Let’s catch up and see how much rain fell in April around the area from your friends and neighbors. Rob Starr, Cougar, 1.54 inches; Robin Ruzek, Lake Shore, 0.49 of an inch; Larry Lebsack, Barberton, 0.65 of an inch; Jim Knoll, Five Corners, 0.56 of an inch; Chuck Houghten, Hockinson Heights, 1.16 inches; Judy near Fargher Lake/View area, 0.84 of an inch; Tyler Mode, Battle Ground, 0.52 of an inch; Judy Darke, Felida, 0.44 of an inch; Bob Mode, Minnehaha, 0.48 of an inch; Irv St. Germain, Prune Hill, 0.55 of an inch; Rick Krahn, Camas, 0.45 of an inch; Ellen Smart, Ridgefield, 0.40 of an inch; Mike, just west of Fargher Lake, 0.70 of an inch; Claudia Chiasson, Carson, 1.23 inches; Barry Fitzthum, Amboy, 0.79 of an inch; and Dave Campbell, one mile west of Heisson, 0.77 of an inch. Our neighbor in Vancouver, B.C., Roland Derksen, recorded 1.85 inches. The official rainfall for Vancouver was only 0.33 of an inch, 2.68 inches below average. That was a new record for the driest April on record going back to 1896.
Most of the reports were less than 1 inch for April. Consider this for Cougar as reported by Rob Starr. The 1.54 inches in April was far below the normal of 9.58 inches. The total rainfall for the calendar year is 47.38 inches compared to an average of 121.41 inches. So yes, things have been dry even in the foothills.
A weak cold front was expected to move through our area Monday night resulting in less than a tenth of an inch of rain. Possible showers today and Wednesday before the atmosphere begins to settle down and the cold upper-level low slips southward. High pressure brings warmer and drier weather later in the week.
Forty-one years ago today, our weather was clear and sunny as Mount St. Helens erupted.
