Weather Eye: Is it the lazy daze of spring creeping up, or just a lost hour of sleep?

Geez, I felt like I lost an hour of sleep writing this column (gave up my nap ha, ha). Yes, we are in Daylight Saving Time, and that one hour of elusive sleep will drift through the heavens until it lands back here on Earth in November. That gives us an excuse if we feel a bit drowsy.

Saturday was one of those drowsy days if you stopped long enough in the sunshine. After my shower, I sat out on my deck in the lounge chair and soaked up a few rays. Wow, hadn’t done that since fall. And it was very warm in the sun and out of the breezes. Bring on the spring, and that first 70-degree day!

The clear nights have certainly been frosty, with temperatures down into the 20s in the urban areas and near freezing along the river.

I saw so many people wearing short sleeves and shorts Saturday afternoon, enjoying refreshments at sidewalk cafes. We could easily get used to this, don’t you think? Vancouver topped out at 59 degrees after a chilly 27 degrees early Saturday morning.

Looking ahead to the new week, subtropical moisture will stream north along the coast, bringing upwards of 3 inches of rain in the coastal mountains but much less — less than 1/4 inch — inland, as the moisture stream remains along the coast and we get quite a bit of rain shadowing from the mountains. At least that is how I see it Saturday evening. If it changes, we could get a soaking! It will be mild, into the 50s, all week.

If you have a weather radio, now is a good time to replace the battery so you are ready for whatever comes our way.

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