Chilly Weekend

So we heard today (via Wolf Read, the windstorm expert), that the anemometer up on Naselle Ridge near Long Beach was destroyed after recording a 140 mph gust Sunday night.   This would make for the highest recorded speed in the Northwest during the storm. Interesting to note that this is one of the few weather stations that was in existence during the Great Columbus Day Storm in 1962.
I showed some other pictures during the show that Steve Pierce took.  The blowdown of timber is very impressive along Highway 26 east of Seaside.

Now, on to our current weather.  Once again I thought talking about the storm was more interesting then spending a ton of time on our very benign weather pattern.  So I didn’t say much other than "cooler and drier" the next few days.
A nice system is moving into California tonight, which is pulling in slightly drier air from the north.  That cool northerly flow continues through the weekend.  One thing we won’t see is a strong east wind.  There is no huge area of high pressure descending on us the next 3 days…it really is more of a "drift".  An upper-level ridge offshore builds quite strongly over the weekend and early next week, but the amplitude isn’t too high.  So weak systems will move by to the north, but may not give us any moisture.  With systems moving by to the north though, that keeps strong high pressure from developing east of the Cascades as well.  All in all, pretty quiet.  Of course…since I just went out and finally bought a generator, that means calm conditions for the rest of winter?  We’ll see.

By the way, here is a link to Wolf Read’s N.W. Windstorm Page   You could spend many hours perusing past Northwest windstorms.  I’m sure in the next few weeks or months he’ll be adding this week’s storm…Mark Nelsen