Weather Eye: We could be about to double average October rainfall

Sunny skies greeted us on Monday after a blustery weekend. Today will be a repeat minus the lingering morning clouds as east winds should keep it at bay. Wednesday is our last dry day before things turn stormy.

The incoming weather Thursday and beyond will behave more like November weather with heavy rain, high seas and storm-force winds at the coast. A special weather statement was issued for the coastal waters, warning mariners to beware of the storms slated for later in the week.

If you want to get your first dose of winter storm watching along the ocean beaches, plan for this weekend. Be extremely careful, as it can be a dangerous situation. Watch from afar and never turn your back on the Pacific.

Forecast models are consistent about the stormy period showing 3 or 4 inches of rain Thursday through Sunday in Clark County. Vancouver as of Monday had more than 2 inches of rain in the gauge, well ahead of average. The average for the entire month is 3 inches. We could double that in the next week or so.

The sunshine sure felt nice Monday, but one thing was quite evident: It was much cooler than we experienced last week. The cold front that moved through and brought us all that heavy rain Sunday was pronounced. Temperatures were in the upper 50s and hovering around 60 degrees Monday afternoon.

With the drier east winds, I expect some folks in the county to have a frost early today or Wednesday morning. It will be chilly. Skies will be clear today, and distant viewing will be ideal to see the mountains and the changing color around the region.

It was wet last October, with Halloween being a soaker, and we have a few of those days in our near future. Rain, rain and more rain. Get outside and enjoy the sunny weather before we head back indoors. Be safe.

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

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