As I sit here early Monday afternoon writing this column, I look out my window and still see overcast gray skies. Higher pressure was rapidly building but there was plenty of low and middle amounts of moisture to burn off. After I glanced back at my computer screen and then again out the window, it was raining. With a horizontal nod and a slight chuckle, I continued my task. It was pleasantly mild outside, however, with early afternoon temperatures in the 60s.
Today we will have no problem at all breaking the record high of 72 degrees set back in 1997. High temperatures will be in the mid-70s, and I bet I hear from a local resident that their patio thermometer has reached 80 degrees. Wouldn’t that be nice? Enjoy it while you can because we return to a wet and cool pattern again for some time.
At least spring break for Oregon got off to a good start this week but the latter half of their break should be on the damp side of things. With Wednesday weather clinging to a warmer air mass, colder unstable air arrives off the coast and we may see scattered thunderstorms. The Storm Prediction Center mentioned Monday afternoon a small risk of severe thunderstorms somewhere in the Pacific Northwest due to the mixing of the warm and cold air.
Do you know the definition of a severe thunderstorm? It means a thunderstorm may have winds above 58 mph and quarter-size hail. Not typical here west of the Cascades; pea-size hail is noteworthy in these parts. Dime size or larger can be damaging to vegetation and other objects.
