Weather Eye: Fair weather expected for family gatherings until Friday

We managed to stay above freezing early Monday morning as variable high and middle clouds moved overhead. That reduced what little benefit we got from the sun in the afternoon, and Vancouver recorded a high of only 46 degrees, several degrees below average. Our morning low was exactly on target, at 37 degrees.

It still felt like winter to me even without the easterly winds. Nice views of the mountains earlier Monday, with Mount Hood sporting a mantle of white, but many of the rocky surfaces appear thirsty for their winter covering.

Nature will dish out some light rain today, between a tenth and a quarter of an inch, as we mentioned in Sunday’s column. Not much, but it is a start. Wednesday through Thanksgiving Day we have fair weather for the family gatherings. No weather worries until Friday, when we could see light rain late in the day.

Another more potent storm arrives over the weekend, and if the latest forecast charts are correct, snow levels will drop below the Cascade passes. We should get enough to cover those rocky spots on Mount Hood and St. Helen’s. Not enough to start the ski slopes back up, but it may be a sign of things to come when December arrives later next week.

The weekend storm may give us a half-inch of rain in our foothills and lesser amounts in the lowlands. Hopefully we get closer to normal for the month. Our string of dryness ended Monday at 14 days without measurable precipitation. The Portland airport broke its record going back to 1940. Seattle broke its record for consecutive dry days in November, with 14 days as of Monday. Its old record was 13 days in 2000.

I might mention that when colder air aloft arrives Sunday, the early part of next week looks cool and showery, with snow levels down to our foothills. Could we be flirting with snowflakes here at city levels? Maybe. I know some forecasters are eyeing a possible major change as that warm ridge of high pressure retreats.