Pleasant May

Friday May 12

Summer-like pattern arrives this weekend, with plenty of sunny, warm days to follow afterward.  Let’s take a peek.

The much advertised ‘heat’ is setting up for the weekend, and possibly early next week.  Temps could reach 90 or better in some locations, but we do not foresee that level of heat for more than two afternoons.  Don’t take this wrong, it will remain pleasantly warm for a couple of weeks, it’s just that we don’t see a 'classic heat wave' (3 consecutive days of 90 or more in the shade) developing this time around.  

We will also be having periods of thunderstorm cells forming along the Cascades & over eastern OR, WA & ID through Tue, as well.  Reason: a Low will spin along the OR coast - moving north (unusual) - setting off muggy conditions and the storms.  Later in the forecast period - as in the week before Memorial Day holiday weekend - a greater chance for wide-spread boomers will return.

Later next week, an onshore breeze will pick up a bit, cooling the afternoons down a few degrees from ’too hot’.  The following weekend and thereafter through at least May 29th looks DRY (excluding the east side thunderstorms, as noted above), with westerly breezes holding temperatures in the pleasant range for outdoor activity & farming.

NOTE:  Your host will be on a remarkably dry, warm and probably rain-free cruise to Alaska starting this weekend (route image below).  These days, ships have wifi available, but often it is NOT fast enough to load the wx model datasets required to prepare your forecasts.  SO, if you do not find an update here on Mon & Fri next week, that is the reason.  It took me until my 70th year of life to have this opportunity.  Good thing is, long-range PNW weather should be stable and welcoming for all, so missing a couple forecasts should be fine.  Yes, we’ll drop an image or two here once we return!