Weather Eye: Hot temps hang on, but cooler days will return

Four days in a row with highs at 90 degrees or better here in Vancouver. Friday a record high of 90 degrees, Saturday a record high of 93 degrees, 92 degrees on Sunday, falling short of the record of 94 in 1939, and 91 degrees on Monday. One could see towering cumulus clouds to the east building over the Cascades. A thunderstorm was moving through Monday evening.

More warm weather in store today through Thursday with highs in the 87- to 92-degree range. If we reach 90 degrees on Wednesday it would be short of the record 93 degrees in 2008. However, Thursday’s record high of 88 degrees back in 1963 is certainly in jeopardy. Isn’t this crazy we are talking about record high temperatures in May?

It is early in the season to have such hot weather. I was glancing at our foothills and Silver Star Mountain to the east Saturday and the areas of snow still left in view. With that heat I bet it was melting quickly, watering the influx of wildflowers up there.

Getting back to those easterly winds. I believe we would have at least tied the record high of 94 on Sunday but the winds increased stronger than Saturday. As I have mentioned before, if the east wind blows with gusts in the 35-40 mph range, it has an effect on the temperatures to causing them to peak earlier in the day and level off.

On Saturday winds were ideal for heating us up and also the coast with highs in the 90s. Record highs occurred at Astoria, Ore., and along the Long Beach Peninsula. I chuckled because I heard a few people in the grocery store on Saturday saying well at least it is a “dry heat.” Dry it was with humidity in the teens. But still sweltering.

As we endure a few more days of warm weather, the humidity will be much higher and the 88- or 90-degree highs will feel warmer than they are. Want relief? It’s coming this weekend as we drop back in the low 80s and next week, we trade hot and dry high pressure for another trough of cooler air from the north. Highs in the 70s are in sight.