Weather Eye: High pressure off coast keeps rainfall at bay

Boy, I have to tell you looking at forecast models Monday I still do not see any rain reaching Clark County. There will be several weak weather systems moving through southern British Columbia but little chance right now of any rain locally.

Currently we have an inversion with warmer air aloft and cooler temperatures here at the surface so fog and low clouds are present. With the weak sunshine this time of the year it can be slow to burn off in some locations.

We’ll keep the highs and lows in the 50s and 30s, respectively, this week. There was some hope for showers later in the week or this weekend but forecast charts indicate the high pressure off our coast will build even stronger. Gads, I’m trying to remember if I have ever seen a pattern like this in late October and early November. It is possible we get no rain until Nov. 15 or beyond. Certainly nothing notable.

Ski resorts were excited a few weeks ago when they had a foot or two of snow on the ground. Timberline even opened a couple of ski runs for a few hours. Alas, that was just an autumn tease.

The persistent high pressure is the result of the warm blob of water in the Gulf of Alaska. It was thought earlier it would dissipate, now who knows? The high pressure off our coast and a large cold trough of cold air over and east of the Rockies stretching clear into the Midwest have everything locked up.

These types of weather patterns are difficult to dislodge and tend to change ever so slowly over time. So, until I can see something changing globally, it is status quo. Of course, once a parade of storms moves in, we can catch up quickly.

Last year November was on the dry side with only 2.43 inches of rainfall, 3.5 inches below average. In 2017 and 2016 we were above average and 2015 and 2014 were below average. If that is any kind of a pattern, perhaps we would be below average this year.