August 06, 2010

The Big Chill

There is always that sense of regret and loss when the first frontal system makes landfall after the late July/early August dry spell and this year it is coming early. Take a look at the latest infrared satellite image below--you can see the clouds associated with this front quite clearly.
Today we had considerable clouds over the lowlands of western Washington and cooler temperatures. Tomorrow will be a substantial stop down. Clouds will prevail to the Cascade crest, particularly over the northern half of the state, and light showers should be on the coast in the am and move in during the morning over NW Washington, southern BC, and the north Cascades. Want to be dry--head east of the Cascades or go south. Camping in the Cascades..take a tarp,.

Here are some forecast precipitation maps from the latest computer forecasts, specifically the three hour rainfall ending 8 AM, 11 AM, 2 PM, and 5 PM. You decide what you want to do!

7 comments:

  1. Hmm, I actually love that first front. Possibility of 90+ is nearing an end.

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  2. i always remember some of the most amazing T-storms here in chehalis/centralia were in august. THey would just rotate over us for hurs. I would sit under the pation deck ( I KNOW dumb idea and watch them) but they were so cool!!!

    BTW.... 1 month until school starts here in chehalis... YES!!!!

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  3. Worst summer ever? Probably not, but in my 15 years here, this one is down at about #14. We get too caught up in the quantitative graphs (yeah it's been dry, but gloomy). How does the weather feel from a humanistic perspective? That's what interests me.

    It would have been nice to know that 'rain at times' really meant 'light, constant rain all day in Seattle starting at noon'. Thanks you NWS! Not that it would have changed my son's outdoor birthday party plans, but still I like to know what to expect, and these images blew it, imho.

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  4. Is it possible I saw sun dogs about 7:30 tonight when driving north from Portland on I5. The 'dogs' were at equal distances left and right of the sun, but not the full halo. I was at Mile Post 20. I could see them for several miles. The were red towards the sun and changed to orange away from the sun. The only other time I have seen them, is in Manitoba Canada, on very cold clear winter days.

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  5. Wednesday should be better. I need to soak up all the Vitamin D I can get to store up for fall and winter. By the way Probcast is down.

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  6. I think everyone is born with a supply of Vitamin D, which over life slowly diminishes. Every summer, levels come up a bit to have plenty of reserve for the winter.
    My cup is empty, and unless something changes, I'm going to be the first documented case of "Vitamin D Scurvy"!

    I want this disease named after me when I don't make it through this winter of La Nina. Waaaaa! :-(

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  7. Fortunately (for most of us, I'm assuming) it's looking now like we'll get another nice blast of summer later this week into the weekend. We might still get 90+ this year.

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