Weather Eye: Weather forecast for the Fourth improves: clear, dry, warm

Things have taken a turn for the better in the last few days. Expect warm temperatures, few morning clouds and no rain. The Fourth of July looks pleasant, with highs in the low 80s.

Monday is the only day this coming week with a chance of a high below 80 degrees. Other days this week, highs will be 80-85 or warmer.

June weather was warmer and drier than average. We are on a roll as July looks to be warm and dry the first half of the month. Rainfall last month totaled 1.24 inches, about a half inch below average. The average mean temperature was 65.1 degrees, 1.8 degrees above average.

The coast will have the best chance of morning clouds settling in each day with some clear afternoons. Outside of tomorrow, clouds locally should be few to none.

That 86 degrees felt toasty on Friday, but our natural air conditioner off the ocean kept it cooler yesterday with afternoon highs in the 70s. Officially, Vancouver had a high of 75 degrees, two degrees shy of the normal value.

Here is a posting from the National Weather Service in Seattle. “No rain in sight for the Puget Sound area through much of next week, including the Fourth. That would be 7 years in a row without rain on the 4th — never been done in Seattle going back to 1893. Has rained on the Fourth 33 times over all those years — about 1 in 4 years. So the myth that it always rains on the Fourth of July in Seattle — wash that one away!”

Here in Clark County we have gone nearly 20 years without rain on the Fourth. Last year we had cool marine air over us and a high of 70 degrees. In 2015 we were scorching at 95 degrees. This year we will hum in at 84 degrees. Nice!

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

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