Weather Eye: Fall, pumpkin spice weather is nearly here

Are you ready for a taste of fall? I know most of you would welcome a little rain and cooler temperatures to go along with your pumpkin spice beverages. Our highs have lowered into the 70s. As more clouds arrive Friday and Saturday, we may remain in the 60s.

We managed to get .06 of an inch of rain early Monday morning. Enough to make the streets slick but too little to settle the dust or water the lawn and garden. We do have the first autumn storm system dropping down from the Gulf of Alaska. However, forecast charts on Wednesday indicated the brunt of the storm would remain off our coast, possibly slipping southward.

I believe we get enough of a push with some energy arriving over our area Friday and Saturday. Rainfall amounts at this point appear on the light side. Maybe, as on Monday, a quarter- or half-inch of rain would be ideal. We’ll have to see what develops, but at least the Great Weather Machine is slowly cranking up for the fall season.

One year ago, we had a couple of days with heavy rain on Sept. 18 and 19. Do you remember? Nearly 3 inches of rain was recorded. We had 1.47 inches Sept. 18 and 1.35 inches Sept. 19. It looked like the rest of the month would be a soaker, but high pressure built in, and we enjoyed more nice fall weather.

It is too early for the fall rainy season to set in so don’t despair if we get a couple of showery days. There will be more nice days coming our way, though I doubt any hot weather, but looking at the old record books Wednesday for Vancouver, I saw 90-degree days and easterly winds through the end of September.

The latest 90-degree day of the season in Vancouver was Oct. 1, 1988, when we had 90 degrees. No other 90-degree days in October. The record highs the remainder of October are in the 80s and then in the 70s by months’ end.

That means sweater weather is around the corner. Oh, and maybe the rain slicker and umbrella.

Take good care.