Pacific NW News Service
Pacific NW NEW Service
Online since 1992Bob Shannon -Editor, PhotoEditor

Ron Rattray, British Columbia--Rick Price, Alberta

Bob Shannon, Bill Shannon, Ferry/Stevens Counties

PJ Bowen, NW Oregon - Bob Whittaker Seattle
Ma Kettle, Danville - J.Foster Fanning, Curlew

Bob Shannon - Pentax K50

I was slightly frustrated as Dennis and I rode our bikes around the five and a half mile loop because of the lighting.  That didn't dampen my spirit, although I was determined that fading light or  not, I was going to walk away with at least one photo.  See, we were there yesterday morning before the gate even opened.  Early often means seeing critters that sleep during the day.  The other advantage is being able to watch deer, moose, or elk feed.  Apparently yesterday morning, they were not hungry!  So we went again last night, once more doing the five and a half mile loop on bicycle, and then again in the truck.  Ah ha!  Pay dirt! --Kathy

Sadly a bunch of photos didn't turn out - again, something I half expected given the time of day - and I hate to use flash! So, I put my camera on 3 different exposures. I figured between the three exposures, the chances of getting a decent capture went up a bit.  Taking three photos for every photo I wanted is a bit daunting, but I will do what it takes for a halfway decent exposure!  Luckily for me, I did manage to get a few.  I do hope you enjoy what few I did manage to obtain.Kathy Meader Associate Editor

 

 The odds are increasing that an El Niño is in the works for 2014—and recent forecasts show it might be a big one.

As we learned from Chris Farley, El Niños can boost the odds of extreme weather (droughts, typhoons, heat waves) across much of the planet. But the most important thing about El Niño is that it is predictable, sometimes six months to a year in advance.

That's an incredibly powerful tool, especially if you are one of the billions who live where El Niño tends to hit hardest—Asia and the Americas. If current forecasts stay on track, El Niño might end up being the biggest global weather story of 2014.

The most commonly accepted definition of an El Niño is a persistent warming of the so-called "Niño3.4" region of the tropical Pacific Ocean south of Hawaii, lasting for at least five consecutive three-month "seasons." A recent reversal in the direction of the Pacific trade winds appears to have kicked off a warming trend during the last month or two. That was enough to prompt US government forecasters to issue an El Niño watch last month.