Unusual...Year?

Well after a very cool Spring in the Northwest, it appears the pattern that brought the low pressure right over the Pac NW has not dissapated. The average July temperature in Seattle is 75.3 and it has been a full degree below normal through the first half of the month (74.1).

So what is this "pattern" you ask?? Well in meteorology an often used term for cooler and wetter weather is what we call a trough. The atmospheric flow in the upper levels of the atmosphere roughly follows a wavelike pattern with a bulge upward (to the North) being a ridge and a bulge downward (to the South) being a trough. The trough is associated with low pressure and the ridge is associated with high pressure. As many of you know, High pressure brings us the warm and sunny weather. The low pressure brings us showers and clouds. Here is an example of a forecast map with the ridge and trough.

Clicking on the image you can see the ridge over the central pacific and the trough over the west coast. Well this pattern has not changed much over the past few months and it looks like it won't change for the next week either.

It's unfortunate because this is the driest time of the year for the Northwest (and warmest).

The climate prediction center produces forecasts out to 14 days and here is what they have predicted

This is for the 6-10 day

 And here is the 8-14 day stretch. As you can see, the west coast remains cooler than normal and the central/eastern parts of the country remain well above normal temperatures.


Now I want to take some time and talk about Oxnard, CA weather. I have learned a few things about the local weather here that make me very excited about the next couple of weeks. No, there won't be any major weather occurences, in fact, it is just the opposite. It is going to get nicer :)

Around this time of year the weather is quite temperate. Mornings start off with a marine push that moves a large layer of clouds overheard. By about midday the clouds start to burn off and a cool seabreeze starts that helps temperatures to not exceed the low 70s. With a higher humidity it feels like 80, very pleasant for myself.

In a few weeks the monsoon season for Arizona begins to break down and higher pressure moves in to the four corners area of the US and this brings warm, desert air over the coastal mountains, preventing that morning marine push. What that means?? Clear and sunny all day long. And that continues for weeks into September and October when the Santa Ana winds pick up.

I'll have another post next week as I begin my volunteer internship at the National Weather Service!!