With a southerly flow of air Saturday, ahead of another weak weather system, our skies had some haze and smoke that obscured the beautiful blue skies we enjoy.
It was only temporary, however, as the winds were expected to shift from the northwest and blow the smoke off to the east.
I remember as well as you do, probably, the dense wildfire smoke from the Columbia River Gorge four years ago on this date. That was the worst I had ever seen in it here.
The same weather pattern continues, with storms sliding by to our north. Another one came by Friday night and early Saturday, bringing showers to the northern part of our state.
In an interesting twist, we have another chance of showers midweek as a cutoff low off the California coast swings northward. Rain from California? No worries: It is still in the “chance” category.
Sooner or later, the jet stream will begin to sag southward, and we will get some beneficial rainfall. It’s just a matter of time, folks.
And it should be a sign of things to come, considering the entry of a La Niña weather pattern. You will be hearing a lot about this in the coming months as more winter predictions begin to fly with the autumn breezes.
The new almanacs are hitting the newsstands. They are always a fun read, especially on a windy and rainy day, cozy on the couch with a crackling fire (or a not-so-crackling one if you have a gas fireplace). Of course, first we need a good rainy day for that to happen.
I guess I’m ready for fall and winter, with more hours of darkness. Maybe I can get more writing accomplished. I really enjoy the crisp days and brisk breezes. I don’t enjoy the endless hours of rain quite as much, but I guess that goes along with the territory.
Meanwhile, we still have more 80-degree weather over the next few days.
Take good care, and we’ll chat on Tuesday.
