WEATHER SUMMARY FOR SOUTHERN OREGON AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA What a wonderful change of pace for us! The arrival of rain at long last has been just what fire fighters needed to aid them in the seemingly endless battle against the regions wildfires. Every part of our region got at least some rain, and some areas saw impressive numbers for September. Down in California in the Coast Range the amounts have been as high as 2/3rds of an inch already. We did have thunderstorms reported along the Northern California coastal areas yesterday afternoon and evening. Those storms did help produce locally heavier amounts of rain. In Southern Oregon we have seen over a half inch in the Coast Range outside Brookings. Further inland, the Onion Mountain RAWS, (Remote Automated Weather Station), which was saved by firefighters on Sunday has recorded nearly a half inch of rain in the last 24 hours. That has been wonderful news for the fire fighters there. Additionally, the very increased humidity along with cooler temps aided efforts on fires where they did not get that much rain. A very big blessing and relief indeed. Today the trough continues to pull through the Northwest. This will keep our wet weather continuing today. In fact, this is looking very much like a fall day as temps will be below normal in the 70s for most everybody and clouds will persist. The shower activity will be widespread throughout the region so we will continue to add to the rainfall totals already received. Be expecting possible thunderstorms near Brookings and Gold Beach and also inland in the Coast Range. Further inland there is a possibility for thunderstorms in Western Siskiyou County including the Happy Camp Complex of fires, in the Cascades, and east of the Cascades as a cold air pocket and associated instability comes through the area this afternoon and evening. The one big effect of the trough taking longer to clear the area will be the lack of clearing tonight east of the Cascades. This will keep you warmer overnight and eliminate the frost potential for tonight. The trough exits the area tomorrow and sunny skies with rising temperatures come in with a building ridge of high pressure. This will give us hot conditions for the weekend. The sun continues through the first part of next week....but it is the middle of next week where everything turns decidedly interesting! I told you yesterday that the models were all over the map giving us a very mixed bag in terms of what to expect next week. One main model had us continuing to be sunny and warm, but the other main model was showing a very significant rain maker coming at us. That model has gotten more resolved towards that solution, and now it is even showing that the first snows of the season could paint the highest terrain in Southern Oregon and Northern California. That would be places like Crater Lake Rim, Mt. McLoughlin, and Mt. Shasts. But, this is just one model and that is a long way out. Things could change. However, the other main model is now leaning just a bit more towards that outlook. I am not fully bought into this yet. I think the next 24 - 48 hours will really tell us the story. If the wet, and now even snowy projection is right...this is still not looking like it would be a fire season ending event for us just yet. But, it is certainly hinting at a very welcomed turn to a pattern that looks to produce more potential rainfall for us. And, that is part of what is needed to end a fire season. We need that pattern shift that will be giving us the potential for more moisture to arrive.
Posted on: Thu, 18 Sep 2014 14:19:58 +0000
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