Wild Storm Pummels the 'Couv'

What a ride yesterday! A storm rolled in packing big wind and a brief deluge that would make Noah nervous. The streets are littered with tree branches and other natural debris. This one was packing quite a wallop and the rain was falling horizontal for a good portion of the day. I got over an inch of rain and most of it came in a one hour period of atmospheric rage late in the afternoon. Today it seems we have a little less anger from mother nature but the NWS still has a wind advisory up for the region today. Be cautious and enjoy our misfit behavior in the skies for the next couple of days. Soak it up my friends, soak it up.

Chilly with Thunderstorms, It's Fall my Friends

Yes unsettled weather and seasonably cool weather is on tap. NWS says a clearing and slight warming into the very low seventies is in the forecast for the end of the week. We have quite likely seen the last 80 degree day for a very long time. Enjoy the occasional stray seventy for the first half of October and then get ready for a blaze of fall color and chilly temps. Soak it up my friends, soak it up :)

Oh how the Warm Late Summer Sun glows softly

After several days of unsettled and showery weather we now will return to some gorgeous late summer sunshine. The mercury is cruising around the mid 70s and the sky is big, bright and very blue. These are the last few days of summer before our nights become longer than out days. The hot ball of burning gas drops quickly and as the autumn marches on the darkness will settle in here in the Pacific Northwest. Expect a precipitous drop in mean temperatures over the next ninety days. While the summer takes in its last breath, we can soak up the pleasant weather. Soak it up my friends, soak it up.

A Return to Unsettled Weather

So it begins, our late summer slide into the Autumn. The mistress of heat has played what was perhaps her final hand. The heat wave is over and we have a return to unsettled weather. Thunder and lightning awaited us this morning and the prognosticators of the atmosphere have proclaimed this shall continue through the middle of the week. The forecast is not bad, just a thump and bump and some showers to share till the end of the week when the 80s make a brief return. Soak it up my friends, soak it up :)

The Last Ninety for Nine

How is that for a cryptic but quite likely accurate title for this late summer weather blog post? My station hit a toasty 89.4 degrees yesterday tickling ninety degrees but just failing to hit that "it's too darn hot" number. The official station at Pearson had 91 yesterday. Today however will be a different story. Ninety degrees will come quick and early in the afternoon and boil us all day long under a desert like blanket of big, bold, blue sky.

Either there is a Bunson burner under my temperature sensor or the NWS is right on the mark. The forecast today is for mid to upper nineties and if that pans out this will likely be the hottest day of 2013. Take that Autumn! Summer is stabbing at the fall, flailing away with all she has to give. It is that last blast of her furnace before the inevitable chill sets in next month. Today is expected to be the peak of this little heat wave and the last ninety of the year will probably fall on one of these next four days. The next time we'll see a ninety degree day most likely won't arrive until June of 2014. Nine months from now, thus "The Last Ninety for Nine" seems a fitting title :)

Our friends at the National Weather Service have this forecast along with a heat advisory for today.

Maybe this heat is just too much for you. Maybe you are secretly annoyed with Summer's attack on your long awaited season of brisk autumn breezes. Well the coast may offer you the solution. This NWS Cannon Beach forecast supports the conclusion that Coast equals Cool.

You can always play hooky and drive to the coast. Here is the situation at Cannon Beach, OR. It looks a little foggy right now (Noon) but will probably see a little clearing later on. Temps are almost always cool along the shore. This could be your last opportunity for somewhat warm weather along the Oregon Coast or SW Washington's Coast. As fall approaches the rain becomes relentless along those gorgeous cliffs. Autumn comes quickly.


Maybe the foggy coast is a little overkill on the beat the heat angle. 60's too chilly? OK Timberline Lodge could be the getaway for you! The NWS forecast for the historic Mt. Hood Lodge is 70s and sunshine.

Maybe a short drive up to Hood is just what the doctor ordered for heat expulsion. Keep in mind if you stay overnight it gets downright nippy after ten up at Timberline.



You know what do, get outside and take in the last blast of summer. If you don't fancy mid nineties then you will have to stay inside your cozy air-conditioned office until after 8pm. Of course, you could enjoy the coast or mountains one last time this summer. Either way, soak it up my friends, soak it up.

Here Comes the Sun...

Back in the 60s the Beatles wrote a song with the same title and theme as today's blog post :) The NWS has issued a classic early September forecast of low 80s and the big ball of fire blazing away in the late summer sky. I am heading to the Sausage Festival here in the 'Couv' this weekend so I'll take this weather with a huge smile.

This past week had unsettled weather with thunderstorms, showers, clouds and very little appearances by El Sol. This weekend will mark a pleasant if not brief change. This may be our swan song of summer so you soak it up my friends, soak it up :)

How about that Thunderstorm on Labor Day Night?

