Fall begins with a feel of summer
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The first full day of fall is upon us and the mercury in the thermometer is expected to top out in the 80s. A ridge of high pressure is over the area and will continue to keep the skies clear and the temperatures above normal.
There is a smoky haze to the region from wildfires well away from Oregon. The fires burning robustly in Idaho and Washington are contributing to the smoky pattern. The two active fires in our region, the Foley Ridge and the Emigrant Fires are not pushing out much smoke.
The wind direction today is expected to be from the Southeast, so the smoke from the Washington and Idaho regions should not add more to the area. The winds are light, so the smoke is going to stay trapped under the ridge, so I am not expecting a scouring out of the smoke today.
The other story of the week is the well above-normal temperatures. Highs today will hit the 80s, not uncommon for the region in late September, but the upper 80s and low 90s are slated for Wednesday. This will be about 15° above our normal highs of the low and middle 70s. This warmer than usual scenario will linger into the weekend.
After peaking near 90 Wednesday, breezy and warm weather will define the day Thursday. Winds will be in the 10 – 12 mph range, with a few gusts near 20 through the passes. Highs will still hit the 80s under mostly sunny skies.
Friday will see the mercury only reach the middle 70s, still above normal but cooler than the mid-week temps. There may be a few clouds but otherwise a pleasant early Fall Day.
Over the weekend the warmer than normal pattern continues as we push back into the 80s. Clouds arrive late on Sunday ahead of some showers Monday. The rain will cool the area and the clouds will keep the sunshine away, so highs are expected in the low 70s.
Please, Stay safe.
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