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May 2008
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KGW Meteorologist Joe Michaels: September 2007 ArchivesTypically big weather events get 'weather people' pumped up. And this was the case for me over the past 24 hours! Yesterday, watching this big storm push toward the Northwest, I had an inexplicable feeling of excitement. Indeed, it was my anticipation of today's big fall storm. I watched the clouds pushing in, entertained my thoughts of some mountain snow in the Cascades...and was just psyched about fall's arrival and the returning ... So while hiking through the beautiful Oregon wilderness yesterday, one thing kept echoing in my head... No, it wasn't the forecast. =) It was actually the thought of how much I love living here in the Northwest. First, the weather could not have been more perfect. Crisp and comfortable, a clear blue sky, bright sunshine - just perfect! And the Oregon wilderness was the perfect compliment to that nice weather.
This is the time of year that I personally love. Temperatures are a bit cooler...cool and crisp. The sky is clear. And the feel of fall is in the air. Something that happens only this time of year - the Harvest Moon. The full moon has a different name in every month, and this month's moon - the Harvest Moon - is arguably the most well-known. Of course, we talk about it as though it's a different moon each month...but it's always t... So I subscribe to an image e-mail list from the folks at NASA. They usually send some amazing photos of hurricanes and other weather phenomenon. The photos I got recently were indeed amazing...but for a different reason. The following is from NASA: "Arctic summer sea ice has reached its lowest extent on record - nearly 25% less than the previous low set in 2005. At the end of each summer, the sea ice cover reaches its minimum... So Laural Porter and I were chatting on the set tonight, and we got on the subject of 'Race for the Cure.' This huge event...happening this weekend right here in Portland...is the biggest race of any kind on the West Coast. In fact, they're hoping 50,000 people will participate this year - fifty thousand! It's goal is to raise money for breast cancer treatment and research. Inherent with being a weatherman, there are many risks and hazards that we face every day. For example...umm...hmmm. Okay, there are virtually no hazards in being a weatherguy...other than getting things thrown at you if you get the forecast wrong too many times. =) But this morning...a new hazard popped up. That hazard - being tempted to adopt a little animal! We do the 'Pet of the Week' on our sunrise newscast, every Wednesday a... So I subscribe to the Oregonian, and get the paper every day. Reading the paper every day...well, that's another story. =) I point this out because I just finally read my Sunday paper...from last Sunday...and found a pretty interesting story on the front page. The headline..."Greenland ice melt shocks scientists." The theme was that while Greenland's glaciers have been melting, the rate at which they are now melting was unexpected.... I've come to love the Pacific Northwest...the sparkling Pacific Ocean, the jagged tops of the Cascade Range, the beauty of the Willamette Valley, and the clearest, deepest blue sky I have ever seen. But another reason I'm so thankful to be here - the weather! Why? Because it's so varied, and truly interesting - from a weatherman perspective. =) A great example is this week. It started off sunny, hot, and incredibly dry. Es... Our heat-wave has come to an end, and fall-like weather is pushing toward the region! Yesterday highs were only in the middle 70s - and they'll stay there for the weekend as the clouds thicken. That's not all - by next week showers will be back. So hints of fall are in the air - but what do the statistics say about what's on the way for the end of the month? And what about October? On average, as we head into the latter part... Some clouds may be pushing back into the Portland area, but overall, it's still beautiful! And even for the upcoming weekend, some sunshine will stick around. As you surely know, soon our fall and winter rains will be back, and weekend plans will probably be of the indoor variety. So now is the time to enjoy that weekend sunshine...and one way you can do that...SCUBA diving! I know, I know, what am I talking about? Spending several... If you've been watching over the past few days, it's probably no big surprise that it's been hot...and will be hot for one more day! What's so amazing about this hot weather, though, really isn't revealed until you look into the little details. First, let's look at just how much temperatures have gone up - and down - in one day. I'll use Hillsboro because it's the best example. Yesterday morning the temperature bottomed out at 46 de... An ideal combination has our region roasting under a mostly sunny sky today - even though it's September 10th! The setup that's pumping up our temperatures... A large upper-level ridge has pushed in aloft, so air is sinking toward the surface, and warming as it goes. This allows a thermal trough to develop as far west as the coast; that's the first critical step. Once that trough is established, winds begin pushing in out of the eas... For many, this burst of summer weather is a welcome sight. The sky has been clear, breezes have been warm, and temperatures have warmed to the 90-degree range. But some of us may not be so happy about this toasty sunshine - especially the kids that are back in school. With tempe... Labor Day has come and gone, and so summer is unofficially over! And with the sun slipping down over the horizon earlier and earlier each night, it's feeling more like fall. Nothing says fall, though, like the changing of the leaves. Chances are you may have noticed some leaves already beginning to change - hues of yellow, even some reds mixed in. And of course, this is just the start of things to come. As the days continue ... A recent winter forecast was released by George Taylor of the Oregon Climate Service. And if he's right, we better get ready for plenty of rain...and even some good doses of snow! The outlook, month-by-month, looks something like this: |
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