Hot summer weather continued Monday with highs back in the 90-degree range in most locations. We also had hazy, smoky skies from the wildfire near Estacada, Ore. In addition, high clouds were increasing from the south, adding to the muddy look and defused blue color of the sky.
There was a chance of thunderstorms overnight into early this morning. No rain was expected; mostly dry lightning, if anything. Another trough of low pressure may push more clouds and showers around today. If you are hoping for a soaker, good luck. High pressure will then build back up,leading to sunny, warm weather over the weekend.
As for the rest of the month, I’m looking for mostly dry weather and even more hot weather. Another 90-degree high temperature that last week of the month? Don’t rule it out.
While we hit 90 degrees in Clark County on Monday, Seattle was toasting in the mid 80s. What a late-summer run for the Emerald City.
Hurricane Odile was impressive on the satellite photos Monday. The Category 3 storm with 125 mph winds was the strongest hurricane on record to hit the Baja Peninsula, tied with Hurricane Olivia of 1967. The damage reports were impressive, with doors being blown out of hotel resorts. At its peak, it was a Category 4 storm, the seventh hurricane in the Pacific this season. At least at this writing, it didn’t appear that Phoenix would get drenched like it did by the last hurricane remnants last week. Meanwhile, all is quiet in the Atlantic for the second year in a row, knock on wood.
Meanwhile, fire danger here remains very high; if you are heading outside for camping or hiking, most areas have banned campfires. The red flag warning was expected to expire today in western Oregon and southwest Washington. The extreme dryness continues, however.
Patrick Timm is a local weather specialist. His column appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Reach him at http://patricktimm.com
