Well, we had a tiny “snowpocalyps” in Astoria Monday and Tuesday, and by that I mean short periods of intense snow that were really cool and pretty (for those of us who love snow) but disappeared almost as quickly as it arrived.

Will there be more? We’ll take a look at the forecast for the rest of the week.

And some ships…

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We’re looking at the possibility of some snow between the coast and Portland later this week. Keep your eyes peeled and watch forecasts.

And if you’re razor clamming on the beach, bundle up and watch for sneaker waves.

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There’s a unusual-looking ship design feature that’s on pretty much all the ships that arrive here on the Columbia. When a ship is loaded, it’s out of sight below the waterline, but on ships that are waiting for cargo, like in anchorages, you can sometimes see it.

It’s called the bulbous bow. It looks like a round or cylindrical protuberance sticking out in front of the ship at the front, below the waterline. Strange looking, yes, but it actually reduces drag, and improves ship efficiency and speed.

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Today we’ll talk a little about the movement of air, birds, and why the Astoria Megler Bridge is a great place to watch certain kinds of birds fairly close up, as they soar near the roadway. And why, according to birders, you really shouldn’t refer to a gull as a “seagull.”

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We’ll have a sneaker wave beach hazard statement in effect later this week for our region, and it’s a good opportunity to remind folks that sneaker wave risk is real, and potentially deadly.

Even more so when the ocean water is so cold as it is right now.

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Today we’ll talk about a familiar sight these days on the waterfront: a ship with a plumb or straight up and down bow. There are reasons for this design feature, and we’ll talk about some of them.

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Today we have an vessel on the river, one of a type that we don’t see very often. She’s the HOS Black Watch, one of a kind of vessel that’s used in special projects worldwide.

It’s called an Offshore Supply Vessel – a jack of all trades craft that can assist with tricky offshore projects assisting oil rigs and other vessels with things they can’t do alone.

This compact ship has all the high tech bells and whistles, and a crew of experts on board.

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A new study published in 2025 by World Maritime University, says “persistently long working hours, limited opportunities for rest and shore leave, and high levels of work-related stress” among sailors is a matter of serious concern in the maritime industry. The survey included about 4500 respondents across 99 countries including the US. 

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While we see ships pass by Astoria and other areas on the river, that’s only a fraction of their workday when they cross the Columbia River Bar. A transit can take and entire standard workday – 8 hours – a long trip for crews who have already spend several weeks at sea to get here.

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We see ships coming and going every day, and while they are interesting to look at, they also represent an important part of the wider web of global trade, and are responsible for bring us goods we use in our every day lives. So, ships are truly meaningful to you and me, whether we realize it or not.

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