Weather Eye: Marine air will bring end to our heat

Record heat continues, with another day in the 80s on tap for today. The good news is that cooler marine air will advance this evening, bringing more clouds and highs in the 70s Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday and Thursday, we will see highs in the 75-to-80-degree range.

Saturday’s 87-degree high here in Vancouver surpassed the record of 82 degrees in 1991. We have logged 10 days with highs at or above 80 degrees in October, which is unprecedented. Our average temperature is running 8 degrees above normal.

Looking ahead to next weekend, it still looks highly likely we will get some rain, but then again, will that be the beginning of our rainy season? I’m not that sure yet. However, it is the best chance so far this autumn.

Unfortunately, offshore winds have kept hazy and smoky skies overhead, not only here in the valley but all the way to the ocean beaches.

Speaking of the beach, there was quite a bit of smoke along the Long Beach Peninsula on Saturday, but I enjoyed a nice stroll with family along the warm ocean waters north of Ocean Park in the late afternoon, with temperate north to northeasterly winds that shunted the smoke away from the water’s edge. Imagine walking along the beach in mid-October at 85 degrees — kind of nice, but kind of scary weatherwise.

Another reminder: The Oregon Chapter of the American Meteorology Society will sponsor the 30th annual Winter Weather Forecast Conference at OMSI in Portland on Oct. 22. It is open to the public and will begin at 10 a.m. Meteorologists from across the Pacific Northwest will give their forecasts for the upcoming winter. What lies ahead as La Nina returns for a rare third consecutive winter?

We’ll chat again on Tuesday. Take care.