Weather Eye: Weekend weather not looking as warm as hoped

Can you believe it was only 46 degrees at 2 p.m. in Vancouver on Monday? And that was with sunny skies in between those towering cumulus clouds. This isn’t January by any means but the average high for Jan. 10 is, yep you guessed it, 46 degrees.

I have good news and not so good news for you. The good news is we see warmer temperatures on the horizon and for the first time in ages, the next weather system Wednesday night and Thursday brings rain at the Cascades passes with snow levels rising above 5,000 feet.

The other news is our highs will not be in the 70s this weekend from what I’m looking at as of writing this column Monday afternoon. You may have seen the seven-day forecast earlier with 70s Saturday and Sunday. Forecast models keep the cool air close by so we expect highs in the 60s this weekend. Easter Sunday looks partly to mostly sunny and if we are blessed, highs in the upper 60s.

Every time I see an appearance in the forecast models showing a ray of sunshine, it has fizzled and winter has kept its tentacles upon us. Looking further out to the following weekend we could see another cold trough with low snow levels and way below normal temperatures. Say it isn’t so.

Our highs now should be around 60 degrees and we usually catch a few days in April in the 70s. Last year we reached 70 degrees by March 27. You do remember that brief but potent cold front that gave us snow last April 11? Snow amounts here in Clark County ranged from a couple of inches near the Columbia River to 4-7 inches in Felida and Salmon Creek and upwards of 11 inches in the higher foothills.

Everyone got snow and most areas had snow-covered roads at daybreak. Add in heavy wet snow on trees causing them to sag onto power lines made a frenzy of scattered power outages. It wasn’t only evergreen trees but newly leafed out deciduous trees that collapsed and snapped due to the heavy snow.

Let’s hope we don’t have a repeat this time around. I highly doubt it as that was most unusual. But then again, this year has been far from ordinary.

Take care.