Weather Eye: Some sunny days before possible rain next week

The fall equinox arrives shortly before midnight Friday around 11:50 p.m. It appears the atmospheric chaos may begin to unwind and show its colors with increasing chances of rain in the last week of September. Who is ready for some autumn rains?

As dry and warm as it’s been, I think most would welcome some moisture that soaks well into the ground. I’m not saying the rains start in a week or so and never stop and we are well into the rainy season. But looking at satellite photos, there is quite a bit of storminess in the Gulf of Alaska and computer models are wanting to drive the jet stream southward. Temporary for a short while? Or a major change in the weather pattern? Who knows.

Most likely we get some warm sunny days in the first half of October like we have the past decade or so but nothing for certain.

Meanwhile, we have a couple of weak weather systems dipping southward as we discussed earlier last week. One came through Monday with only clouds and light showers along the coast. We may pick up measurable precipitation tonight and Wednesday, but if so, not much. Then Thursday and Friday look mostly sunny and warm with highs 75 to 80 degrees.

It’s not looking favorable for more 90-degree days in the short term, but another 80-degree high or two are likely.

Vancouver set a record for the most 80-degree days in a calendar year with 84 days. The old record was 83 days in 2021. Our average number of highs in the 80s is 57 days. We had 24 days in the 90s, far from a record but well above our average of 15 days seasonally.

I’m getting some emails as requested about the woolly bear caterpillar as it is that time of the year when those critters are crawling everywhere. Orange and black ones are what we are looking for. I’ll give my annual thoughts about their predictions in October.

Enjoy your week and we’ll chat on Thursday.