Weather Eye: This week will be reminder why we love the Pacific Northwest

A pleasant week is on tap in the great Northwest, with summery weather shining through. The Washington Coast will be at its peak warmth today and then be back to the coastal low clouds with partial afternoon clearing and brisk northwest winds.

In our area, east winds that began Monday in earnest will strengthen and push temperatures into the 80s through Thursday. We could even see 90 degrees Wednesday and Thursday. The overnight lows will be warmer as well, making for pleasant evenings and early mornings.

The Climate Prediction Center’s extended outlook for May through July calls for above-average temperatures and below-average precipitation, although May could have above-average rainfall. An early summer maybe?

After this summery week, the upcoming weekend looks similar to last weekend, with cool and damp conditions. Could this be a wet year for the Hazel Dell Parade? As the week goes on, we will check the timing of any precipitation. Stay tuned.

Weather-wise, how are we doing so far this month? Rainfall for Vancouver stands at 1.42 inches, about three-tenths of an inch above average. The average mean temperature is 56.5 degrees, pretty close to normal. By week’s end, we will be solidly in a warmer, drier month. But then again, we have the last half of the month to deal with. Surprises? Maybe.

If we hit 90 degrees officially in Vancouver, it will be the warmest so far this year, surpassing the 88 degrees on May 1 and the warmest since a 96-degree high Sept. 11.

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