Weather Eye: Fifth dry weekend in a row introduces a warm, dry week

Skies were slow to clear Saturday afternoon but they did it, and began the fifth weekend in a row without drenching rain. And with clearing skies a glimpse of the full moon was in the cards too.

Extended forecast charts show dry weather all week — not always clear and sunny, but warmer than average and plenty of sunshine. Some clouds roll by at times but rain will remain far to our north.

May has been very cold so far, and wet — as of Saturday afternoon, Vancouver’s month was running 4.5 degrees below average and rainfall was 1.08 inches above average.

Our daily highs are normally 66 degrees and we have reached 60 degrees only once — on May 3. Today will be close to 70 and Monday 80. The remainder of the week should be near 70 degrees or so — maybe cooler on Wednesday if the morning clouds don’t clear off in time.

I noticed Saturday that the Columbia River and many of the larger streams are running high. It will rise slowly into June with the spring runoff. The higher elevations in the Cascades, however, received 2-4 feet of snow last week — we should have no problems with water shortages again this year.

Weather observer Pete Conrad near Battle Ground sent me an email: “I saw a friend yesterday who was wearing a hat that had embroidered on it: Washington State Rain Festival Jan. 1 – Dec. 31.”

It seems like it at times, but we do hold on to June, July and August! There isn’t anywhere else that has as pleasant a summer as the Pacific Northwest.

Patrick Timm is a local weather specialist. His column appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Reach him at http://weathersystems.com.