“Just pick a theme and go with it!”
Ever heard that before? Apparently mother nature has.
Check out how much snow Portland had on the ground this week in 2008. Wow, the December 2008 theme was cold and snow. A forty year snow for the metro area right down to the valley floor. And a 50 year cold snap that kept hanging on.
December 2008 Theme: Snow & Cold
I’ll never forget what it was like. If you were here, you won’t either, I’m sure. Shopping, holiday parties, school programs–the whole enchilada–ground to a halt because of an unbelievable week!
Here are two of my favorite pictures from that time:
This is Milwaukie, Oregon. 18″ of fluffy snow on the back deck!
World famous Cannon Beach, Oregon, and Haystack Rock under a blanket of white. Love it!
December Theme 2011: Cold, Foggy, Dry
So, we ditched the snow theme back in 2008 and this December is one to remember mainly because of  the fog!
Valley fog happened almost everyday this December–and days without fog had low clouds and mist! Portland had 10 days with dense fog, well above average for December. And unless things, change, it will be the Rose City’s driest December on record! So far, we’ve had less than a quarter inch of rain!
So, if you had to pick between winter extremes–which would you choose to do over again? December 2008’s snow…or December 2011’s dry & foggy weather?
Hi Bruce: for sheer excitement, I’d choose Dec.2008 with its snow and cold. I hadn’t seen a winter’s month like that since 1971 here in Vancouver, BC. Dec.2011 hasn’t been very exciting- yes, the lack of rain has been of some intrest here too (I still have under an inch, but we’re expecting a lot more rain soon), but it’s quite similar to Dec.2009.
I will choose Dec 2008. I had 18 inches in my back yard. I missed 1 day of work. Now I am retired and I don’t have to get out in it, except to feed the birds and squirrels. I think lots of snow is Beautiful.
Honestly I would choose December 2007 because of the big storm Oregon got. December 2006 works too