Weather Eye: Lovely Labor Day may have been summer bowing out
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
We can say we had three really fantastic days over the long holiday weekend. The Washington coast and many of our friends to the north would say, “How about two days?” A weather system dropped down from the Gulf of Alaska and moved very slowly, dumping between a third and a half of an inch of rain along the Washington coast by 5 p.m. Monday.
Clouds loomed to the north of Clark County most of the day Monday and could be seen heading our way by early evening. Thus, scattered showers and maybe a thundershowers are in today’s forecast. Maybe we’ll get a break with warmer temperatures on Thursday, and then an even colder and wetter system may arrive by the weekend.
If forecast charts are correct, this would be a good fall soaker that would raise the coastal rivers, entice those salmon to venture upriver a bit and lessen the chance of forest fires. And I am sure deer and elk hunters would welcome that as well.
So, not all bad news. Besides, kids are heading back to school, and there’s no use letting a bunch of blue skies and sunshine go to waste, eh? OK, just kidding.
The La Niña weather pattern is strengthening almost daily, with Pacific Ocean waters about 4-6 degrees colder than last year. That is very significant and the coldest in the last 10-15 Septembers.
It’s kind of early to tell, but this week’s rain may be the real start of the rainy season. I think we will get some colder air in the next two weeks or so, with a good shot of snow in the Cascades and maybe, if skies clear, local frost — that would be early! That is still a ways out and I may be all wet with that idea, but we shall see.
Quickly, rainfall amounts for Monday as of 5 p.m.: Ocean Shores, 0.35 of an inch; Whidbey Island, 0.25 of an inch; Everett, 0.11 of an inch; and Bellingham, 0.34 of an inch. In Seattle, in the rain shadow of the Olympics? Just 0.01 of an inch.
Pat Timm is a local weather specialist. His column appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Reach him at http://weathersystems.com.
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