By Gordon McCraw, Meteorologist for the Tillamook County Pioneer
The onshore flow continues to moderate the temperatures west of the Coast Range as we return to the fair, and still very dry conditions. Yesterday’s front helped a little with rainfall totals from just a trace to around one tenth of an inch, at and near the coast. Tillamook Airport itself registered three hundredths of an inch. Behind the front we saw a zonal flow develop that enhanced the onshore flow that pushed in the marine clouds overnight, but they burned back leaving us with a mostly sunny day with high temperatures in the low 70s once again. Tonight, the stratus will likely stay offshore, and we see mostly clear skies, the winds die off and the low falls to near 53.
A weak ridge nears tomorrow, bringing sunny skies with the northwesterly winds 8-12, the high near 73, then a mostly clear night, with winds gusting to 18 tomorrow evening before diminishing tomorrow night, lows near 55.
Saturday things start to heat up as the ridge strengthens, winds more northerly 10-15, possibly gusting to 25 that evening, the high near 75, another mostly clear night, lows near 56.
The models are starting to mesh, showing the strong ridge drifting east towards the coast Sunday bringing sunny skies, the high temperature climbing to near 79 here, the gusty winds return that evening, aided by the temperatures climbing into the mid 90s over in the valley. Sunday night we see mostly clear skies with the low only down to near 61.
The ridge peaks on Monday and we have another sunny day, the high up near 80 here with high temperatures in the valley toying with 100 degrees in spots with some models showing the high climbing to around 105, another breezy evening, still with the mostly clear night, lows down near 56.
Tuesday the ridge weakens a little so high temperatures around 77 that afternoon, back into the mid 90s in the valley, another mostly clear night, lows near 58.
Wednesday the core of the ridge moves over the area, and we see another slight warmup with highs around 79 here, the highs in the upper 90s again in the valley.
Heat Safety
Looking at the long range forecast, it appears things don’t start slowly returning to “normal” until after Thursday of next week. As my friends at the National Weather Service point out, NOW is the time to evaluate your plans and preparedness for a multi-day period of high, dangerous heat. Some safety tips are:
- Never leave people or pets in a closed car on a warm or hot day.
- If air conditioning is not available in your home, go to a cooling center.
- Take cool showers or baths.
- Wear loose, lightweight, light-colored clothing.
- Use your oven less to help reduce the temperature in your home.
- If you’re outside, find shade. Wear a hat wide enough to protect your face.
- Drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated.
- Avoid high-energy activities or work outdoors, during midday heat, if possible.
- Check on family members, older adults, and neighbors.
- Watch for heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke.
- Consider pet safety. If they are outside, make sure they have plenty of cool water and access to comfortable shade. Asphalt and dark pavement can be very hot to your pet’s feet (and yours).
- If using a mask, use one that is made of breathable fabric, such as cotton, instead of polyester. Don’t wear a mask if you feel yourself overheating or have trouble breathing.
- Know the signs and actions for Heat Stroke and Heat Exhaustion.