It'll get hot, than cool off for the Fourth

Well, what can I say that the weather outside cannot? Ideal summer weather with no complaints in my inbox, that's for sure. I noticed driving out in the countryside over the weekend, farmers are cutting their hayfields, aligning perfectly with the weather forecast this week. Clear skies, warm afternoon temperatures and brisk northwest winds are the perfect combination.

Funny how some fields have the hay in bales and others the hay is rolled into large rolls. I used to see that only up in Canada, but now more and more locally. The nice weather has brought my lavender ripe for cutting, and I wonder when I will get the first report of a ripe tomato. OK, it's not quite July, but it won't be long.

Looking into the long holiday weekend, everything looks rather nice with perhaps a cooling trend starting in earnest, of all things, after the Fourth. Thursday and Friday look hot as a firecracker, breaking the 90-degree mark, while marine air filters inland and cools things off for the Fourth, but it will still be downright nice.

July appears it may act like June with swings in the weather pattern, with some warm days followed by some cloudier and cooler days. Still not much in the rain department is my guess, except for portions of northern Washington.

Last year on the Fourth, it was only 74 degrees with a trace of rain ,which was preceded by two-tenths of an inch of rain the day before. Overall last year, July was fairly dry with just 0.23 of an inch of rain.

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