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By Gordon McCraw, Meteorologist for the Tillamook County Pioneer
The upper level low pressure area moved off east of the state overnight and was followed by a weak ridge that moved across today. This caused the showers to become more widely scattered. This evening the rain chance increases as the next upper level trough of low pressure approaches, so tonight’s forecast is for increased cloudiness, a chance of showers, light winds, lows near 56.
Tomorrow, a low pressure area develops near the Vancouver Island area, along the trough, and drops south during the day, bringing more clouds and an increased chance of rain, winds becoming northwesterly 5-10, the high near 63. We transition over to scattered showers tomorrow night that start to diminish after midnight as the low continues moving south of the area, the winds ease, lows near 52.
On Friday another weak ridge helps to dry things out, so we see mostly sunny skies, the winds becoming northerly 5-10, the high climbs up to near 73. We also see mostly clear skies Friday night, calm winds, lows near 55.
It looks like the low pressure area becomes stationary over northern California Saturday so we start out mostly sunny, the high again up near 73, then we see a westerly flow setting up that does give us some clouds and a chance of showers Saturday night, lows near 55.
Sunday on starts to become a little less certain. It appears another low pressure area will drop down from the northwest which would bring mostly cloudy skies with a chance of showers Sunday on into Labor Day Monday. The question is how close the low be when it moves inland, which drives how many showers we are looking at. For now, I favor a decent chance of showers on Monday and Tuesday, then conditions improve midweek as the low continues to move away from the area.
Wildfire Averages
Someone suggested we are seeing way more wildland fires. Well, here is a chart showing the yearly average is 1,186 and last year we had 889. The book on the 2023 fires is still being written but, here is the charting to show how we looked from 2013 through last year… also of note – human-caused fires vs. lightning.
