Cooler Half

Greetings, Patron.  Another morning update, with coffee ready.  

Pleasant temperatures ahead next week as an onshore flow will tap down the summer heat.  This weekend will begin the cooler period, as well.  Coastal locations will have increasing morning marine clouds, and a cool onshore breeze.  Warm & dry for the next 10 days or so.  

The ’turn’ for moisture is now delayed a few days.  A Low pressure trough (mentioned last time) will move south of the coast during the weekend of Aug 17,18; then shift back north before slowly moving inland over western WA by the 20th.  A secondary Low will also develop, ushering in a greater chance for rain or showers Tue night and Wed Aug 20,21.  This could turn out to be a cloud event, rather wet, but either way, temperatures will be cooler-than-normal for August.  Thursday Aug 22 should be dry, with a few clouds.  More showers, or even a steady light rain, look probable on Fri the 23rd, on into the last weekend of Aug 24,25.

How long will the cool pattern hold?  Hard to tell right now, of course, but the position of the Pacific High that keeps us in a 'summer-mode' will shift farther west, opening the door for cooler air from the north to drop in along the ‘eastern flanks’ of the Pacific High.  Often this is referred to as a ‘dirty high’, with weak, damp Lows moving south into the PNW, or at least cooler air masses.   Should this verify, the last 10 days of August look ‘fall like’.  

The cooler pattern - and associated moisture - will greatly aid in fire fighting around the PNW.  Let’s hope it verifies.