As the holiday weekend
continues, the heat will
diminish by Sunday. Temps
should remain close to
yesterday's level for all
locations through Saturday
(maybe a few degrees cooler
Sat). Very comfortable for
firework displays - be CAREFUL
for fire hazards!
Sunday will begin the transition
into a 'nature's cooling'
program as weak upper trough
develops close to coast and
swings by next week.
There will be an increase in
morning marine clouds for many
western locations next week,
with possibility for some
scattered SHOWERS north of
Olympia by later Tues - Thur.
More dust-busters than mud
makers. HEAT will actually
INCREASE for a few days longer
for our ID and MT patrons next
week, as the ridge shifts
eastward.
Coastal regions and inland
valleys will be COOLER next week
and next weekend down the entire
west coast. Temperatures will
SLOWLY rise again by July 15 or
so for another 6 or 7 day run of
warm temps. It doesn't look as
hot as the current pattern -
just decent summer weather for
all. Excellent berry harvesting
weather!
Very WET pattern in store for SE
U.S. gulf states over the next
10 days.
SNOW
ROLLERS:
Nature's
way to
"mirror"
man-made
bails of
hay!
Cylindrical
masses
of snow
that
form
when
wind
picks up
snow
moist
enough
to be
cohesive
and
rolls it
down a
slope.
While
not
uncommon
in
mountainous
or hilly
regions,
it is a
bit
unusual
for this
late in
the
year.
[Adapted
from
Glossary
of
Meteorology, AMS
publication]
Snow
Rollers
from the
PNW! A
fellow
WxCafé™
patron
shared
this
info.
Image,
courtesy
of Tim Tevebaugh,
taken
March
31,
2009.
Please,
click on
this
NOAA
link for
the full
story.
HEAT WAVE: A period of abnormally and uncomfortably hot and
usually
humid
weather.
Back in
1900, A.T.
Burrows
defined a
'hot wave'
as a spell
of three or
more days
during which
the maximum
temperature
in the shade
reaches at
least 90
degrees F on
each day.
While more
recent
definitions
have been
tailored to
reflect
local
conditions -
that is, the
'comfort
criteria' is
dependent on
the normal
conditions
of the
specific
region, your
WxCafé™
prefers to
stick closer
to Burrow's
criteria.
[Adapted
from
Glossary of
Meteorology, AMS
publication]
A GLORY is a delightful
phenomenon formed when light
is scattered backwards by
individual water droplets.
The light source usually is
the sun. Glories are
visible directly opposite
the sun, centered at the antisolar point below the
horizon except at sunrise
and sunset. While an
observer’s shadow plays no
role in the phenomenon, it
provides an easy way to find
the antisolar point. This
is because shadows converge
on the antisolar point,
therefore, glories typically
accompanied by your shadow
or that of the aircraft you
are in.
Mountain climbers and folks
in aircraft see glories.
When the shadow itself is
oddly distorted by
perspective it is called a
"Brocken spectre".
The image here is that of a
brocken spectre taken in NE
England by photographer
Vincent Lowe (shown
w/permission) in February
2006. Wiki
Hopegill Head
for a look at this beautiful
‘fell’.
The sky this morning
(8/31/07 8:20 a.m.)
was striking. I
simply had to
capture the image.
Cirrus clouds are
ice-crystals at
altitudes generally
>20,000 ft. Some
cirrus formations
tend to foretell an
approaching warm
front.
DAY DEGREE
thus far in
2009
Comparison
of
cumulative
day degree
heat units
for January
through
April 30.
All
locations
shown are
now above
last year,
but still
far behind
typical
values, as
exemplified
by 2007
data.
Weather
model (GFS)
prog chart
for 850 mb
(5,000 ft)
temps next
Monday,
March 9
morning.
COLD air
from the
north
threatens
the PNW yet
again.
Dew
Point (dp sat morning image) forecast for early Saturday morning, Dec 20. If skies clear, surface temps can fall to or near dew point. Model progs dp temps ranging from 5 F to 15 F OR north to WA.
Air at approx 5,000 ft (850 mb image) forecast to range from 16 F in southern OR to a very cold -15 F over Lynden.
