Rod's Weather Headlines

Friday's thunderstorms and .63" of record rainfall for the date, put PDX over the top, both for the month of June and the water year!  The June average for the entire month is 1.70"  Portland began today with 1.98" in the rain gauge.  What is more impressive is the water year total that stands at 37...

    CELESTIAL EVENT OF A LIFETIME Rare transit of Venus viewing: June 5, 2012 from 3‐9 p.m. at OMSI   Portland, OR (May 29, 2012) The last to occur in our lifetime, a rare celestial event called a transit of Venus is set to transpire on Tuesday, June 5, 2012. The Oregon Museum of Science and In...

As of noon today, May 31st, PDX has received 14.51" of rainfall since March 1st.  The total becomes the all-time wettest meteorological spring, ( March, April, May), at PDX since records began in 1940.  Normal precipitation through the period is 8.88 inches.  Basically, we have received nearly 2 ext...

Portland's dry May streak of 14 days with no trace of rain, missed the record for consecutive dry days by one!  The May PDX record is 15 straight days with no rain, back in 1995.  As you know, much of this coming week will see measurable rainfall.  A return to drier, more pleasant weather is expecte...

The Moon passes in front of the Sun on Sunday, May 20, bringing an annular eclipse to the border between Oregon and California and a partial eclipse to the rest of the Pacific Northwest.  OMSI and Rose City Astronomers Club will host an eclipse viewing party at the east parking lot of OMSI. The free...

We may soon pay the price for our abrupt change into a mostly dry weather pattern.  Forecast outlooks call for our area to see below normal precipitation June, July and August.  Early spring rains have produced heavy brush and grasses across the Northwest, which are now beginning to dry.  Fire weath...

May's full moon takes place at 8:35 p.m. PDT on Saturday, May 5. As temperatures warm and the ground thaws, flowers are abundant and in bloom by this time. Thus, May's moon is called the Flower Moon; but it can also be called the Corn-Planting or Milk Moon. When we look at the full moon on Saturday,...

Through 27 days of April, our weather is showing signs of getting back to normal after the wettest March at PDX in the record book!  At just over 3.00" of rainfall, this month is above the April normal of 2.73", but closer to normal than record territory.  Temperatures this month have been warmer th...

A new moon tonight with clear skies will make for perfect viewing of the meteor shower.  Experts say 10-20 meteors an hour could be seen.  The earth is passing through a stream of debris from ancient Comet Thatcher.  Tonight, April 21st will be the peak viewing!  The shower can be seen in all direct...

As you know, I am doing all I can to find reasons to forecast near normal rainfall April through June.  Forecast charts continue to show near normal rainfall through the first 20 days of this month.  (A huge change from March!)   I find it interesting that the record March of 1957 was followed by d...