Clouds eventually cleared off after lunchtime Monday, and temperatures rose into the 70s. Our average high for the date is 70 degrees, and we will be above that for the remainder of the week.
That is the good news; however, the weather pattern is remaining complex and making for a slight bit of anxiety for weather forecasters in predicting the long holiday weekend coming up. Memorial Day can go either way, real wet or real hot. A low in the Gulf of Alaska and another over California will send clouds and moisture mainly around our part of the woods.
But if things change by a hundred miles or so we could have showers or thunderstorms late in the week and through the long weekend.
Right now, I’m hoping that we escape the raindrops. I do expect varying degrees of cloudiness. Highs will be in the 80s the next couple of days before dropping back down into the 70s.
If you are heading out for the holiday, I would keep your plans but maybe have a plan B if camping outdoors. I remember so many times camping with my family over Memorial Day and having rain all weekend. Not much fun in a tent, is it?
So far, this month has been one of the warmest Mays on record — not necessarily because of excessive high temperatures, but the overnight lows have been above normal. Only a couple of nights we had below-average lows.
I’ve noticed the grass along the freeways beginning to turn brown and die off, and also lots of dust on gravel roads. I know the garden could use a good soaking. But I see no soaking rainfall at this point, so keep watering the lawn and garden. Those tender sprouts in the garden need lots of moisture.
Can you believe Vancouver has had only 0.11 inch of rain so far this month? Amazing. By the end of this week, we would need more than 2 inches of rain to bring us up to normal. Meanwhile, enjoy the fair weather and watch out for a stray shower popping up somewhere.
Patrick Timmis a local weather specialist. His column appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.Reach him at http://patricktimm.com.
