Sadly, a recent weather report concluded to zero chance of lowland Seattle, for the coming days, and likely the rest of this month. The weather will warm up instead.
Which is too bad for those who don’t get enough snow in their life, but enjoy what it brings. Meanwhile, I do love those pics of the northeast U.S snowfall. And then I remember, that I have pics to look back on, with many I have yet to publish on travelingorion.com.
Last year here in Seattle, we received much low-land snow where in Seattle. I posted some pictures here, and here. But, I held back on many pictures of handmade snowpeople, with an intention to feature in a separate post. But sadly, the plan was set aside in favor of editing and producing a video. I was hoping to revive the theme with the recent snowfall, but didn’t quite find any more snowpersons, and also was a bit too busy to seek any out. So, I remembered last year’s adventures, and now would like to share these special pics.
What a nice bunch! Someday, I will build one of my own. That’s on my bucket list now.
I hope you (yes, you!) had a wonderful, warm, and safe Christmas weekend.
I did, though I would have preferred a more traditional day with many friends and family. The pandemic and rising Omicron variant have put a severe damper on that prospect. Still, thanks to the wonders of modern technology with the video conferencing and cellphones, had a lot of heartwarming talks and goofy discussions of the Matrix Resurrections movie (mini-review at the end).
Through the day of Christmas Eve, I went on a small road trip to the Snoqualmie Pass in the mid Washington State mountain region. The snowpack did not disappoint, with about 11 inches fallen in that last 72 hours. I have never been there before, as I wanted at least one small adventure for this Holiday season. So I enjoyed my time, and will write more on it soon.
On Christmas, I spent much of the day alone in my apartment with my cat, Smokey, who was extra cuddly that day. Some friends online could not visit their families that day, citing a lack of vaccination at the dinner tables. So for much of the day, we spent smiling, chatting, updated on our lives though our webcams and microphones. With that exchanging fun video bits from YouTube, and played some Jackbox.tv games online (Quiplash, Drawful 2).
And, I got to share this hilarious comedy sketch from the BBC of a Nativity production gone horribly wrong. Lots of fun, and very clever near the end.
And then the next day, we got Snowpacalypse in Seattle 2, Holiday Boogaloo!!! Lots of snowfall happened overnight and through the day. Of course, I took a long walk. This time, to somewhere different and visual stunning. I have many pictures, of which I will sort out later and share soon. The location, I will keep hidden for now.
Here are some snow pics in the meantime, from Seattle downtown and somewhere in the north of Seattle.
That’s all for now. Stay warm, safe, and cheerful out there!
– Orion T
Bonus movie review: Matrix Resurrections is a reminder that truly creative work owes us nothing, leaving more room for appreciation to be given. I had a lot more typed about that, but then it ‘s more than what I wrote above. Maybe, I will share more on this later. It’s still a great movie for it’s meta-humor, original themes reexplored, and multi-layered relationships. But, the viewer needs to free their mind of what to expect or want, and what may not be given.
Continued from my previous post, but before those pics were taken, are more (below) from another long walk.
This walk happened late night last Friday close to midnight with a couple friends, as the snow fell heavy upon the Seattle city. The streets were peaceful, quiet, and relaxing for my boots to stroll about. Locations were mostly the Downtown area around the Pike Place Market, the waterfront, and Space Needle.
Here are the pics of my long, roughly two-hour night experience…
Meanwhile, there is some snow here in the Emerald City, for about three days now.
But, feeling it depends on the area. In the eastern regions of Bellevue to and through the mountains, there is a white winter wonderland now. The northern areas have heavy patches as well. Closer to downtown, not so much, as I notice remains on the rooftops, cars, some around trees. I am not impressed so far…
But, I do appreciate the what the snowfall leaves to the cityscapes. They bring peaceful chill and serenity throughout. I walk and let it sink in, wishing for a little more.
– Orion T
The above pic is taken at the Cultural Landscape Foundation in Freeway Park. This is a place that is wonderful, every day of the year. But the snow changes, makes this view a different special.
What a cold, snowy, slushy, wet week it so far in the Pacific Northwest…
The snow is thick and still ongoing in many areas. I hear the snowstorms have more recently hit Vancouver, Canada pretty hard. Portland also got a lot. It’s all pretty much everywhere now. But here in Central Seattle, the snowfall stopped, for now. Then we have some rain coming forward, melting much of the snow to wet, mucky slush. More snow may yet come, but for the next few days. we get a break from the sky, maybe.
