Weather Eye: Harvest moon, first frost signal a change of season

First off, we look at the full harvest moon this evening. With clear skies, it should be quite a sight. Shine on harvest moon. I assume most crops are already harvested especially in some outlying areas in Clark County.

Many first frosts were reported. Lows were mostly in the 30 to 35 degree range. Officially, Vancouver recorded 39 degrees. It’s that time of the year! More chilly temperatures can be expected tonight before the nighttime lows creep upward and the daytime highs slide downward.

High pressure continues today, but a weak weather system dropping down from British Columbia will increase cloud cover Friday evening with a few scattered showers likely Saturday. Not much, but enough moisture in the air to cause some fog or low clouds Sunday morning.

Then, the first half of next week looks similar to this week with sunny skies, highs in the 70s and some east winds. Still, there are no signs of the autumn rains which usually arrive in earnest at the end of the month into early November.

Now that we’ve had some rain to measure, September rainfall amounts are arriving in my email from your friends and neighbors, and we will share those in an upcoming column. I want to mention that longtime weather observer, Robert (Bob) Star of Cougar passed away last weekend. He had contributed faithfully for over 25 years, sending me his weather and rainfall reports from the notable “rain forest” in Cougar.

On a brighter note, did you enjoy that pleasant warm sunshine yesterday? I know I did. Unusual but not unheard of, the coastal beaches had highs almost exactly as we did here in Vancouver. Right around that 70-degree mark. From coast to Cascades!

At 72 degrees, Vancouver once again had the warmest high temperature in the Evergreen state that I could find. Most areas in Puget Sound and eastern Washington were in the 60s.

Enjoy the mild weather today and Friday, take a peek at the moon tonight and we will chat on Sunday!

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

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