Weather Eye: It’s been really wet, but summer will return Friday

Lots to chat about in the weather department. What a day Wednesday with that steady rain that looked like for a while it wouldn’t end any time soon. Fortunately, skies cleared somewhat and the sun came out around 3 p.m.

Then we had some intense showers due to the cold air aloft and the heating of the atmosphere with the sun breaks. Thunder was reported here and there on both sides of the Cascades. Intense thunderstorms east of the mountains brought hail and intense downpours running down the scarred slopes of the recently burned-off land. The rain was a welcome blessing, but it was mixed.

Strong winds over 40 mph blew smoke and dust everywhere. The wetting rains were welcome but were hit and miss. Running water down barren slopes made for flash floods. Large hail caused damage near Winthrop, with power outages as well.

Amazing how fast temperatures fell with this cold front. Only in the low 60s at 5 p.m. in Central and Eastern Washington. It was 57 degrees around Seattle, while a balmy 68 degrees here in Clark County.

Rainfall amounts ranged from a third of an inch to an inch in Clark County, with the heaviest amounts in the outlying areas and in the foothills. Snow was falling Wednesday afternoon on the upper slopes of Mount Hood. Quite a little storm for July that can produce temperatures 20 to 30 degrees below average around the state.

I mentioned here Tuesday it would be a wild day for weather watchers. Wow. Today will see a calming effect with our weather, with still a chance of showers in the morning. Looking at the satellite pictures at 5 p.m. Wednesday, I could see moisture still wrapping around the low, and depending on how fast it kicks out of here is why I mention morning rain. But maybe we got lucky.

Summer returns Friday and beyond, creeping back into the hot category. Enjoy!

Patrick Timm is a local weather specialist. His column appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Reach him at http://patricktimm.com.