The Weather Cafe ® by Rufus

Written by Rufus La Lone since 1994.

The Prelude

Posted by Rufus La Lone on

Monday June 30
Greetings.  Lots of Patrons switching to ice coffee, ice tea, etc as Summer weather finally grabs hold of the PNW.  The hot days early this week are the prelude to very uncomfortable Summer heat coming soon.  That said, the upcoming USA holiday wx will be right up there with the best of the best.  Curious?  Mug up and read on.
  • As stated, today & Tue July 1 look to be the hottest of this pre-holiday week.  90s will be common region wide; almost 90 around the Puget Sound.  A few thunderstorms may develop over the east slopes of the Oregon Cascades, as well.  Wed-Fri trends a bit cooler, but still notably warm outside.  (There is a chance a quick shot of clouds and foothill showers overnight Wed ONLY but limited to north Puget Sound.)  Pleasant overnight temps. 
  • 4th of July Weekend: exceptional holiday / camping weather!!  One of the best favorable stretches of holiday wx we can hope for in the great PNW.  Everyone will enjoy.  Temps in the 80s, with a comfortable onshore flow of ‘cool’ air.  Temps during local firework presentations are looking comfortable.  Oh yeah.
  • Post holiday week, July 7-11 begins the transition to HOT — and a potentially extended period of 90+ temps across the entire PNW, with triple-digit highs probable as July progresses.  
  • Weekend of July 12,13: a short break from the heat is possible, with an onshore breeze picking-up to allow for a decent break from the heat.
  • Week of July 14-18: temperatures ramp back up into the 90s in many locations; triple-digit highs in the eastern basins and southern OR.  Willamette Valley may hit 98-101, as well.

Bottom line: a string of 90 degree plus temps is looking more & more probable during the first half of July 2025.  Keep those irrigation pumps running; protect home landscaping, if traveling away for a Summer vacation.  NO precipitation is charting in the next 20 days or so (excluding the baby showers noted above Wed night, July 2).

“Children are about the only things in a modern home that have to be washed by hand."

-Rufus

Copyright © 1994-2025 - All Rights Reserved - The Weather Café ®
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On the Up & Up

Posted by Rufus La Lone on

Friday June 27
Temperatures will trend on the up & up over the next couple of weeks.  Be water-ready.  
That’s right, not much precip is charting as we head into July - per normal - but what is charting are increasing temperatures to the level of threatening 100+ degrees. at times.  We do see very limited chances for showers, primarily over the far NW corner of WA & Vancouver Island around July 5-8; plus the usual summer threat of thunderstorms along the eastern slopes of the Cascades and the eastern basins.  

  • This weekend: turning warm-to-hot, with plenty of sunshine.  Temps in the upper 80s to 90s.  100s possible in the usual hot spots.
  • Week of June 30 - July 4th: sunny & warm-to-hot Temps mostly in the 80s & 90s.  Cooling slightly by mid-week.
  • July 5,6 weekend: pleasantly warm; not too hot.
  • Week of July 7-11: turning partly cloudy with chance for a shower on Tue the 8th, mainly Puget Sound north, then heating up into 80s & 90s.
  • July 12,13 weekend: HOT.  Triple-digits possible in many locations, both sides of the Cascades. 

No ‘irrigating’ rainfall, so water managers will be busy.  Perfectly normal for July.  Small fruit harvesting will kick into gear.  Fire risk increasing.
“A noted guest speaker addressed his audience, ’Now before I start, I want to say something’."
-Rufus

Copyright © 1994-2025 - All Rights Reserved - The Weather Café ®
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The Search for Summer Heat

Posted by Rufus La Lone on

Monday June 23
As we head into the early portion of the Summer season, let’s search the models for heat-ups.  We have found some.  ☕️ Fill ‘er up, and take a look.
Bottom line for this week —> we’ll get some mid-to-high cloudiness, mild-to-warm temps, along with a chance for a small amount of precip in the Wed to Fri - period, primarily north of Portland.   However, by the weekend, temps will warm up into the 80s to lower 90s around the PNW, ushering in an extended stretch of Summer dry.
We do see a slight cool-down with increased onshore flow next Mon through Wed, June 30 - July 2.  Plenty of sunshine.  As the 4th of July approaches, the model solutions begin to vary, with some suggesting a cool Low and showers by the 4th; others point to continued warmth in the 80s to lower 90s.  For now, we’ll lean toward dry and summer warm.  
We also see a possible triple-digit heat wave developing during the week AFTER the July 4th extended weekend; especially Wed-Thu, July 9,10.  Water managers plan ahead, just in case.
“Children are unpredictable.  You never know how high up the wall they’re going to drive you.”  
-Rufus

Copyright © 1994-2025 - All Rights Reserved - The Weather Café ®
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A Return to Dry

Posted by Rufus La Lone on

Summer Solstice - 2025
Longest day of the year, and of course, it has to be the wettest period of the whole month. Go figure.
Cool & damp today through late Saturday.  ⚠️CAUTION:  there is a moderate chance for thunderstorms around SW WA & western OR during this period.  Cold air aloft, peaks of sunshine warming the surface, and boom -> a thunderstorm can form.  Gusty winds, lightning, hail all possible; stay safe!
Indications are that Sunday the 22nd should bring on drier conditions, although temps will run below normal.  
Next week will bring a return to sunshine, with the exception of Thu Jun 26, when a quick moving trough of cooler temps & showers cross western WA.  Temps next week should run in the lower 70s; breezy afternoons.  
The last weekend of June will present as dry, warm & summer-like, with temps topping out in the 80s in most locations; low 90s possible in southern OR and around Burns, OR.
July is now charting to start out dry, with some cloudiness over the far NW corner of WA and portions of BC at times.  Temperatures should run in the normal range for the first week or so.  The 4th?  Well, breezy with a fairly strong onshore flow; dry.  We’ll see.
“Those who can laugh at trouble must be having a hilarious time nowadays."
-Rufus

Copyright © 1994-2025 - All Rights Reserved - The Weather Café ®
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Wet Weekend Ahead

Posted by Rufus La Lone on

Monday June 16
A couple of wet days are now in the works, with continued mild temps holding on through the rest of June.  Here’s the latest outlook.
This week will remain dry until Fri, except for the slight chance for showers over the higher elevations of NW WA & southern BC.  An afternoon onshore NW breeze will also be in play.  When the Summer Solstice arrives this Friday, so too will be a cold front moving down the coast of BC; the front will be strong enough to set off showers on Fri and steady rain this Saturday for the entire PNW.  Temps will cool down into the 50s, for a rather chilly June weekend.
Next week will bring back dry conditions and sunshine, with morning marine clouds at times.  A weak system may clip the northern corner of the PNW on Fri the 27th, but right now, models do not indicate this one to be all that damp, mostly a cloud event for NW WA. The final weekend of June 2025 also looks dry, but on the cool side of summer.
In the long-range view, the first few days of July are trending WET.  (We’ve seen that ‘show' many times -> damp & cool until after the 4th of July.  Plenty of time for models to give us a clearer picture.)
“Since nobody in Congress reads 5,000 page bills, let’s slip in term limits."
-Rufus

Copyright © 1994-2025 - All Rights Reserved - The Weather Café ®
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