Welcome to October!

September is in the books and she was a bit on the cool side yet a little dry as well. Despite having 7 days with measurable precipitation, the rain gauge only collected a smidgen over an inch. I did manage to record one temp in the nineties to boost the YTD total to 18 tied for the most since I started records here in 2002. There is a 99.9% chance that 2018 will pass without a triple digit high temp as September's best was a mere 90.7° The month was notably cooler than my "normal" driven by a 2° under for the overnight lows. It seemed wetter than it was as the rain that fell was short and light for the most part. Despite a week of cloudy weather, I still managed to have 20 days with sunshine.

The thermometer stayed above 40 degrees for the entire month and I measure 6 days at or above 80° Every single day in September of 2018 managed to get above 60° as well. The warmest temp was the 90.7° on the 5th, the warmest overnight temp was a warm 59° on the 8th. The coolest mark came on the morning of the 24th with a crisp 42.1°. The chilliest afternoon was the 29th when the merc had to stop at 63.7°

Rainfall was 1.04 inches, well below my typical 2.47 inches. The bulk of it coming on two consecutive days of 0.31 and 0.35 inches the 11th and 12th. Those were the only days that managed to produce more then a quarter inch. Snow levels did come down during the rainy spell that added the first fresh layer of snow to Mount St. Helens, but the warm weather last week melted it right back off.

So now we are fully engaged with autumn and we begin our frost and freeze watch. When will it frost and when will it freeze? The trees are getting ready to put on the annual fall color show and that is always a delight. I typically get the first sub freezing low in the month of October, but there have been several Octobers that did not produce a freezing temp. A frost is inevitable in October. October is also capable of producing temps in the 90s but it is rather rare, in fact even 80s are an oddity for the Harvest Month. 

October is a beautiful month weather she be cold or warm so get out and soak it up my friends, soak it up.

The Autumn Segue Begins

August 2018 is history and it was a classic if not a tad warmer month. Looking at the chart here you can see several incursions above the 90 degree line. That brings my total for this year to 17 days at 90° or higher just one day shy of my record of 18 set in 2015 and 5 more than the average year which sees 12. In a typical September I will get one or two 90 marks at my house, but they almost always come in the first week of the month and we seem to be in a chilly mode right now with clouds, showers and temps in the 70s. We shall see, a pair of late 90s will topple my previous mark for days with wasted heat energy ;) Despite all these 90° days I have not posted a century buster yet with 97.3 my 2018 high thus far, posted in July. I have never recorded a 100 mark in September so 2018 will quite likely leave without one. That is not at all uncommon as I have roughly half of the years go by without a triple digit temperature.

August looked like a typical August really, average temps hovering just a smidgen above "normal" with a daily average low observed at 57.63° and high at 81.64° both just about one over. The hottest afternoon came on the 9th with "El Sol's" 94.6° effort. That was one of seven days in the nineties. The coolest daytime temp arrived on the 26th when the mercury was subdued to a mere 63°. The chilliest evening temp was the lone sub-fifty mark of 47.5° on the 25th. August gave us several warm evenings, producing nine morning lows in the sixties including a toasty 65.5° on the 10th. It's not surprising it followed the warmest daytime high on the 9th.

The month of August managed to give us 21 sunny or mostly sunny days and just 3 days with any "real" rain. Several of those "sunny days" were hazy with smoke from fires in Eastern Washington and British Columbia pushed into our region. I received some showery weather towards the end of the month producing a total of less than 1/4 inch well below the "normal" 1.27 inches for August, but still within the typical expectation for the month. The wettest day was the 26th with 0.09 inches.

So as the title suggests it is time for the Autumn segue. Even though the ninth month can and often does produce warm sunny weather, it has a a tendency to feel chilly as temps take a bit of a plunge. October and November are the months that really plunge on temps but this is a segue from warm and reliable summer weather to chillier and wetter fall weather. It is definitely time to have a backup plan for any scheduled outdoor activities if you don't like a little damp in your life. We are not likely to see any sub freezing lows nor are we likely to have a real heatwave. In fact with the exception of the increased threat of rain, September is usually a gorgeous month. Lovely 70s and low 80s are never out of style.

