As we announced our decision to move from South Dakota to Washington, I often heard from friends that we would need to adjust to the increase in rainfall. I noted that while it definitely is a wetter climate, rainfall varies depending on the location. Mount Vernon definitely gets more rain that Rapid City, a little over double the annual rainfall, and it mostly comes as rain. In Rapid City, a lot of the annual precipitation falls as snow, whereas snow in Mount Vernon is rare.

According to averages, we have already lived through the wettest month of the year, which is December. June, July and August don’t bring much rain at all to the region, so our previous experiences in the region were mostly during dryer times of the year. We have been sort of prepared for the change in climate. We both have good raincoats and waterproof shoes. We’ve been walking in the rain a few times, but for the most part we’ve learned how to keep an eye on the weather and walk between showers. A 100% chance of rain doesn’t mean that it will rain without ceasing all day long. There is almost always a time when the rain lets up for a little while.

We are learning a few new ways to talk about the weather. In addition to storm and flood watches and warnings, which we also had in South Dakota, we have learned to listen to small craft advisories and storm surge predictions. Rivers running near or at flood stage can rise dramatically when they reach the ocean where tides rise and fall. And the rise of the tide isn’t even. There are times when it is greater and times when it is not as great. I knew all of these things theoretically, but it is interesting to learn them in experience. One of the weather terms that is new to me is “atmospheric river.” As weather patterns move around the globe, or perhaps it is better to think of the globe moving underneath the atmosphere, narrow currents of heavy moisture form streams of rainfall that flow in a pattern that is similar to a river flowing over land, with bands of heavy rainfall at the center and areas of lighter rainfall along the edges. There are eddies and swirls within the river that cause storms to linger in some places while they move more quickly in other places.

The west coast is currently experiencing an atmospheric river. Over the next 24 to 4 hours there will be increased rainfall all along the coast, with northwest Oregon experiencing the heaviest amounts of rainfall. Some places will get 3 to 5 inches of rain before Wednesday evening. That amount of rain translates to a lot of snow in the high country, so the Cascades, which rise to the east of town will see enough snow to make travel over the mountain passes treacherous and some roads will be closed until plows can catch up.

Just like South Dakota, heavy rain can result in flooding and mudslides and the forecasts warn of some areas that might be in danger.

We’re in a safe place and shouldn’t experience much more than a little rain. Even though we’ve lived most of our lives in places that are fairly dry, we have discovered that we are, for the most part, waterproof. We don’t melt when the raindrops fall on us and other than not being very good at keeping the water spots off of our glasses and having trouble remembering to take an umbrella when we leave the house, we don’t seem to be having much trouble adjusting. Our son has warned us that we will need to get used to replacing the windshield wiper blades on our cars more often, but so far that hasn’t come up for us.

The Skagit River flows right through Mount Vernon with a big bend that means that the downtown area has the river on two sides. It is the largest river that drains into the Puget Sound. The river and its tributaries drain 1.7 million acres of the Cascade Range and flow into the Puget Sound to the west of Mount Vernon. We have enjoyed walking alongside the river a couple of times each week. It is dramatic in its ever-changing nature. We have observed as much as six feet of change in the depth of the river in a single week. When it is running full, it is a wide and wild river, with trees floating by at over 5 mph. Other days it can appear very calm with a flat and placid surface. It can range in color from muddy brown to green to blue depending on the weather and the amount of sediment it is carrying.

I remember when we moved from Chicago to Hettinger North Dakota in the late 1970’s. I soon learned that one way to get the feel of the community and stay in touch with the people was to have coffee at the local cafe. If I stopped by the cafe between 9 and 10 each morning, I could see a significant portion of the members of the congregation and get caught up on the information that was most important for local folk. I used to joke that we could raise a quorum for a church meeting at the cafe most days. It was a good way for me to connect with the people I was serving. I quickly learned that the most frequent topic of conversation at the cafe was the weather. Farm and ranch folk pay attention to the weather. It is a critical element in their livelihood. You learn to never complain about the rain in southwestern North Dakota, though the locals complain about almost any type of weather that they are experiencing.

With the pandemic, I don’t have access to a place where the locals gather, so I don’t know if they complain about the rain here or not. I’m sure I’ll learn as the years go by. For now, I’m just trying to remember to take an umbrella when I head out for a walk.