Weather Eye: We’re catching up in rainfall but have a long way to go

Let’s catch up and see how much rain fell in September around the area, from your friends and neighbors:

Rob Starr, Cougar, 9.31 inches; Jim Knoll, Five Corners, 4.62 inches; Judy Darke, Felida, 3.67 inches; Chuck Houghten, Hockinson Heights, 5.89 inches; Tyler Mode, Battle Ground, 4.60 inches; Bob Mode, Minnehaha, 3.78 inches; Irv St. Germain, Prune Hill, 4.43 inches; Ellen Smart, Ridgefield, 3.80 inches; Claudia Chiasson, Carson, 5.25 inches; Murphy Dennis, Rawson Road, 6.93 inches; Barry Fitzthum, Amboy, 6.49 inches; William Sobolewski, Livingston Mountain, 5.24 inches; Dick Lenahan, Meadow Glade, 4.32 inches; and Dave Campbell, 1 mile west of Heisson, 5.83 inches.

The official rainfall for Vancouver was 3.87 inches, 1.43 inches above average.

Finally, we had a good month in September that was catch-up time in the rainfall department, but we still have a huge way to go. So far, October has underperformed, with only .83 of an inch in the rain gauge in Vancouver as of Saturday afternoon. That is 1.50 inches below average.

We have another storm arriving today, and rain should increase as the day goes on, but what looked impressive a couple days ago has again fizzled. I was thinking at least one-half inch to an inch of rain. We will trend that down to about a quarter-inch or so here in the city. The foothills score better, as usual.

Monday and Tuesday, we have a break. The forecast models insist that finally, the rainstorms will come in like gangbusters and we’ll get a couple inches of rain later in the week through the weekend. It could get windy as well. Of course, we’ll take another look in Tuesday’s column.

We managed to reach 68 degrees Saturday afternoon, which is finally a high that is above average, thanks in part to a mild southerly breeze.

I mentioned recently that Saturday would be a good day to visit the pumpkin patch. I understand that most of the county dashed out, and a couple of patches were absolutely packed with kids, with parents in tow. Making memories, folks.