Wind Rain then Dry

Friday the 13th, December

Overall pattern has changed yet again, as is common in ’these here parts’.  Friday morn’n beverage ALWAYS tastes good. All set?  

To lead off, the main focus today & Sat will be just how strong the wind gusts will be.  The Pacific storm that we have went on-and-on about is approaching the PNW coast.  It will be a fairly strong system - models peg the center pressure at a moderately low 973-975 mb as it comes onshore over northern Vancouver Island.  Yes, just ‘inside the 130W’.  While the WA & OR areas will not be slammed too hard by the wind field, please note that gusts in the 30-40 mph range inland west of the Cascades will be likely.  Higher for Vancouver Is Patrons.  Hold your hat time.  A few isolated power outages should not be ruled out.  Coastal wind gusts a bit higher, per usual.  RAIN will be rather steady today through much of Saturday.  Oh, forgot - - the wind field will be delayed a bit with strongest gusts likely later Saturday.   Cool Sunday, with a few scattered showers early.

Monday & Tue Dec 16,17 next week look WET & breezy.  The long-lasting ridge of High pressure that we noted in the last discussion is now modeled to set up a day later, so Wed Dec 18 may still have a shower or two hanging around the PNW.  Expect DRY conditions to set up on the 19th, with east wind out of the Columbia Gorge pushing away any fog threat north of Salem; southern Willamette Valley MAY have periods of fog again.  Dreary Drat.  Strong east winds will prevail out of the Columbia Gorge mid-week, weakening by Sat Dec 21.  UP goes the heating bill!  (Note: Patrons on Vancouver Island (yes, we have several) are likely to have a few days of rain, esp over the northern half of the island.). There are a couple model runs that indicate rain the whole week of Christmas, but those charts are limited.  Just say’n.

Extended dry period (for December anyway) remains charted for Thu Dec 19 through daylight hours Christmas Day.  Expect moderate-to-heavy rain arriving after dark Christmas Day - from Brookings to Ketchikan.  A second storm follows on Fri Dec 27.

The primary change in the long-range forecast is that it will not be so wet next week.  We are keeping an eye on High pressure dome action around the North Pole - post Santa’s night.  Will the New Year usher in a cold snap?  Worth a ponder.

Another quip from a Community Center sign just west of Denver:  “Your debt will stay with you if you can’t budge it."