An El Nino Pineapple Express Will Not Be Flooding The Trinity With Snowmelt

This is not yet one more blogging about something I read in a west coast online news source that I would not read about in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Yet it sort of is.

As in, regarding a Fort Worth flood you would never read that the flooding is exacerbated by a rising freezing level in the mountains melting the snowpack.

If I am remembering correctly, and I likely am, November and early December bring the worst of the Western Washington floods, when conditions conspire for a perfect storm.

As in El Nino, or El Nina, I can never remember which is which, warms up the Pacific, causing what is called a Pineapple Express, bringing torrents of water north where it gets dropped on the Pacific Northwest.

Usually by this time of year a snow pack of several feet has grown in the mountains, often enough for the ski areas to open. Then a Pineapple Express hits, rapidly melting the snow, adding more water to the already rain-soaked rivers.

Western Washington floods can be very dramatic, as can Texas floods, but they are quite different experiences, though both involve a lot of water.

I suspect this current flood event will be my old hometown of Mount Vernon's first time it has to use its new flood wall.

I also suspect I will be getting reports and photo documentation from Spencer Jack and his dad.....