WeatherCatch: Desperately seeking sunshine in Inland NW
By Nic Loyd, WSU meteorologist, and Linda Weiford, WSU News
If you found yourself peering out a window with gritted teeth at another damp and gloomy day, join the growing club of sun cravers.
Perhaps you’re experiencing some weather-related whiplash as well.
On Wednesday last week, the Spokane area basked under sunny skies, a light breeze and a high of 77 degrees. Suddenly, the weather took a nosedive. By Thursday evening, a volatile cold front had moved in and parked itself over the Inland Northwest. Rain dampened softball fields and cool gusts of wind tossed budding apple blossoms. Peak winds clocked at 33 mph.
More shots of rain followed on Friday, when the air was considerably cooler. High temperatures struggled to reach 50 degrees with the lows holding at 44. Winds blew out of the south at 16 mph with gusts at 24.
Needless to say, similar conditions reigned through the weekend. Thunder rumbled and hail fell for a short time on Saturday. Overnight, the low dropped to a chilly 35 degrees.
On Sunday, we awakened to more drizzle and cool temperatures. On Tuesday, showers weighed down the tulips and the daytime high barely broke 50. The average high for that date: 65.
Normally, a string of damp, fall-like days in May isn’t that big of a deal. But the weather’s impact probably feels more intense because of the many gloomy days we’ve already endured. After all, the Lilac City emerged from its second wettest March on record this spring. And April? With 14 days of measurable rainfall, it was wetter than usual as well.
All that, following a winter that delivered three waves of subzero temperatures and 61 inches of snowfall.
Yes, it’s high-time to soak up the sun.
Good news. You might want to keep your sunglasses handy because the dreariness is giving way to a period of sunny skies and warmer temperatures. A high near 70 is expected by Friday, with dry and mild conditions lasting through next week.
Weathercatch is a bimonthly column that appears in The Spokesman Review. Nic Loyd is a meteorologist with Washington State University’s AgWeatherNet. Linda Weiford is a WSU news writer and weather geek. Contact: linda.weiford@wsu.edu.
