July is off to a much different start than last year for sure.
The Fourth of July in 2010 was on the cool side, with that afternoon’s high temperature struggling to reach 70 degrees; in most areas, it did not.
This year, we managed to get right up and slightly past our normal high of 78 degrees. At 4 p.m. Monday, it was 80 degrees in Vancouver.
In fact, last year in the first five days of July, we reached 70 degrees only once with a high of 71 degrees. The reason? Lots of clouds and some very heavy rain.
July 1 saw 0.28 of an inch, and on July 2, we recorded 1.02 inches. After that, however, we had no measurable rain for the rest of the month. The next measurable rainfall came the last day of August.
At this point, the rest of the week looks very pleasant with temperatures up several degrees today, then back down Wednesday and Thursday, with more clouds and maybe some light showers or drizzle along the coast. We should remain dry, but it could be a repeat of Sunday.
Vancouver officially recorded only a trace of rain, but I measured 0.02 of an inch here in Salmon Creek. It was enough to moisten the ground.
OK, drum roll, please. … My mysterious nasturtiums have proclaimed that summer is finally upon us with the appearance Monday of several blossoms. Folklore tells us that the first flowers of this plant signal the beginning of summer, so there you have it!
We experienced another first on Friday and Saturday. Can you guess what it was?
It was two back-to-back, clear and sunny days for the first time this calendar year. (We will overlook the clouds that were rolling in from the west at sunset for this achievement.) We will see a repeat performance with Monday and today, but probably won’t make it three days in a row, with more clouds due in on Wednesday.
I don’t foresee any 90-plus-degree weather any time soon, so let the good times roll and enjoy the upcoming weather. Have a great week everyone, and I’ll share June rainfall amounts from your neighbors very soon. Stay tuned!
Pat Timm is a local weather specialist. His column appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Reach him at http://www.weathersystems.com.
