Approaching 80

The coming dry cycle may present temperatures approaching 80 degrees.  Read on for the when, where, and what wx arrives beforehand.  

Briefly, expect clouds, plenty of showers and peeks of sunshine from now on through the last weekend in April; most of the precip will fall north of Chehalis, but all west side locations will be damp at times.  Temperatures will remain cool for late April.  

The next dry day will be Wed, May 1st, following clearing from the north late Tue Apr 30.  The latest model solutions have pushed aside the possibility for additional showers returning on Thu May 2 and opened the door for a high pressure ridge to begin building over the PNW, meaning dry, warm wx conditions heading into next weekend May 4,5.  Again, some model runs keep showers around heading into the first weekend of May, but we are seeing a trend toward an extended dry cycle, so that’s our call, right or wrong.  

Broadly, looks like sunny, warm Spring afternoons starting May 2 or 3, lasting on through Wed May 8.  Temperatures will likely pop into the upper 70s, even 80+ for some western OR locations sometime in the May 5 - May 7 period.  Slightly cooler temps return on Thu May 9, as a wet Low moves into the PNW from the west.  Mild, but showery, Fri May 10, with a pleasant Sat to follow.  Clouds increasing Sunday the 12th, with rain moving in from the north as that weekend ends.  

The timing of these patterns can change, but for now, plan on a nice stretch of 5 or 6 warm days coming soon.