Not the most optimistic day on the calendar, and a Monday, too?  Nonetheless, life is worthwhile with a good Mug in hand.  

The tag line this morning really does describe the overall wx pattern for the next couple of weeks.  Nearly all of the threats for showers will take place over the far NW corner of the great PNW.  The rest of the region should remain dry, with periods of cool temps & warm temps to mix things up.  As of this morning, the next 'broad impact' rain storm will arrive after Friday Apr 26.  Let’s run down the details.

Today through Wed Apr 17, a cold front will clip the Puget Sound area.  Temps will cool considerably as compared to the past couple of days.  A Puget Sound shower or two is possible (rain/snow over Montana).  For the rest of us, some cloudiness and cool temps.  FROST may hit Wed morning, if the sky clears in your location, esp north of Portland and into the eastern basins.  The brisk WEST wind in the Columbia Gorge will switch over a notable EAST wind later in the week.  As the weekend nears, expect warmer temperatures in OR, with a NE wind clearing the clouds away.  Lots of sunshine.

The coming weekend is trending dry & mild.  Temps are not looking quite as warm as previous forecasts predicted; still a decent weekend overall in OR; another cold front will clip the Puget Sound area, so don’t expect Spring type weather in that zone.  Clearing for all the PNW late Sunday, setting up a pleasant start to the week of Apr 22-26.

Earth Day - Apr 22 - looks dry, but not as warm as expected.  60s probable; upper 50s around the Puget Sound.  Wed Apr 24 should be the warmest day that week.  Another “corner clipper” cold front, this time with a fair amount of moisture, will hit the Puget Sound again on Thu Apr 25; mild and dry in OR.  Fri looks dry, mild for all.

The weekend of Apr 27,28 is trending as damp, cool and cloudy.  The first Spring storm in quite some time arrives on Mon Apr 29, setting up a wet week to end April and start the month of May.  Let’s see how this all pans out.  

Well, our previous forecast sure was wrong for western WA the past few days; let’s hope the models and the interpreter do better this time.  At least the morn’n coffee is hot.

A Low off the southern coast of OR is slowly moving south, wrapping moisture northward, so expect some precip over OR today, and chance for a few thunderstorms from Eugene south on into Saturday.  NW WA & BC will catch the break from rain; California will not.  It will be warmer, too, around the PNW given that southerly flow aloft.  Sunday looks dry & mild.

Next week will present another COLD Low moving down the BC coast, so expect showers & CHILLY temps later Mon & Tue.  Snow level could drop to 2,000 ft.  Clearing by Wed morning, with a risk for FROST, should the sky clear in your area.  An east wind will pick-up mid-week, esp through the Columbia River Gorge.  Late week, temps will warm quickly (Spring again!), with increasing cloudiness by Sat and the chance for a warm stray shower here & there.  Overall, though, next weekend is trending quite MILD & mostly dry.

“Earth Day” - Mon Apr 22 - is looking warm, with temps in the 70s in many locations; as is Tue the 23rd.  However, the whole pattern shifts again back to cold & wet on Wed Apr 24.  Showers & cool Thu.  Friday that week is trending warmer with clearing.  The last weekend of April may be cool & damp (same for CA).

Overall, classic April wx appears on tap for the balance of the month - a few warm afternoons, with plenty of sunshine, mixed in with a few damp, cool afternoons.

'Blocked sunlight' day, in many locations east of the Rockies.  For the PNW, improving wx conditions will be the story.  Mug time.

A cool, wet system will skirt much of western WA & BC today and early Tue, while the rest of the PNW will remain dry, with a few clouds.  Warmer, dry conditions are on tap for the week, with sunshine up & down the west coast by mid-week.  Temperatures will be pleasant - in the upper 60s to low 70s probable.  

By the coming weekend, a system will skirt southwest of the PNW coast, ushering in a few clouds (moving up from the south) on Saturday Apr 13.  Rain from this storm will impact northern CA, with an increasing chance for showers and/or thunderstorms moving north into OR & WA overnight Sat into early Sunday.  It will clear off later on Sunday the 14th.

