Now that we got our first heat wave out of the way, and after a brief downturn on Monday, we can concentrate on a rather benign weather pattern. Yeah, Monday will feel a bit on the chilly side after last week. A weak weather system moves by to the north, keeping a strong marine push over us, and mostly cloudy skies are forecast for Monday. But after that, we should see varying amounts of morning clouds and plenty of afternoon sunshine with highs about seasonal — around 80 degrees, plus or minus a few.
I mentioned the other day about the cornstalks in local gardens not being knee-high by the Fourth. Well I was looking back a few years in the record books and 2005 wasn’t so hot either. Here is what I mentioned five years ago on July 12th in reference to the anticipated heat of summer. “July is our driest month, but August is our warmest month, and we still have the dog days of summer ahead of us. So there is hope yet for you sun- and heat-worshippers! How is your garden doing with all the cloudy days? I have heard from a few folks that their corn wasn’t knee-high by the Fourth of July. And that the tomato plants look great, the foliage that is, but the fruit is sparse. Ah, summer in the great Northwest.”
The weather repeats itself often, but as the years go by we seem not to remember. I am always going back to see what I wrote in regards to the weather. For instance, last July was on the warm side, but it, too, had its ups and downs. Referring to July 12, 2009, I wrote: “If you thought it was a bit on the chilly side, you were right, with an afternoon high of only 63 degrees — some 15 degrees below average. And to top it off, we finally had some rain in the bucket, ranging from a tenth to over an inch depending on your location.”
And so it goes. Enjoy your week!
Pat Timm is a local weather specialist. His column appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Reach him at http://weathersystems.com.
