Weather Eye: After transition to 70s today, enjoy 80-degree days

So much weather news, I forgot to share an interesting weather record with you on Sunday. Olympia had their dry streak running at 71 days Thursday when a dark cloud hovered over the rain gauge at the airport and deposited, are you ready? Only 0.01 of an inch.

That was enough to stop the long stretch of rainless days at 71. The previous record was 55 days back in 1960. Vancouver had a similar cloud linger over the official gauge on Aug. 6 and dropped only 0.02 of an inch, which is the total so far this month. Our period of rainless days was 51 days. Good job, Olympia.

OK, as mentioned here Sunday we struggled to reach 70 degrees Monday with the clouds and cool air mass. As of 5 p.m., we managed 70 degrees, some 11 degrees or so below average. We will repeat that again today before we once again get high pressure building in.

Wednesday we transition back in the 70s with sunshine and Thursday through Saturday we enjoy some 80-degree September days. Nice start to the long Labor Day weekend. But alas, on Sunday another weather system slides across British Columbia, bringing clouds and cooler weather. We bump the odds up to 50 percent for a chance of measurable showers. Mixed bag for the holiday. We’ll check that out again on Thursday and see if anything changes.

To illustrate how dry it has been, Phil Delany of Battle Ground pointed out this interesting fact. Monday the East Fork of the Lewis River measured at the gauge one mile upstream from the Heisson Bridge was flowing at a mere 36 cubic feet per second. That is as dry as he has ever seen it. With winter flooding rains it can reach 20,000 cubic feet per second. He also noted Yacolt Creek in Yacolt was nearly dry the other day. I have some reports that rural residents have had their wells dry up.

Assuming no measurable rain falls today, Vancouver has recorded only 2.53 inches of rain since May 1. And since Jan. 1, only 15.56 inches. No soaking rains are foreseen.