over to Jensen Access and stood up on the dike where it’s possible to see a long ways off in every direction. After scanning the bay for ducks I turned around and saw curtains of wispy white falling out of huge dark clouds. Right into the field where the geese were settling.
Virga!
But even more cool, SNOW virga!
Snow falls when the air is so cold the ice crystals formed in clouds don’t melt as they fall through what’s usually warmer air below. Rain and sleet were both once snow crystals before they melted; sleet refroze. This diagram from NOAA compares the conditions for each:
Virga is precipitation, almost always rain, that doesn’t reach the ground. It shows up on radar as precip but you don’t get wet since the water evaporates on its way down. That happens if the air near the ground is dry. Last week the lower atmosphere in western Washington was extremely dry, 20% relative humidity in nearby Bellingham. This NWS cartoon describes the conditions for virga:
Snow virga forms when clouds drop precipitation, but into cold dry air. While rain virga looks like grey or black curtains, snow virga curtains are white. Happily, no snow falling on the ground, the geese, or us. We’ve had enough snow in the Northwest this winter.
After ooohing and ahhhing over the clouds and virga from the dike, we set off heading across the Flats toward home. Passing another field I did a double take looking back toward the foothills. More snow virga, this time over swans. Big sky, big clouds, virga — spectacular!
We’ve had some pretty memorable weather this winter in the Pacific Northwest!
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Overcast and a bit warmer today in the PNW islands than it has been, 42° this morning. SE breeze. A change in the weather.
What’s the nature news in your neighborhood?
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