Weather Eye: It’s hard to tell if warm weather is on the way

It sure seems like a constant struggle to find just a few days in a row of sunny and warm weather. Longer range computer models have hinted at this for weeks but not much comes through. A burst of nice weather appears on the horizon in the extended outlook and then — poof — it is gone.

And looking at my crystal ball again on Monday, it is still cloudy so I offer no insight in this matter. Sometimes weather forecasting is like riding in the back seat of a car looking out the back window giving directions to the driver. Well maybe not that bad, but it seems like it sometimes.

Monday’s cold front brought gusty winds just like one week ago, when trees were blown over and power outages in both Washington and Oregon.

Monday’s storm was a little stronger and widespread. High winds caused havoc on Whidbey Island in Puget Sound with gusts over 60 mph. High winds hit Eastern Washington and Oregon with winds 50-60 mph causing blowing dust and bringing visibility to zero on many roadways.

Higher up snow was falling in the Cascades down to pass levels and will lower today as the cold trough moves inland. Hail showers were reported around Clark County on Monday, covering the ground white with a layer of ice in many areas. High temperatures were some 10-15 degrees below the average and will be again today. Expect scattered showers and thunderstorms.

By the way, the old crystal ball through the cloudy swirls of mist within does show some clearing and sunshine Thursday through Saturday. Do I believe it? Well, at this point it is a struggle but I’m hoping for the best.

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