Rod's Weather Headlines

Nitrous oxide has now become the largest ozone-depleting substance emitted through human activities, and is expected to remain the largest throughout the 21st century, NOAA scientists say in a new study.

For the first time, this study has evaluated nitrous oxide emissions from human activities in terms of their potential impact on Earth’s ozone layer. As chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which have been phased out by international agreement, ebb in the atmosphere, nitrous oxide will remain a significant ozone-destroyer, the study found. Today, nitrous oxide emissions from human activities are more than twice as high as the next leading ozone-depleting gas.

Nitrous oxide is emitted from natural sources and as a byproduct of agricultural fertilization and other industrial processes. Calculating the effect on the ozone layer now and in the future, NOAA researchers found that emissions of nitrous oxide from human activities erode the ozone layer and will continue to do so for many decades.

Report from NOAA - dated August 27, 2009

Rod Hill

    Thursday's high at PDX of 92 degrees becomes the 22nd day of the year - one shy of the 1987 record.  Tough to say if any more 90 degree days are in our future this year.  The latest we have seen 90 degrees is Oct. 5,  1980. 

If you have plans to go camping or spend time outdoors this coming Labor Day weekend.  Early indications call for cool temperatures near 70 degrees and possible showers the first part of the 3-day weekend.  Of course, there is lots of time for the forecast to change!  The first two weeks of September are expected to be near normal and mostly dry.  Near normal indicates high temperatures in the 70s to near 80 degrees.  Autumn begins this year, September 22nd.  We have just over three more weeks of summer!

       This weekend will kick-off what is expected to be warmer than normal temperatures through the rest of August.  A weak, but strengthening El Nino began to develop in June across the equatorial waters of the Pacific.  Near surface water temperatures are forecast to warm to 2 degrees celsius above normal in the coming months.  The forecast outlook through October calls for the Northwest to see drier than normal weather.  At this time, little confidence  in the temperature forecast is available.  

High praise to the National Weather Service.  Their forecast outllooks have been SPOT-ON this summer! ( I hope I have not given them the "Forecast Jinx").