This morning, there was some patchy dense fog as high pressure moved in over the area. And, with rather clear skies, aside from the stratus that formed when the fog lifted, and the light east breezes, the low temperature plummeted to 32 degrees this morning.
The ridge appears to be dominating the pattern for the next several days, so expect generally clear skies tonight, and with the calm breezes, the low will drop to approximately 33 degrees. If you need to go over the hill into the valley, keep in mind that they are expecting low clouds and cooler temperatures during the day and night over the next few days, exactly like last week.
Tomorrow should be similar to today, with a partly cloudy sky and light easterly breezes, with a high near 54, followed by more stratus clouds and light southeasterly winds, with a low around 37.
By Wednesday, the ridge weakens ahead of the next approaching weather system and slips eastward, resulting in partly sunny skies, southeasterly winds of 4-8, and an afternoon high of 55. We get a minor, but rising, chance of rain under mostly overcast skies that evening, with rain expected later Wednesday night, and lows around 41.
This is where it becomes more difficult to pinpoint. The models show a low-pressure area developing at the base of the trough, somewhere west of northern California, that appears to move east into northern California later Wednesday into Thursday as the associated trough drifts east over our area, bringing us more light rain Thursday and Friday, with highs near 52 and lows near 40 degrees.
The “pinpoint” part now takes over for the weekend. Around this time, a low-pressure system is coming into northern California or southern Oregon. It is often difficult, especially this far out, to predict the exact time, route, and strength of this low-pressure area.
As a result, we may expect additional clouds and light showers over the weekend, as well as some brisk southerly winds for a brief period around Saturday afternoon, with 14-18 gusting to 25 in town and 40 along the beaches. Temperatures should remain in the low 50s, with lows near 40 degrees.
Finally, you may or may not have noticed that the Alaskan Aleutian Islands began experiencing a swarm of moderate to severe earthquakes yesterday, which has persisted today. The good news is that there was no damage recorded in that region, and no injuries occurred.
There were at least nine 5.0-magnitude earthquakes and three at or above 6.0, with the biggest measuring 6.3. According to the Alaskan Earthquake and Tsunami Center, quake swarms are typical in this region of the Aleutians and are not always a sign of something bigger. This raises concerns in Oregon because of the 9.2 earthquake in Alaska, often known as the Great Alaskan Earthquake, which caused a wave that hit Oregon, causing some damage and killing several people.
It should also be emphasized that the Alaska earthquake fault zone is not part of the Cascadia Subduction Zone off the coast of Oregon. If the Alaskan earthquake caused a tsunami, our area would have had 4 to 4 ½ hours before it hit Oregon.
So, what does it all mean? Well, it implies that coastal Oregon is located in the iconic Ring of Fire, and multiple fault zones around the state can cause destructive earthquakes, including The Big One (Cascadia Subduction Zone). All of this should lead to a desire to become better prepared for a calamity.
I’d like to remind you of Hurricane Katrina, or more recently, the hurricane that caused so much damage along the East Coast. How long did FEMA take to reply, and how was their response? Do you have a plan, an emergency supply kit, and a communication strategy, and have you practiced and discussed it with all of your family members? Now is a terrific moment to get started!
Follow the Pioneer for more emergency preparedness information, so you can “Be Prepared, Not Scared.”
