Vancouver managed to set yet another record high temperature Tuesday with 103 degrees, surpassing the old record of 97 degrees in 1926. In addition, I mentioned in Tuesday’s column that on Monday, Vancouver tied the record high of 100 degrees set in 1905 as of 5 p.m. The thermometer managed to inch up to 101 degrees so that is the new record for July 8th.
We have no worries updating the climate books in the near term as our highs are projected to be near 90 degrees plus or minus all the way through middle of next week. The average mean temperature in Vancouver is running over eight degrees above normal. The 90 degree warmth will still be close to the hot category for many. Some rural areas of the county may see highs a bit cooler in the upper 80s.
The brisk northwest winds helped cool us down to 91 degrees on Wednesday, some 12 degrees behind Tuesday’s record high temperature. Today we will see perhaps stronger northwest winds that may keep us from reaching 90 degrees, but it will be close. At least I see no cloudiness or rain on the way. The strong ridge of hot high pressure has shifted off to the east.
That is good news for eliminating the 100 degree stuff but puts us in a south-to-southwest flow of air in the upper atmosphere and could migrate the wildfire smoke over California our way. In addition, monsoonal moisture over the southwest will drift in this flow of air but any thunderstorms should remain east of the Cascades if they develop. Stay tuned if that develops more than models indicate; always something to watch if they drift westward over the valleys. We may see the humidity rise by the weekend making it feel slightly warmer than it is.
