Weather Eye: Despite some rain showers, December to start off warm and dry

It seems like a short while goes by and we are talking about another month with new weather coming our way. November is well into the record books and, once again, with below average rainfall for Vancouver. The final tally was 4.61 inches, 1.68 inches below average. There have been only two months with above-average rain in the past two years at Vancouver’s official weather station at Pearson Field. And if you think it was a warm month despite a few days of frosty conditions, you are right. The average mean temperature for Vancouver was 49.7 degrees, five degrees above normal.

December is getting off to a warm and dry start. Rain showers Monday night and a few today will do little to add to the below-average yearly total. In fact, the rest of the week doesn’t look that bad at all. I don’t foresee a change in the weather pattern until later next week, when the ski areas may finally begin to pick up some snowfall. Some long-range charts indicate colder and wetter weather, which sure would be welcome in the mountains. Very low snow levels are possible, so stay tuned.

I’ll share some local rainfall reports from last month from your friends and neighbors later in the week. I have at least one report that totals over 20 inches. I measured 5.45 inches here at Salmon Creek and 17.60 inches at my Ocean Shores weather station.

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