More wacky weather today. Here’s a photo that Silver sent of a storm cloud moving over Phinney.

Just moments before, there was hail at 15th and Market in Ballard. But we didn’t see a drop of precipitation at our place in Lower Phinney, just blue sky and fluffy white clouds.

We certainly did yesterday with a long walk along Phinney and Greenwood Avenues and a bunch of runs on the slides at the Phinney Neighborhood Center.

Based on the weather reports, it sounds like we’re heading back to a more seasonal pattern with a cold front blowing through sometime today. While the experts say it’s pretty unlikely we’ll see any snow here, plenty of rain is expected in the next few days.

For more weather details, check out the weather pages at KING, KIRO and KOMO.

And if you’ve got great photos of your day, post a link in comments, or send some to us at tips@phinneywood.com for us to add to this post.

I’m not a great gardener by any stretch, but it seems really early to be seeing blooming daffodils. To my recollection, one is more used to seeing the first crocus blooms popping up this time of year.

Assuming things are indeed blossoming early, what early signs of spring are you seeing?

If you’re not out enjoying the day, you should be. On a day that feels more like the middle of April than Feb. 6, the mild start to 2010 has got the local flora and fauna thinking it’s spring. From cherry blossoms, to flower bulbs already in bloom, to this bee spotted a short time ago,

it’s a winter that so far mostly isn’t. What signs of spring are you seeing?

Lest we forget, here’s a reminder of what it was like about this time (2/9/09) a year ago:

Unless your wood-burning fireplace is your only source of heat, you shouldn’t be using it, says the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency. “Stable weather conditions, combined with heavy use of wood-burning devices in our region, have created pollution levels that are unhealthy for sensitive group populations,” the agency website states. Because of the air quality, the agency has expanded the “Stage 2 burn ban” to include King County. According to the website, during a Stage 2 burn ban:
* No burning is allowed in ANY wood-burning fireplaces, wood stoves or fireplace inserts (certified or uncertified) or pellet stoves, unless this is your only adequate source of heat. Residents should rely instead on their home’s other, cleaner source of heat (such as their furnace or electric baseboard heaters) for a few days until air quality improves, the public health risk diminishes and the ban is cancelled
* Even if your fireplace, pellet stove, or wood stove is your only adequate source of heat, no visible smoke is allowed.
* No outdoor fires are allowed. This includes recreational fires such as bonfires, campfires and the use of fire pits and chimineas.
* Burn ban violations are subject to a $1,000 penalty.

The use of gas and propane stoves and inserts are allowed during burn bans. (Thanks Kate for the tip!)

Icy roads and sidewalks are going to be the norm around here for the next few days, so be careful out there and give yourself a few extra minutes to clear off your car windows.

It’s expected to drop below freezing every night through Tuesday and high temps will mostly be in the high 30s at best. There’s even a chance of snow for some tonight or tomorrow morning.

The early morning wind split off part of a cedar tree that fell on two houses in the 100 block of NW 78th Street at about 3 a.m.

A Seattle Fire Department crew had the street taped off to traffic, as the downed tree is resting on power lines.

Al and Jenny, who live in the house you can sort of see in this picture, said everyone is OK. Al said they heard “a crack and a crash. I thought it was lightning.”

They obviously weren’t too happy about the situation, but “as long as no one was hurt. That’s the important thing,” Al said.

A KING news crew arrived just as I was leaving and they might have better pictures since their camera has a light on it.

Thanks, Silver, for the tip!

Update 8:45 a.m.: Here’s what the two houses look like this morning.

Crews were busy cutting up the tree on the house on the right.

A lightning strike shortly before midnight took out power to about 2,600 customers in our area, according to Seattle City Light.

The outage stretched from North 70th Street on the south to North 123rd Street on the north and Corliss Avenue on the east to 8th Avenue NW on the west.

Our power was out for about two hours. How about you?

…at least since records have been kept in the Seattle area. We’re either at 101 or 102, according to official observations. Time to pop a cold beverage and party? Or just pant?

While the record is kept at Sea-Tac, here are some amateur station readings in our area at 4 p.m.:
103.8 degrees on Phinney Ridge
101.1 degrees on Crown Hill
105.1 degrees in Freelard
and 96.4 degrees in Greenwood

So there, it is cooler in Greenwood…

With the sweltering heat, Green Lake has become an oasis for hundreds (if not thousands) of sweaty Seattleites looking for a way to cool off.

This is the scene at the Bathhouse, on the west side of the lake.

And in the distance you can see the east shoreline covered with people as well. As you might imagine, we didn’t see many people jogging around the lake.

With today’s highs expected to approach 90 and an excessive heat watch looming, it got us thinking about ways to take the edge off, especially considering how it seems like a lot of Seattleites start to wilt when the temperature climbs above 75 degrees.

Here are a few ideas in and around the neighborhood:

Hit the water. Since we’re lacking aquatic amenities in our neighborhood, you’ll have to travel a short distance to find open water. From the swim areas to the kiddie wading pool at Green Lake, there’s an option for everyone. You could also try Carkeek Park or Golden Gardens. In any case, come ready to join a crowd.

Grab a cold one. Be it an iced coffee or a frosty brew, check out our food & drink guide for ideas, including Herkimer Coffee and Naked City Taphouse.

Get an ice cream. In Greenwood, Neptune Coffee has Molly Moon Ice Cream and at the south end of Phinney Ridge, you can find scoops being dished out at Mae’s Phinney Ridge Cafe and at Phinney Market’s ice cream counter.

Find a place with air conditioning. Is it just me, or does the freezer aisle at the grocery store seem to get very crowded on days like this?

Eat some spicy food. Eat a plate of camerones al diablo or some other spicy dish at Taqueria Tequila or another local restaurant. Get something that’s hot enough to make you sweat. You’ll cool off when your perspiration evaporates.  

OK, that’s our short list, what ideas do you have? Are there still blow-up pools and ice available at your store?

The great Memorial Day weekend weather is providing a great opportunity to soak up some sun and some neighborhood ambiance, like Bart and his dog, Sadie, were doing this morning outside Herkimer Coffee. 

“It was a brutal winter for Seattle,” Bart said. The weekend forecast of sunny and 70, is a relief. “We’ve earned it.”

Our advice: Be like Bart and Sadie and get out too. Here are some other neighborhood places with outdoor seating ranging from a bench to tables and chairs.

Coffee: Cafe Bambino, Diva Espresso, Fresh Flours, Makeda Coffee, Starbucks Coffee. 

Bars/Pubs: 74th Street Ale House, Bleachers Pub, Ed’s Kort Haus, El Chupacabra, Park Pub, Prost!, Sully’s Snowgoose Saloon, Wing Dome.

Food/Restaurants: Gaspare, Picnic (PhinneyWood advertiser), Red Mill Burgers,  Stumbling Goat Bistro.

Got any other faves we’re missing - and that you’re willing to share? Any places you’d like to see have outdoor seating? Leave a comment.