I walked around a bit yesterday and the day before to examine the results of this Seattle Snowmageddon 2019, so far. We got covered pretty good. The above picture is from the Pacific Science Center by the Space Needle, where even the dinosaurs must freeze for this temporary ice age.
I also surveyed a few other local spots and took some pictures. Here are some around the Seattle Center and Denny Park…
That’s all for now. Be careful, don’t run, and look out.
The area is still snowy with icy conditions on the roads. Some rain is mixed in with some breaks revealing the usual clouds. More snow is likely the way in many areas. Remain extra cautious if driving, and don’t do anything stupid.
I’m enjoying it, for bringing a rare and peaceful beauty to this busy city. Though, many have to make adjustments to their lives, especially for those driving on the roads. It’s not as cold as the snowy areas of the east coast but definitely can feel an icy chill in the air.
Here are some pics recent from the Univerisity of Washington, in North Seattle. If in the area, do enjoy and explore, but be careful.
I feel there is a little confusion in recent weather changes.
In the Seattle area, we had a little snow in the recent days. Depending on what part, which can range from one zip code to another, can be very little or a lot of a little. Before the snow, there was a mix of sunshine and light rain, which helped push forward some early blooms. Now the air is chill, with predictions of slight temperature raises in the coming days. The snow in and around my area has become a memory, though may return. The blooms meanwhile, seem hesitant.
The electric transportation wires cross-crossed on Broadway and Pine in Seattle’s Capitol Hill are a mildly interesting sight to behold. Seeing them layered with snow bring a further specialness to the quiet night last Sunday, on Christmas Eve.
The winter is still maddening for the Pacific Northwest, especially here in Seattle.
There was some rain, snow, and lightning. There was no order to any of it, just a jumble of madness. Some areas were moreso on the weathering than others. Meanwhile, the main roads contained a lasting standstill of heavy vehicle traffic jams throughout the day. The air felt chilled, unwarning of the sudden hail. The evening slush was plentiful throughout the Downtown area, with leftover snow scattered about. Now the near future weather is up in the air, with no promises of any tranquility. Carry a good umbrella and warm coat.
I now share some pics, a little later in Kobe Terrace Park after a grand snowy morning in Seattle, earlier this week (see last post).
Here, are pics from an afternoon walk, just as the sudden rains began to wash away the snowfall. There was a special beauty to the surroundings, revealing a momentary awesomeness to an otherwise dull afternoon.
– Orion T
Pictures and notes by Traveling Orion, (Orion Tippens). For external use for public use, please contact and obtain permission first.
Seattle morning just last Monday, I awoke to witness the beautiful snow blanketing the city. I walked towards work, with a detour to one particular small park upon a hill, where the overnight snowfall revealed a new world.
That park is Kobe Terrace (in Seattle’s International District), a small enclosed area with a community garden upon a hill, all overlooking to the southwest distance of Seattle. Anytime is a good time to visit throughout the year. Though some particular times are better than others.
This time was short and quite wonderful, being a winter wonderland surrounded by cherry trees, small garden pots, and Japanese style deco wooden structures. Even with the noisy freeway nearby, one can feel the serenity brought in by the fresh overnight snow (about one inch, I was told). I could easily imagine traveling through the country town of Hokkaido, Japan; for at least the 30 minutes to myself, before arriving at nearby work thereafter.
Snow in this area is rare, as the Seattle central area is low and distant from the mountain regions. Such occurs once or twice a year, if lucky. For this time, the snow continued to fall until the noontime. Shortly after, the rain washed much of away, leaving a different beautiful setting (of which I will share in my next post).
These pictures below and the memory with them, are very worthwhile to share for this wonderful little moment away…
– Orion T
Pictures and notes by Traveling Orion, (Orion Tippens). For external use for public use, please contact and obtain permission first.
A pleasant surprise, differing from the sudden 4th quarter upset in today’s Super Bowl game (not a New England Patriots fan). I think more snow is on the way. I look forward to waking up and seeing more, in the morning.
Pictures shared today are recent and far, though I wish they could be now and near. I read much of the heavy snow in Portland to the south and the mountain snowfall activity far to the east and west. Currently, in Seattle there is just the cold air and whelming noise throughout. Snow here remains improbable in the near future, for now.
