Weather Eye: Nov. 13 frequently brings notable weather to region

I have some random thoughts to share with you from my memories. As I sat down to write my column Monday afternoon, I recalled weather events on Nov. 13 that were quite noteworthy.

Before we get into that, our current weather pattern remains calm and uneventful. Scattered showers on the light side Wednesday and then a couple dry and mild days Thursday and Friday. Rain returns this weekend. Overnight lows will drop into the 30s on those nights when clouds clear out, and of course we run the risk of fog.

Looking back, Nov. 13, 2017 was a wild and crazy weather day, mostly at the coast. Locally it was blustery with bouts of rain and gusty winds to 40 mph. Along the coast strong winds blew down trees on the Long Beach Peninsula. The highest wind speed was 89 mph at a BPA tower site on Naselle Ridge. Winds of 60-70 mph were common from Astoria, Ore., to Hoquiam.

On Nov. 13, 2014 winter made its presence with snow falling at my house in Salmon Creek briefly covering the ground. I was at 38th and Main streets and the snowflakes were the size of quarters. Snow was blowing across the highway at Interstate 205 and state Highway 500. Can’t remember snow that early in November.

Nov. 13, 1981 was extremely stormy, with high winds lasting for hours. At my weather station in Hazel Dell, I recorded a peak gust of 80 mph shortly before midnight. Winds continued into the wee hours of the 14th. Plenty of storm damage here in Clark County and power outages.

Did you notice how brilliant the autumn leaves were this year? I know they were a little late, but boy did they glow in the sunshine. I tried to remember the last time I recalled such a beautiful display of nature and that was in the fall of 1978. The trees were similar to this year, the reds, the yellows, the oranges. And what a contrast with a backdrop of green fir trees. I bring that up because after such a brilliant display in 1978 we experienced a cold winter. The thermometer officially dropped to minus 2 degrees on Dec. 31. Ice clogged the Columbia River at the Interstate 5 Bridge.

I’ll share my thoughts on this winter in my next column. It’ll be worth reading. Take care.