Cumulonimbus
cloud over
Lynden WA
(image by
Rufus)
French Hornet Invasion
Being an
entomologist, one cannot resist comment on
this story. The Vespids, hornet family of
insects, apparently entered the western
European region by 'hitchhiking' on ceramic
pottery from China. Many species of insects
have established populations in new
geographic regions of the earth by
inadvertently being transferred with the
movements of humanity. Global Warming is NOT
in play here. Conditions in Europe are
favorable for the survival and territorial
expansion of this species in the region.
Had the hornet piggybacked a ride to France
100 yrs ago, the species could still have
survived and migrated across the region. Oh
yeah, did you also hear this week that
global warming is blamed for elevating
children's fevers? You get my point.
"I have been able to prepare my bee
hives for up coming storms and keep them
alive with the information you provide.
Thank you for sharing weather reports
that I trust and don't have to filter
through all the media drama."
-beekeeper in the Snoqualmie Valley, WA
"You are a focal point of our week, for
all us farmers. We quote you, celebrate
or bemoan the good/bad news of weather
that is to come from your uncanny
weather predictions (we think you are
half animal, sniffing the air and
knowing what lies ahead!) We are
tickled by your beverage-speak, and the
little glimpses of your life that we get
in our weekly weather updates." -
Snoqualmie Valley Growers, WA
"Your sound ability to predict PNW
weather is uncanny. Your accuracy has
been shared quite a bit by my
co-workers, it has helped me in planning
trips and 'To-Do' items very well,
Thanks for the efforts!" -Portland
Oregon
"Just a quick "note" to say thank you!
Your forecasts have information of
value, but even more, they show a sense
of humor and personality. I appreciate
that in a person." -Gresham, OR
"You seem
to be the only weather person on the
continent who can intelligently predict
what's coming next. Thanks for the
website. We will definitely let OVS know
how much we enjoy the site. Hope they
keep you forever!" -Sarasota, Florida
"The more I travel and mention your
report, the more people say they have
been getting it and relying on it. You
are a great help to all of us in the
food business." -Los Angeles, CA
“Thank
you, Rufus. We speak of you as if
we know you: ‘Let’s see what Rufus
says on Monday’ and so forth. Your
work is esteemed. –Kent, WA
“It’s just
right, that is, concise, detailed enough
but not too wordy.” –Willamette Valley,
OR
“I
particularly like your forecasts because
they are not bogged down with details –
just straight and to the point with
enough humor to keep everyone
interested.” –Boring, OR
“I, for
one, really appreciate what you do!! I
actually plan my life around what you
write, and I haven’t been sorry once.”
–Corvallis, OR
Rufus - Finally a weather forecast I can
rely on to help me make better decisions for
my nursery.
Simple things like: should we take the poly
off the greenhouses today or just roll up
the sides; can we move the gunneras outside
yet, etc ... well let's go see what Rufus is
predicting.
Even when you aren't "dead-on" accurate the
trend is always just as you said and your
understanding of agricultural issues makes a
world of difference in the helpfulness of
your forecasts.
Thanks from Scappoose, OR
Dear Rufus,
I am really blown away how accurate and far ahead
your forecasts are.
Once again you announce a major weather event FAR in
advance, and the knuckleheads in the media wait
until it is upon us.
Why is that?
Over the last few years you have warned of several
major events far into advance.
Very good work!
Thanks again! -Salem, OR
Rufus graduated with
honors in Biology from California State University
Humboldt
and completed a Master’s degree in Entomology at
Oregon State.
Beginning in 1979,
Rufus has focused on developing environmentally
sound management programs for insects on small
fruits and stored grain products.
Since the early part of
his scientific career, Rufus has been an advocate
for the practical application of meteorology in the
life sciences. For nearly 30 years, he has prepared
weather forecasts for friends and colleagues.
In 1994, Rufus initiated his virtual Weather Café™.
The Weather Café™
provides uniquely informative long-range forecasts
for specific patrons in the PNW. It is a
free service for patrons from British Columbia to
northern California.
In the spring of 2005,
the Council of the American Meteorological Society
elected Rufus as a full member of the Society
– a long time personal goal.
Humboldt
and completed a Master’s degree in Entomology at
Oregon State.