Rod's Weather Headlines

Watch Saturday evening, July 4th, for the lunar eclipse.  The sun will set at 9:02 and the full moon will rise at 9:03.  The totality of the moon passing through the Earth's shadow will be at 9:29 pm.  Due to the moon position being low in the eastern sky, the view of the eclipse is likely to be dimmed or diminished.  The eclipse will end at 10:52 as the moon moves completely away from the shadow cast by Earth.  Although skies will be partly to mostly clear, fireworks haze may also reduce viewing.  

Later in the night, around midnight with the moon high in the sky, look for Jupiter and Saturn to shine brightly just to the east or left of the full moon. 

Rod Hill 

You may recall that early summer outlooks from the NWS had Portland and much of the Northwest expecting a hot and dry summer, meaning temps above normal.  It looks like June will average close to climate average and the outlook map below shows cooler than average temps the first 2 weeks of July.

Anyone in favor of holding off hot weather until August?
So far, PDX has hit 90 degrees two days and I don't see any hot ones in our near future.  It remains possible that our region will see a hot back-end of summer, but confidence is growing that earlier outlooks calling for above normal heat this summer will be proven incorrect. 

Rod Hill

( Temp map on the left shows below normal temps the 1st two weeks of July.  The rainfall map on the right shows little confidence for a rain projection, but does not favor a bone dry month.)

NWS confirms EFO tornado with estimated peak wind gusts reaching 75 mph.  The weak tornado was on the ground 2 miles with a path width of 600 years (1/8 mile).  Damage report only details small to medium size trees. 

If you have not heard, unofficial at this point, but an expected weak - likely EF0 tornado near Damascus at 6:30 this evening. NWS will send field investigator tomorrow morning who may verify a weak tornado with winds 65-85 mph. Reports of tree damage as the funnel passed overhead. The heavy rain, lightning and high winds this afternoon were triggered by a cold upper level low pushing inland. The cold pool of air aloft has warmed at this hour, meaning the threat of lightning and stormy weather has ended. Much of Sunday should be dry with warmer temps.