We are into the first week of December and it hasn’t been all that bad minus the strong east winds in east county that rattled the shutters in many homes.
Meanwhile up here in Salmon Creek hardly a breeze to be found. It is running warmer and drier than average so far this month.
That will change beginning later today as a series of storms will pound the Northwest for the next two weeks or so. With Vancouver running over an inch below average on the rainfall, that will change and most likely catch up by next week or sooner.
The first weather system will bring heavy snows to the mountains, especially above 5,000-foot level, and strong winds along the coastal waters. Just plain rain for us.
The second large storm rolls in over the weekend with most energy at least at this point remaining to our north. Might be talking about some flooding in the Puget Sound region, perhaps by this time next week.
The snow levels will be going up and down so the lower ski areas and Cascades passes may get a dose of rain before more snow settles on top. It was sure pretty Sunday and Monday glancing at the mountains and foothills to our east with a mantle of white from north to south.
It is looking like winter.
Of course it is the winter season for us weather and climate folks since Dec. 1, but the calendar says otherwise as the days grow shorter and shorter until Dec. 21 when the winter solstice occurs at 3:38 in the afternoon. Actually there is a slight lag before the days get longer.
Last year on this date Vancouver only had a high of 31 degrees and a low of 20 degrees.
A couple days later it dipped to just 10 degrees. We will most likely be seeing the mercury surpass the 50-degree mark this week.
Pat Timm is a local weather specialist. His column appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Reach him at http://weathersystems.com.
