The weather gave us a trick all right on Halloween Eve and a treat for all the avid weather observers, at least.
Gusty winds upwards of 40 mph blew through Clark County before moderate rains began in the late-evening hours Friday. Leaves flew through the darkness, providing a ghastly feeling in the air.
Winds to 60 mph in the Puget Sound region downed power lines and trees, placing many in the dark.
Then came the rains, setting daily records in some locations and turning roadways into small streams with clogged storm drains thanks to the deluge of leaves before the rainfall.
And we finally did it! Vancouver managed to inch above the average rainfall for October, with 3.23 inches as of 5 p.m. Saturday. That is about a tenth of an inch above normal — not much, but at least it is bucking the trend of the past three years.
There were 19 rainy days in October, but it didn’t seem all that bad, as I remember many sunny days as well, with much of the rain coming in short bursts and during the overnight hours.
The official weather station at Pearson Field managed a high of 71 degrees and a low of 33 degrees during October. So no freezing temperatures there, but just about everywhere else in the county.
And the treat for most of the younger crowd was the partial clearing just in time for trick-or-treating Saturday evening.
So now we welcome November with a few fair-weather days before more rain heads our way.
Pat Timm is a local weather specialist. His column appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Reach him at weathersystems.com.
