Rod's Weather Headlines

With one day left in the month, it is worth noting the many records that have been tied or broken this month.  I cannot recall a month in recent memory that recorded 9 records!  Here is the list for what has been anything but a normal September: Sept. 7th:  1.55" of rain / new daily record for the...

With no rain in the forecast Thursday, Sept. 30th, the 2009-2010 water year will end at PDX with 39.24" of total precipitation.  The amount is 2.17" above the 30-year average of 37.07 inches.  Finishing above normal is an amazing feat when you consider the wet season months of November - February we...

Latest information on the La Nina pattern in the equatorial waters of the Pacific show the water is continuing to cool.  Current reports show water temperatures averaging 1.8 - 3.6 degrees F below normal.  Cooling is expected to continue into January.  This makes the forecast for a moderate to stron...

The autumnal equinox is Wednesday evening, (9-22-2010), at 8:09 p.m. Characteristics of the equinox include:  The sun directly over the equator, near equal hours of daylight and darkness and the sun rising due east & setting due west.   Portland will have seven minutes more daylight than darkness...

  September has set or tied a total of six records to date at PDX: Sept. 7,  1.55" daily rain record Sept. 7,  1.03" between 8:00 & 9:00 pm.  All-time Portland one-hour rain record Sept. 9,   High of 65 ties the daily record for low-high temperature Sept. 16,  Low of 61 record for high-low tempe...

Below is a record summary from Saturday's heavy rainfall.  The research and article are  courtesy of Steve Pierce, with the local chapter of the American Meteorological Society: "Record setting rainfall continues to wilt the rose city, as summer officially comes to an end in the next few days. For...

No Dead Zones Observed Or Expected As Part Of BP Deepwater Oil Spill Report finds decreased, but stabilized levels of dissolved oxygen in gulf areas with subsurface oil.   The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Office of S...

Tuesday evening between 8:00 pm and 9:00 pm, 1.03" of rain was recorded.   The amount is the highest hourly rain total since PDX began keeping the statistic in 1953.  The spotter on duty, said most of the rain fell in twenty  minutes!  The previous record was .93" on May 24, 2008.  Total rainfall Tu...

Below is a copy of an email response I wrote to a KGW viewer who asked my thoughts regarding this winter's La Nina season: Here are my thoughts on a La Nina winter.  The only high confidence of the forecast isthat we will likely have an active winter.  Meaning, a consistent westerly flow pushingnum...

Meteorological summer is June, July, August.  Below is a summary, courtesy of Steve Pierce, local chapter vice-president, American Meteorological Society: PORTLAND SUMMER COOLEST IN 17 YEARS! "Portland just finished its last full month of summer 2010, and with it comes the distinction of being the...