Soak it up my friends, soak it up.

 

Boo! It's November Now!

For the first time since 2010, trick or treaters were able to roam the streets of the 'Couv' without fear of rain or drizzle. It was a glorious day with just a few passing clouds throughout the day and into evening hours. It was a fitting close to a nice October for 2017.

This past month was not without its share of drama. We had a five day period within which well over three inches of rain came down. But the classic 'autumn' month was equally beset with sunshine as it was rainfall. October 2017 had seven clear days against nine rainy days and the rest of the month was partly to all cloudy. This autumn we were treated to some late season 70s which is always a delight. I doubt I'll have the 218 day streak of sub-seventy degree weather we had last season. since I recorded a 70 plus day a full thirty days later this fall than last fall.

Overall October was a pretty "normal" month. Overnight lows were much cooler than usual but that was likely due to a large number of crisp clear nights. My observed average overnight low came in at 41.46° measured against my running normal of 45.37°. Daytime highs we spot on, observed at 62.06° against the norm of 61.49°. I received my first frost on the 14th it was rather light and the first freeze came and the final day of October with a morning low at 30.7°. That is a bit late for the first freeze. But I'll remind you all that last year I did not get my first subfreezing temp until the first week of DECEMBER! And look at all the snow we got last winter!

October delivered four days in the 70s two in the first week and two more in the last, but none of them could bust out over 75°. The warmest day was the 27th with a reading of 72.3°. The chilliest morning was the aforementioned Halloween at 30.7°. The warmest overnight low came on the 7th under cloudy skies when the temp stayed above fifty bottoming at 50.5 degrees. The chilliest daytime high arrived on the 12th of October with a mark of 52°.

October was just about dead average for rainfall with 4.28 inches falling at my location. More than 80% of the rainfall came in just four days! There were a total of nine days with precipitation greater than a drizzle. The wettest day was the 21st when 1.44 inches hit the bucket, one of two days with more than an inch.

November is starting out on the chilly side. The National Weather Service has indicated that snow levels will begin a precipitous drop falling below pass levels today or tomorrow and dropping all the way down tot he lower foothills by the weekend. We are not likely to see any flakes flying below 1500 feet however.

The outlook for winter has moved from a neutral pattern to a weak La Niña pattern which is similar to last year. Climatologists are short of saying we will repeat the cold and snowy spell from last year, but the conditions are shaping up as similar. Hold on tight here we go!

Soak it up, my friends, soak it up.   

Blustery and Wet Late August

Here we are at the end of August and nearing the end of what has been a toasty warm summer thus far. But as August comes to a close we find ourselves in a bit of a fallish pattern, albeit warmer than October, I awoke to the sound of heavy rain and brisk winds. The rain is most welcome as our California dry look needs a little greening up :)

The temps should remain comfortably in the seventies as we enter the month of September with some wind and rain to remind us that this IS western Washington!

Go ahead, soak it up my friends, soak it up.

SUNday was fabulous!

It wasn't a balmy day, but it was gorgeous yesterday. After a week of steady rain and Saturday's dry but cold and foggy episode, Sunday was wonderful. The mercury managed to get into the middle 50s under gloriously delicious sunshine all day long. This is November and it is time for the dark plunge into winter. We the denizens of the Pacific Northwest are a hardy lot. We know the endless gray drip of winter is enough to kill a Southern Californian. We embrace these amazing pockets of sunnylicious goodness as the temperatures continue their spiral into the basement and the clouds darken. Yes, I had to turn on my headlights at 3:30 on Saturday. The trees that have been so brilliant with their bright harvest hues are now yielding to old man winter and his lousy attitude. When these days of sun make their brief but welcome visits in the depths of our winter, we must take notice and most of all... we must soak it up my friends, soak it up.

OK, I think autumn weather is going to return now

Well, most of October has been nothing short of brilliant. We even had a record breaking day last week with several locales busting over the top of 70 degrees. I think this spectacular early autumn delusion is going to fade away now. The National Weather Service is calling for more 'normalish' 50s this week. However they are still expecting mostly sunny conditions. I think this may be the sunniest October I have seen in a dozen years.

