The WxCafe™

Mix of Chilly & Mild

Posted by Rufus La Lone on April 21, 2025

Monday April 21

Good morn’n, Patron. We’ll get this weather week started. Ready?

Dry this week until overnight Fri, with temps warming into the 70s mid-to-late week. Per normal, the Puget Sound region may run a few degrees cooler than SW WA and OR. Possible for temps to top 80 in southern OR on Thu. Outdoor delight.

A cooler, wet pattern is on the charts to arrive overnight Thu into Fri, with some steady rain and/or lots of showers through late Saturday; Sunday should turn mostly dry, with a few clouds, depending on how rapidly the Low shifts to our east. Friday’s cold front will bring moisture to the eastern basins and ID, possibly with some snow in the higher terrain.

The last few days of April do look DRY, except for a quick shot of rain/showers over the Vancouver Island and northern Puget Sound area next Monday afternoon Apr 28 and early Tue the 29th. SW WA and OR will be dry all that week until Fri May 2. Temps in the 60s & 70s.

The first weekend of May 2025 looks to follow the pattern of the coming weekend, with damp wx starting Fri and holding through Saturday, as another cold air mass (for May) drops in for a visit. NOTE: Sunday May 4 may present FROST in the morning, if the sky clears in your location.

We see the potential for a chilly week Sunday through Sunday, May 4-11, with temps running below normal and risk for frost, should the sky clear. This pattern will depend on the upper-level air flow, which is trending from the NW with cold air support. Just a ponder point for now, so don’t spill your Mug if it doesn’t happen.

A quip from 2006: “Science has not yet discovered how the birds know exactly when we've washed our car."

-Rufus

Read more →

Wrapping Up April

Posted by Rufus La Lone on April 18, 2025

Good Friday 2025

Fair weather continues, with a few short-term downturns, during the second half of April. Refill and read on.

The weekend will trend cooler because of a trough of colder air moves south along the BC coast, arriving on Easter Sunday. Showers can be expected as early as tomorrow, although just dust-buster amounts of precip. There’s a greater chance for widely scattered showers on Easter Day, with cool temps, as stated.

Next week looks fairly cool early on, with some periodic cloudiness, but it should warm up several degrees by late week. One of the ’new’ twists on the charts is for moisture to arrive from the SW on Fri Apr 25 - this type of pattern MAY set up a chance for thunderstorms, esp along the western slopes of the OR Cascades. Whether or not there will be boomers, it looks like measurable precip is possible on Fri & Sat, Apr 25th & 26th. Sunday the 27th should be dry and mild.

The final days of April 2025 look dry & mild for OR and most of WA, although a system may clip the coast of BC & northern Puget Sound region Tue night through Fri May 2.

The first weekend of May is trending damp, esp on Sunday the 4th. Temperatures are likely to cool down several degrees for a couple of days to get the week of May 5-9 underway. Early yet, but we could return to a run of 70+ temps & sunshine by May 8.

"Tourists visit Washington DC as if it were a zoo - that’s where they shoot the bull, the buck is passed, and you get a bum steer."

Timely historical fact: Rufus was one of the sons of the man, compelled by the Romans, to help carry the cross for Jesus (Mark 15:21).

-Rufus

Read more →

Steady

Posted by Rufus La Lone on April 14, 2025

Monday April 14

Generally, steady wx ahead, as previously reported, with the daily temperatures trending cooler for the second half of the month.

Excellent Spring weather this week, with plenty of sunshine, mild temps (60s-70s), although turning rather breezy mid-week, as an onshore flow increases. Still, favorable farming conditions; soils will remain workable.

Cooler air mass will work into the mix as Easter weekend nears, but Good Friday will not get as cool as expected. Easter morning looks on the chilly side, with a chance for a shower here & there in the afternoon, esp north of Portland. Probably not as sunny as previous afternoons.

The week of Apr 21-25 continues to chart as DRY, although cooler then our current week. We could pick up some cloudiness on Fri the 25th. Increasing clouds during the last weekend of April, with the first chance for widespread measurable precipitation arriving late Sat or early Sunday the 27th.

Turning a bit warmer during the last few days of April. Dry.

Caribbean Sea sunset, between the Cayman Islands & Jamaica March 25 (Photos by Rufus)

-Rufus

Read more →

Going Dry

Posted by Rufus La Lone on April 11, 2025

Friday April 11

Plenty of dry, mild Spring days ahead. Easy forecast, so let’s "get ‘er done”. ☕️

Cool weekend, with cloudiness & occasional shower - mainly over the Puget Sound region - on Saturday. Clearing, with CHANCE FOR APRIL FROST around the PNW Sunday morning. Protect any young plants, if possible. Sunday afternoon will be warmer, and that delightful warmth will only increase during the coming week.

Indeed. Dry & mild conditions around the entire PNW though all of next week. Temps should range from the 60s to lower 70s, with the warmer reading in the usual spots around southern OR, etc. Willamette Valley will enjoy 70+ at times next week. Slight cooling late week, with a weak ’trough’ moving over the Puget Sound again on Good Friday, Apr 18.

Easter Weekend continues to chart as dry, but definitely on the chilly side of Spring, esp compared to next week. Some cloudiness, at times. (Sunrise Services will be chilly, just like last year.)

The week of Apr 21-25 is trending DRY, and on the cool side, with a N-to-NE flow, keeping Spring warmth in check for a few days. Cool in CA, as well. Late week should present temps ~5 degrees warmer, as a ridge of High pressure is modeled to shift from the west over the region.

Early yet, but the last days of April 2025 are also trending as dry. Overall, great farming wx for the rest of April.

Graffiti Art of Cartagena, Colombia (photo by Rufus)

Colorful Street of Cartagena’s Getsemani District

(photo by Rufus)

-Rufus

Read more →

Some Dry Time Ahead

Posted by Rufus La Lone on April 07, 2025

Monday April 7

Fair weather periods ahead. Let’s take a forward view, shall we?

Off & on rain or showers will linger through most of Tue, then we should dry down for a couple of days. Another weak front will zoom on by late Thu evening into early Fri to end the week. The coming weekend is looking mixed, with areas north of Chehalis likely to have scattered showers, mostly cloudy; southern areas will be mostly dry, although continued cool.

Warming with plenty of SUNSHINE during the week of Apr 14 - Good Friday. Models suggest a quick shot of showers may push through Wed night, Apr 16, with some showers lingering over the Willamette Valley on Thu. Good Friday trends as dry.

Easter Weekend: charting dry & partly cloudy at times, with cool temps, esp around the Puget Sound.

We see chance for a few showers to start the week after Easter; cool temps continue. The region could warm up some as that week progresses, but it’s too early to peg a forecast.

Getting ready for photos with tourists. Cartagena, Colombia (photo by Rufus)

Statue of Virgin Mary in Cartagena Harbor, Cartagena, Colombia (photo by Rufus)

-Rufus

Read more →