The week of Apr 15-19 is trending COOLER, with a cold front moving down the BC coast Monday.  Current charting indicates a chilly shower period for Mon & Tue, Apr 15,16, with clearing from the north by Wed.  Cool temps over WA on Wed; a bit warmer for OR & ID.  Dry conditions remain on the charts for the balance of the week, with temps rebounding into the 60s & 70s to end the week.

Weekend of Apr 20,21 is looking dry and mild.  Some cloudiness over NW WA, but no rain is foreseen at this time.

After that pleasant weekend, indications are for a wet, cool week to follow (Apr 22-26).  

Frost east side this morning; nearly so in west side locations.  Today, Friday, should be fairly decent & mostly dry.  Additional showers and slightly cooler temperatures will arrive tomorrow, Apr 6 and slowly improve on Sunday.  Our current ‘chill snap’ will yield to an excellent stretch of Spring weather across much of the PNW, although it will take a couple extra days for the far north corner over Vancouver Is and north Puget Sound area to catch up with OR & ID.

Models chart mild-to-warm conditions for OR, SW WA & ID beginning Mon Apr 8 and lasting well through the following weekend (Apr 13,14).  Yep, excellent wx will Spring forth for outdoor activity & agricultural ventures.  Right now, the warmest days (70s) next week are charting for Wed & Thu Apr 10,11.  Cooler by Fri, as an onshore flow will increase, as will cloudiness over the Vancouver Is, southern BC & NW WA.  A weak system is modeled to clip that area.  However, by Sunday Apr 14 - warm (70-77), pleasant temps are probable up and down the entire west coast, including V Island.

Early the week of Apr 15 (Mon & Tue) is looking mild-to-warm for all locations, with the next cool, possibly damp, cycle getting into place around Wed that week.   Lots of variability in model solutions that far out, so we can expect adjustments.  For now, plan on a decent stretch of dry & MILD April weather beginning this coming Monday the 8th, lasting on through Apr 16 (remember, this starts a few days later for north Puget Sound region).

Total Solar Eclipse - Monday Apr 8: wx continues to look mostly cloudy along the TX portion of the Eclipse path, but the weak front bringing in the clouds (and showers) may hold off long enough to allow decent viewing in locations to the NE of TX - such as AR, IL, IN, OH. 

Monday - April Fool’s Day - 2024

Chilly temperatures return soon, essentially stopping pleasant outdoor activities, gardening, farming.  How long will the chill last?  Let’s take a peek.

Enjoy the next two days, Mon & Tue Apr 1,2.  Temperatures will be warmer than the weekend, with Tue highs likely to tease into the low 70s in many west side locations, esp western OR & SW WA.  Light breezes.  Fortunately, added daylight hours will give everyone the chance to continue the enjoyment of being outside in the great PNW.  That changes overnight Tue.

A cold front will move into the PNW, and on down to CA, by Wed Apr 3.  Around the region here will be some rain & showers - generally less than 1/4” total at valley levels, and another shot of fairly low elevation SNOWFALL.  Coastal hills & Cascades foothills down to 500 ft could get a dusting of The White.  The main frontal energy of the April Chill will shift south into CA, so Patrons there will chill down, as well, and get more rainfall & Sierra snow.  For the PNW, the risk for a FROST pops up Fri morning, Apr 5, if the sky clears in your area.  Protect sensitive plants and seedlings.  Friday may end up mostly dry & chilly.

The coming weekend (Apr 6,7) looks chilly with showers likely on Saturday.  Sunday may mirror Friday’s wx, including the risk for morning frost.  

No Joke.  All indications are for a return to dry & WARM wx beginning Mon Apr 8.  Clouds and a few showers may remain over NW WA & southern BC on the 8th, but the rest of the PNW will turn sunny & mild.  Wed & Thu, Apr 10-11, are trending the warmest of the week, with temps into the low 70s possible.  Tad cooler on Fri Apr 12; Sat too.  NO RAIN on the charts for the 9th through Sat the 13th.

Long-range charts suggest a Low will move into northern CA on Sunday Apr 14, with moisture spinning into southern OR as far north as Eugene.  This type of pattern often leads to thunderstorms.  We’ll see.  Still, dry & mild on Sun Apr 14 from Eugene north into BC.  Great pollination weather for tree fruits. Honey up, bees!

The week of Apr 15 - 19 is trending dry Mon, then turning WET Tue through Thu the 18th.  Temperatures will remain mild.