Warm weekend ahead, well above normal

Plenty of sunshine and a ridge of high pressure over the region will provide Central Oregon with well above normal temperatures for a few days.  The pattern will persist into Sunday as the high remains parked over the Pacific Northwest. This is a rare blocking pattern, with high pressure due north of a low pressure cell.  It is called a Rex Block, but the bottom line is we will be warm and dry for a few days.

Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis will hopefully be visible in Central Oregon tonight and this weekend. Without getting too into the science of the Aurora, but there have been some intense solar flares this week that will impact the earth. One of the by-products of the flares will be the Northern Light will be "super-charged" and be visible this far south. Tonight looks to be the start of what may be a couple of days of celestial awe.

Saturday will be the peak heating day with highs in the middle 80s in Redmond and Warm Springs and the low 80s in Bend, Southern Deschutes County, Sisters and Prineville.

Sunday, Mother’s Day, will not be as warm, but only by a degree or two. The region will be bathed in sunshine all day, so enjoy any outdoor activity you may have planned for Mom.  Picnic or bar-b-que will be nice, but remember to stay hydrated in the heat. Take it easy too, this may be the first time out and about for many of us this spring, so moderation is the key.

Monday and Tuesday will see temperatures in the mid-70s but still sunny. We may start to see a few clouds by the middle of the week but no rain is in the cards just yet.  Our forecast models show some cloudy skies on Thursday, but I am not expecting any rain.

This forecast is to change, of course, as new information and weather variables arrive… but for now we are on the sunny side of the street.

Stay Safe

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