Temperatures crack 70 degrees Sunday in Vancouver

Spring doesn’t officially start for a few days, but it sure didn’t feel like it Sunday.

Just before 4 p.m., temperatures in Vancouver reached 70 degrees for the first time this year, said Andy Bryant of the National Weather Service. Low temperatures — 31 degrees around 7 a.m. — offered a reminder of the often rapid weather changes the new season offers.

Still, the balmy highs contrasted the wintry weather Clark County experienced a couple of weeks earlier. A cool, dry jet stream from British Columbia was ousted recently by a strong pattern of high pressure, which caused the switch, Bryant said.

“We’ve had, kind of, a large-scale pattern shift,” Bryant said.

But the shift and high temperatures, while warmer than normal, were not particularly unusual, Bryant said. “There’s places in the Midwest that can do this in 24 hours. It can seem pretty dramatic, but in North America this time of year, things can change pretty rapidly.”

The pleasant highs are expected to last until late Tuesday, Bryant said. After some clouds roll in Tuesday night, rain may fall Wednesday night, and a chance of light rain with highs around 60 degrees is expected for the rest of the week.

“That’s the thing about this time of year when you get warm, sunny weather,” Bryant said. “It probably won’t last for too long, so enjoy it while it lasts.”