Clouds were steaming up over Clark County from the south on Wednesday, which was evident by the afternoon temperatures. At 4 p.m., Eugene, Ore., was 66 degrees. I had 86 degrees here in Salmon Creek. Further north, it was 87 degrees in Seattle.
The clouds just surpassed the Columbia River, while the Puget Sound region had full sunshine. The pesky upper-level, low-pressure system off California will slowly move northward over the next few days and increase the chances of rainfall in most areas.
We will see highs through the weekend around 80 degrees depending on how much sunshine we get. Also, there is the risk of scattered thunderstorms just about anywhere through Sunday. For sure, there will be thunderstorms and gusty winds over and east of the Cascades, which may ignite new wildfires.
I see no big heat wave on the horizon for the next week or so. That means any chances of 100 degrees or better will have to occur during the last half of the month. Thirty two years ago, we were in the midst of a hot spell. From August 6-10, 1981, I recorded highs of 100 degrees or higher.
