I can hear the rain falling on the skylights in the kitchen as I write this morning. The forecast is calling for three days of rain. From the weather satellite images I have seen pretty much the entire west coast of the United States and parts of Canada and Mexico are in for the same forecast. The weather pattern has been known as the Pineapple Express because there is a band of moisture-laden air that stretches from Hawaii all the way to Vancouver BC, curving past California, Oregon, and Washington on the way. However, I heard a forecaster on CBC radio say that the term “Pineapple Express” is no longer used by them. The term now is “atmospheric river.”

Whatever you call it, we seem to be in for rain. The ground is pretty much saturated and the creeks and rivers are already running high. Flood watches and warnings are out for parts of our county and parts of southern British Columbia. Such a forecast and the accompanying warnings are taken seriously by folk in low-lying areas. There have been flood watches and warnings in several parts of the county in the past couple of days.

Snow levels in the mountains are high and the rivers are already running pretty much at full flow. There was possibility of flooding of the Nooksack River at Ferndale, and there were a few places where the water spread out into low lying fields and partially covered a few rural roads, but the region escaped major flooding Monday. Part of Slater Road was closed yesterday, but alternative routes were available. Concerns for flooding remain high as this substantial atmospheric river brings more rain to the Olympics and the North Cascade mountains. Rain on top of the snow can cause flooding and landslides.

River forecasts are tricky. A few degrees difference in temperature can mean the difference between rain and snow in the higher elevations and how the precipitation comes can make a big difference in how much comes back down the river.

It hasn’t been that long since winter rains caused pretty extensive flooding in our area. In the late fall of 2021 the rivers overflowed their banks and a lot of farmland was flooded north and east of where we live. Our home and our son’s farm both sit up high enough that we have not had any problems with flooding, but others were not so fortunate. Part of the concern right now lies in the fact that some of the flood mitigation that has been planned in the aftermath of the 2021 floods has not yet been completed and some areas in the Nooksack and Fraser Valleys continue to be very vulnerable. The Fraser is the longest river in British Columbia and drains a huge area into the Strait of Georgia just south of Vancouver, a few miles north of where we live.

In the past flood mitigation efforts have resulted in diversion dams and other structures that allow some of the water of the Nooksack River to be diverted into the Fraser. When the flood gates are in that position, parts of the Sumas Valley just across the border in Canada are at risk for flooding. Pump stations to ease the problem are under construction, but completion of the project is still years away and in the meantime the flooding can have an impact on some of British Columbia’s most productive dairy and food producing region.

All of this rain is somewhat new to us. We’ve lived most of our lives in areas where the rainfall is much lighter. The next three days could bring as much rain where we now live as half of the annual rainfall in Boise, Idaho, where we lived for ten years. However, this land, with acres and acres of timber and abundant rivers, is able to absorb a lot of water. We live in a region known as a temperate rain forest. When we moved out here, I was a bit concerned that the rain might be a bit depressing. Rain, however, is not much of a problem for us. We learned to acquire good rain jackets and pants and we go out in the rain just like we used to go out in the snow and cold in other places where we have lived. It doesn’t affect our day to day life very much.

The short days and cloudy skies do have a bit of an effect. Some are more vulnerable to the effects of winter weather than others. It doesn’t bother me very much, though there are times when I miss bright sunshine and blue skies.

The rain should fill up the rain barrel in our back yard. We have a tap on the barrel that allows us to use the water to irrigate our flower beds when longer summer days arrive.

I joke that I discovered that I am waterproof for the most part after years of being drenched while paddling canoes and kayaks. As long as one can keep warm, being wet is really only a minor inconvenience. Rain simply is not as threatening to survival as extremely cold temperatures and we don’t have any below freezing temperatures in the forecast for the next few days. Lows should be in the 40s and highs in the 50s for the next several days.

I don’t think the rain will have much of an impact on activities around here. I don’t have any major outdoor projects in mind and being retired means I can take time to sit by the fire and read a book most days. Errands such as trips to grocery store will be unaffected even if there is more flooding in the county.

So I’ll listen to the rhythm of the rain falling on the skylights and peek out at the wet lawn from time to time. I’ll make sure to have my rain coat when venturing outside. Waterproof shoes are pretty much the norm for all of us around here. Dry feet are essential to remaining comfortable.

Wherever you are, stay warm and dry and know that the weather is bound to change. It always does.