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News / Clark County News

Weather Eye: Dry weather will continue, but beware those chilly nights

By Patrick Timm
Published: October 3, 2012, 5:00pm

Our dry October continues until further notice well into next week. We will see more offshore flow resulting in very dry air. In the wind-sheltered areas the next couple of night temperatures will plummet to freezing or below in the normally colder areas.

I don’t see any rain on the horizon at all, only slight pressure changes. Driving home Wednesday afternoon I saw a big cloud of dust blowing down the street. Things are really drying out and fire danger is very high so factor that in if outdoors.

Several readers have asked me if we are in a drought. Officially no because we had a wet spring and a wet June so the year to date totals are not way behind. We did as you may know have the driest July-through-September period on record, which is amazing considering records go clear back into the 1800s.

It seems like we should have had the three-month dry period in June, July and August, the summer months! Regardless, it is an enjoyable autumn so far and as long as we eventually get into the rainy season and add some snowpack we will be all right. If this pattern lingers several months, well then that is another story.

Some long-range forecasters are calling for cool and dry weather October through December, so stay tuned. Our local experts will be gathering as always at OMSI in November with the Pacific Northwest winter weather outlook.

From the woolly bear caterpillars I have seen so far there are mixed messages. I have seen some with wide bands of orange and some with narrow bands. I think they are totally confused just what to expect this winter, probably along with the rest of us.

One thing that is abundant are spider webs, they are everywhere you walk. And the spiders are huge; I contribute this to the dry and warm weather. And the squirrel that uses my back fence as a pathway is making me dizzy watching him as he scampers back and forth with a mouthful of hazelnuts. Back and forth, back and forth, wish he could tell me a few things!

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

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