The Banana Belt

Want to enjoy temperatures in the 70's and go sun bathing this weekend?...it is only a car ride away....head to the southern Oregon coast this weekend. The area around Brookings is known as the banana belt of the Northwest...and for good reason. Any time of the year...even in the dead of winter...if there is strong offshore flow the temperatures can soar as air sinks down the high terrain to the east...the Siskiyou Mountains (see picture). Air warms as it sinks, because higher pressure compresses air..and compression warms.
This weekend there will be very strong offshore flow over Oregon and the "Brookings Effect" will be seen in full force...take a look at the predicted temperatures on Saturday and Sunday from our local high resolution weather prediction model (see graphic). Sunday will be fairly warm everywhere and locally the hot spots will be near the western footfills of the Cascades. North Bend will be warmer than Sea Tac!
Thansgiving Day will be dry...with increasingly clouds during the afternoon. Rain that night.



For those living in the north end.....I will do a book signing at the Mukilteo Ivar's on Wed, Dec 3. from 5-7 pm. This restaurant has a whole section in my book....it was destroyed by an interesting local weather phenomenon...a Strait of Juan de Fuca westerly wind surge in October 2003. The rebuilt restaurant has taken on the storm as its theme...really fun place.