As of this writing Friday afternoon, Vancouver has achieved 18 days without measurable rainfall. That will change today.
That upper-level low we discussed earlier in the week will be moving overhead today, and with a warm air mass ahead of it, the atmosphere will become extremely unstable. This brings a high likelihood of thunderstorms and heavy rain showers.
Of course, these bands of moisture will be hit and miss, with some areas getting a deluge and others only light rain showers. I expect rainfall amounts to vary around the area, with a quarter-inch to a half-inch of rain in Clark County.
If you have a good thunderstorm move through your location, expect rain heavy enough to flood streets, hail and gusty winds to 50 mph — not to mention a good dose of lightning.
These upper-level lows have minds of their own as they wander northward and wiggle, so to speak, from west to east.
Today will be a heightened weather awareness day. It will be hot and muggy, with possible rains over an inch, hail and, of course, gusty winds.
As the storm passes to our north later this evening, the action will calm down and things will cool off.
Sunday will see plenty of cloudiness and a risk of an early-morning sprinkle. It still will be somewhat humid.
Next week keeps us mostly fair, but another trough — albeit a much weaker one — will drop down to pay us a visit.
Still, we’ll see a threat of low clouds and spotty drizzle or showers midweek. No hot weather is foreseen for the remaining days of August, and no heavy rains after today.
It will be an exciting weather day for us weather geeks. Others should remain cautious when the thunderstorms arrive. The old saying applies: “When thunder roars, stay indoors.”
Despite the cooler high temperatures of the past week or so, Vancouver is still running about 1.5 degrees above average. The cooler-than-normal trend will continue, so we may end up near normal or slightly below our average temperature.
Take good care, and enjoy your weekend. Be careful tonight, as roadways will become slippery and driving conditions could deteriorate.
