Weather Eye: Warmer temperatures, light rain on their way to county

After another cool and windy forecast for Saturday, we slowly switch back to our normal winter El Nino programming with a chance of light rain or showers and highs well into the 50s next week. Fortunately, the coldest air this week remained well east of our area and we only received a glancing blow.

Some reports from our higher foothills show a little wet snow fell at times but nothing to get excited about. And of course, some of you saw a mix hitting your windshield around town. Those easterly winds sure added to the wind chill making those low 40-degree temperatures feel more like 32 degrees.

Wind gusts were reported upward of 100 mph at the notorious windy location at Crown Point on the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge. Fun for diehard weather watchers to venture out up there but otherwise not a welcome place to be.

We had our third day of high temperatures below 50 degrees on Thursday with 43 degrees and Friday it was running in the mid-40s. I can hardly wait until next week when we enjoy temperatures 10 degrees or so warmer.

Gaining daylight

We have 12 days left before we launch the beginning of the meteorological spring. The winter months then go into the climate record books. Of course, most wait until the astronomical beginning on March 19 at 8:06 p.m. local time, the vernal equinox. The first full day of spring is March 20. I’m enjoying the minutes of daylight we are gaining each day, how about you?

At least the ski areas received a good dumping of fresh powder and skiing should be excellent for a few days even as freezing levels rise. For us, mild weather, light rainfall amounts, and calm conditions are on the horizon.

We are still running about one-half inch of rain below average while these past chilly days have lowered the average mean temperature to only 1.5 degrees above normal. Looking ahead I believe Vancouver will end up this month with above-average temperatures and rainfall below normal. No surprises ahead in the near term but beyond next week remains to be seen.

Enjoy the weekend and we’ll chat Tuesday.