Funny thing also, I have yet to record a temperature below freezing. I can't remember the last time October went by without a sub freezing morning. of course there is still a few days to go and you never know. Enjoy the sunshine while we have it, then enjoy the brilliant fall color under a cloudy blanket. It's all good. Soak it up my friends, soak it up.

Hello Vancouver USA, Are you Soaking This Up?

It's 1:30 pm, the merc is soaring past the mid sixties and that magically rare 70 could possibly happen later on this afternoon. We have a sky full of blue and a raging star raining down warm rays of sunny goodness. You better be reading this on your mobile device so you can be... soaking it up my friends, soaking it up.

What a GREAT weekend!

I was gone on Friday and most of Saturday but I few into PDX late Saturday afternoon and it was spectacular. The was the most beautiful landing I have ever had. The sun was tickling the horizon as our plane skirted along the western flank of the cascades. Every peak was warm and reddish with alpenglow as the sun set. Sisters, Jefferson, Hood, Adams, St. Helens and Rainer were all aglow and crystal clear.

The plane made its way over the city and I could see the trees were showing a little color as they prepare for the autumn show. It was 70 degrees around 6:30 when I landed and the skies were clear. What a beautiful day it obviously had been and I couldn't wait for Sunday.

Sunday was a masterpiece with temps in the low to mid seventies under a glorious sun filled blue sky. I finally got around to mowing the lawns, possibly for the last time till spring. I even trimmed some bushes and put away the last of the patio furniture for the season. I love fall weekends like this. Bravo October, Bravo. Later this evening some showers are expected to develop as we return to traditional cool autumn weather. You can still get our and soak it up, my friends. Soak it up.

A Slippery September has Slid into the Books

Daily Rainfall for September

How's that title for a tongue twister? September was quite wet in fact it was the wettest month of 2013, thus far. I recorded more than five inches of rain in a month I typically see less than two and half. That says as much about our dry winter and spring as it does for a damp late summer.

The temperatures were a touch chilly by day and a tad warm by night compared to my long term averages. That said I also recorded the hottest day of 2013, a blistering 94.6 on the 11th. I think that will stick at this point lest we break the all time heat record for October by 5 or 6 degrees. The lowest afternoon high was a cool 53.7 on the 27th. September's evenings were comfy as we enjoyed mild temps most of the month with an average overnight low of just under 55 degrees, the warmest was 62.4 on the 2nd and the chilliest came in at 43.8 on the 19th. The wettest day of this watery month came on the 28th when 1.55 inches fell. That was the second day this past month with over an inch of rain. Although the rain gauge had 5.23 inches for the month, there were only 11 rainy days compared to 13 sunny days.

Daily Temperatures for September

The Autumn Plunge I have talked about this past month is well under way. By Halloween our highs will struggle to get into the mid 50s. It is time to break out the sweaters if you don't like it chilly. For me it is not quite sweater weather yet. I will be watching for our first frost and freeze of the year. I find that both typically arrive in October with a frost in the first ten days and a hard freeze by week three.

I am noticing that some of the early turners have begun to flash some color. Of course, I am talking about autumn leaves. Here in the Northwest we are granted a gift of brilliant and beautiful color as recompense for a precipitous drop in temperature.

Looking ahead to winter, the almanacs are suggesting a cold and snowy season awaits on the other side of Thanksgiving. Those ancient periodicals The Farmer's Almanac and The Old Farmer's Almanac, that have been continuously published since 1818 and 1792 respectfully, are both pointing to reduced solar activity and oceanic conditions in their predictions of a frigid winter. Hmm, we are due for a snowy winter. Last time I had more than ten inches of snow was 2008-09 and that was five years ago. Almanac, schmalmanac, I have my own anecdotal evidence and I think were in for white winter this year. So get outside and 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 :)

Summer is starting is final approach

We are on approach my friends. Summer is nearing it's end. We have had some light showery weather over the last 24 hours or so. That's not terribly unusual for the end of August. Right now it is a balmy 79 with partly cloudy skies and just a touch sticky. Still fabulous summer weather. The kids are getting ready for back to school and the weather is getting ready to cool off. Get out and soak it up because you warm weather lovers will be really annoyed in just a few more weeks.