Weather Eye: Rain will give us a break; give weather fans a way to measure it

I hope you had an enjoyable Thanksgiving and survived Black Friday in good order. It was sure a rainy day for shopping, with over an inch of rain in Vancouver and twice that in the foothills. The good news is, the cold front is long gone and we will enjoy a Monday and Tuesday surprise: dry weather.

Some east wind is forecast by Monday, which will help to dry things out. If you want to do some decorating outside, today through Tuesday is your chance before more rain returns midweek.

Rainfall through Friday totaled 6 inches exactly at Pearson Field. That is 1.65 inches above average for the month so far; if no more falls until December, November would end up just about normal.

There are some neat gadgets for the weather buff on your shopping list. Complete inexpensive weather stations are available between $79 and $99 at Fred Meyer, Costco and many other retailers. My favorite trusted websites for weather equipment at good prices are Premiere Products, http://premiereproducts.biz, and Ambient Weather at http://ambientweather.com.

My short list this year has three items. First, the Ambient Weather WM-2 Handheld Weather Meter, $29.95, displays a digital wind speed, temperature, wind chill, peak wind and more. Second, the Ambient Weather WS-108 Handheld Altimeter, Barometer, Thermometer, Clock and Compass, $24.99, has a bright backlight for nighttime viewing. Finally, a weather radio is a must for everyone, not just weather buffs, as it broadcasts national emergencies as well. Ambient Weather’s Pocket Emergency Weather Alert Radio, $19.99, is a compact handheld radio like a walkie-talkie.

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