But on the recent New Year weekend in Vancouver (Canada), there was some decent snow around. And through a walk in Stanley Park (from the last posting), I cut through a little area around Beaver Lake, a quiet body of water frozen. All was still, except for a small little water area open for the local ducks. The surroundings felt calm on all the senses, canceling out the noise of the nearby central metropolis.
So in light of the recent stresses of the world and current news on modern civilization, I share the recent pics of the frozen area below; especially for those others not quite in presence of the peaceful falling snows.
– Orion T
Pictures and notes by Traveling Orion, (Orion Tippens). For external use for public use, please contact and obtain permission first.
Last Thursday night, much of the Seattle lowlands got about one inch of snow. Such is a rare occurrence for this grand city. For myself, the new sights are very exciting, as I have never lived or ventured out in areas with normal snowfall. Yet, there is much beauty to appreciate in the first hours of the mass landscape transformation. Though I was not feeling well from a recent slip, I did go for a stroll in the wall and take some pictures of the Downtown area.
I was not disappointed. I hope you like the following, for these sights made me smile. To share for this festive holiday season is an added joy…
Sorry, I did not get a pic of the great Seattle Space Needle in that time. I underestimated the cold, and my body needed a return to my warm apartment. Perhaps, next time.
As I expected the usual to follow, I slept a longer on the night before. In the morning, I rested in bed for an hour longer; using my layers of blankets as a turtle shell. I procrastinate even further, prolonging my morning intake of granola and hot apple cider. My apartment window gives little clue to the world outside, as it faces too close to an emotionless brick wall. I suspected nothing, but a normal day. I wait, with holding onto my unexpectations.
Yet eventually, I would go for the great morning walk. And then, surprise… snow and cold winds overwhelm my senses as I leave the building entrance. And suddenly, there was laughter in the distance of children running in the distance. The bluest of skies, missed from the days of conquering greys. I see these remnants of a snowy wonderland, with the city gardenscapes and roofs of unmoved vehicles saving the last largest clusters of snowfall. I felt bewildered, and unadjusting to this sudden drop in temperature. I ask to the neighbor standing aside, puffing on a cigarette, “how long and how much did I miss this?!”
“All night, and some this morning..”
Heh, was all I thought. Not so much the disappoint as I rarely see snow; but I feel a sort of sureness of what world I would wake up to. The morning was almost gone, and snowfall clearly ended. But thankfully, there was much of it still around for me to take a very long and worthwhile walk.
The color of leaves and sudden rush of sunlight brought uniqueness to this morning. The snow was just enough for nature to peek through in places, bringing the a heightened ambiance and surreality to what I find otherwise usual and expected; yet peaceful and adaptive.
So, I am happy to catch this time and place..perhaps the most important potentially missed should I have stayed inside further on. Here are some moments to pass on, in thanks to this world for waiting up..
And here in Seattle, is my final stretch before a work day at the Northwest Flower and Garden Show. I took a long detour through Myrtle Edwards Park to Sculpture Park and down the downtown waterfront.
This set, depicts the very quiet Sunday morning that followed after my previous post. These are from the Seattle Center park, with close proximity to the Space Needle landmark.
A grand surprise for this interesting city. As snow is often in th near mountian regions, but only hitting the city lowlands once a year, maybe. For days, the local weather reports downplayed the plausibility of sticky snow. Yet, here we are; along with Portland and the rest of the northwest.
The snow fell yesterday morning, hitting hard and fast. The temperature was a steady cold (30-40 degrees), typical of the deep winter for Seattle. The morning, light snowflakes from the many trees and tall structures about, floating down.
There was a little snow in Seattle, last Friday morning.
Fun, how some moments can make each seasonal year unique. The light shed of snow blanketing the central areas of the Emerald City, leaving untouched areas covered until the later rains. Here, the snow was a rare thing. The last time was early 2011, in much grander amounts.
I snapped a few pictures, before heading north to the Ballard area. I wish I wasn’t so busy with important matters as I would have loved to explore the temporary changes. Still, are some moments I captured that morning.
The Space Needle area, of where I first noticed after my wake. Then, hurried to the Downtown area on other business, hoping for more. Much of the snow was washed away by the time I reached the Westlake Station area, but I managed to capture some evidence (as featured picture above).
Then, to an industrialized sector further north by the Ballard Bridge. Here, the snow still continued for another hour. I haven’t seen much snow in my lifetime. For me, the weather was wonderful for its difference, visual beauty and sudden peace brought to the surroundings.
TRAVELING ORION 