We had quite a light show on display across the region on the evening of Labor Day and into Tuesday's wee hours. More unsettled weather is in the forecast as the week progresses. Worry not however, the temps are comfortably mild and the sun shall return for one final curtain call before Autumn lowers the proverbial boom :)

One of my followers has sent out a press release on behalf of a local Dentist here in the 'Couv'. It seems that Dr. Bowyer is offering free dental mouth guards to athletes in the area as a community service. Below is a copy of that press release, get out there and soak it up my friends, soak it up and by all means be safe about it.

With the start of the new school year, Vancouver dentist Dr. Bowyer is giving away free mouth guards to student-athletes.  “Every year, I treat children with chipped or breaking teeth from their student activities, which can easily be prevented with consistent use of a mouth guard,” says Dr. Bowyer.

The National Youth Sports Safety Foundation estimates that more than three million teeth and over would be knocked out each year without the use of mouth guards.  This includes preventing over 200,000 serious dental injuries.  Student athletes are over 60 times more likely to suffer a dental injury when not using a mouth guard.  The most common injuries are flying elbows to the mouths, and impact from sports equipment.  Traditional contact sports, such as football, boxing, and martial arts require mouth guards.  Mouth guards should also be used in non-contact sports, including basketball, baseball, soccer, and wrestling.

Likewise, mouth guards help protect athletes from concussions.  Upon impact, a mouth guard helps an athlete clench the jaw muscles, thereby helping to stabilize the skull and neck.  Mouth guards distribute and dissipate the force of an impact, minimizing the severity of traumatic injury to the head and soft tissue.

Finally, a common mistake students make with mouth guards is infrequent replacement and sanitization.  Unsanitary mouth guards increase the intensity of mouth cuts and abrasions, increasing chances of infection from bacteria, yeast, and fungi that mouth guards routinely collect.  Also, mouth guards should be replaced regularly, or when edges become sharp or jagged, or if the mouth guard no long fits and promotes oral irritation.

“I can not stress enough the importance of athletes wearing a mouth guard, especially for those wearing braces” says Dr. Bowyer.  “Parents should consider a mouth guard as mandatory safety equipment.”

From Sept. 4th to Sept 30^th (M-TH), Dr. Boywer is providing these free mouth guards to anyone who stops by his office – children and adults alike.  Dr. Bowyer’s office is located at 300 SE 120^th Ave, Suite 700, Vancouver, WA  98683, 360-253-2640.

About Dr. Bowyer: Dr.  Bowyer is a Vancouver native.  He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Washington, and a dentistry degree from the Columbia University School of Dental and Oral Surgery.  After completing his second year, Dr. Bowyer was one of two students selected  to participate in an honors program at the 5^th Avenue Manhattan Dental Clinic.    Dr. Bowyer has taught at Clark College School of Hygiene, and has taught as an assistant to 1-3 year dental students.  Dr. Bowyer has been awarded from the Academy of General Dentistry and honored by Columbia University as the Best General Practitioner in his class.  Dr. Bowyer is a member of the American Dental Association, Washington State Dental Society, American Academy of General Dentistry, AAOI (Academy of Osseointegration) and the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.

August is in the Books

Another gorgeous Northwest month has come and gone. August was stellar, with near perfect weather the whole month long. It started off a touch on the cool side and offered up a little wet stuff towards the end. Even the wet days were quite pleasant however.

The stats were pretty standard for the month of August. I showed not one day above 90 degrees. The official station at Pearson logged two at exactly 90 degrees, however. The warmest day here in Northeast Vancouver was 88.3 degrees on the 6th the coolest afternoon high was the 63.3 on the 1st. The warmest evening was the 64.5 on the 29th and the coolest temp was recorded on the evening of the 21st with a low of 51.6 degrees. We had five days with precipitation exceeding 0.03 inches with the only real soaker being the 26th with a damp 0.49 inches. El sol blazed the big blue sky for 20 days. The total rainfall for the month was a less than average 0.89 inches.

It was yet another month of paradise in our 75 days of summer. Alas, it is now September. The Autumn plunge is lurking on the near horizon. Tomorrow is Labor Day and we could see some showers, although the NWS suggests that is only a slight chance. The remainder of the week should be unsettled with scattered thunderstorms.

We will likely have a few warm to hot days as the first part of September fades to the latter half and we start to feel that fall chill. The plunge begins now with the historical average temperature for the 1st of September at 80 degrees and the average for the 30th is just a touch above 70. The 10 degree plunge is followed in October by a 14 degree drop, then November with her 11 degrees till we bottom out around the end of the year. It happens fast so get out and enjoy these last few 80s and maybe a bonus 90 before the plunge puts a chill on your outdoor activities. You know what to do. Soak it up my friends, soak it up :)