Northwest in for Dreary Start to the Week as Southwest Sizzles

Posted: October 16, 2023 1:29 pm

It certainly is the Wild, Wild West this week on the West Coast. The rain is back in the Pacific Northwest while a completely different pattern takes hold of California and Arizona. Here is a look at what is going on across the West Coast.

Widespread Wet and Windy Conditions Impact Northwest

Residents of the Pacific Northwest woke up to a messy start to the new work week on Monday with widespread wet and windy conditions. It is the opposite story for the Desert Southwest as temperatures remain in the triple digits in some areas thanks to a persistent ridge of high pressure.

These competing weather patterns will persist for the West over the first few days of the week before conditions begin to moderate. A cold front coming from the Pacific Ocean will continue to bring rain and cooler temperatures to Washington, Oregon, Northern California, northern Idaho, and the northwestern corner of Montana through the middle of the week.

The winds began to whip around late Sunday and into early Monday in the coastal areas of the Northwest. As a result, small craft advisories and gale warnings were put into effect for much of the coastline. These warnings and advisories are forecast to remain in effect into at least late Monday.

You can expect the high winds to move farther inland into the northern portions of the Rockies throughout the day Monday and into late Tuesday. Wind speeds will hover between 25 and 35 mph, prompting a high wind watch for portions of northwestern Montana beginning late Monday and lasting for about 24 hours. The winds are predicted to top out at about 70 mph as they whip into the Rockies. High-profile vehicles and trucks will want to be especially careful when taking to the roads.

This storm system will also usher in cooler temperatures for the region, bringing the mercury down to seasonable levels for cities such as Portland and Seattle. The last few weeks have seen higher than normal temperatures, meaning that this cold front is providing a mere reality check that summer is indeed over.

The onset of cooler temperatures will support the development of snow across the highest terrains of the Rocky Mountains. However, the snow level is not expected to drop much, meaning that most travel will not be impacted by this weather maker.

Remnants of Bolaven Will Influence Weather for Alaska and Beyond

The remnants of what was once Super Typhoon Bolaven will also continue to influence the weather pattern in the Pacific Northwest. The energy and moisture associated with this storm will move into the Gulf of Alaska in the coming hours, bringing meaningful amounts of rain and high winds into the Aleutian region through Wednesday. The southeastern corner of Alaska will begin to see these impacts late Monday and early Tuesday.

Gusts of up to 50 mph are on tap for southeastern Alaska throughout the day Tuesday. The Aleutians will see gusts in the 40 mph range.

The weather will improve in Alaska by the middle of the week as the impacts of this system move to the south. A northward bulge within the jet stream will push what is left of Bolaven to the east while bringing up drier and warmer weather to the Northwest to close out the week.

Southwest Experiences Opposite Weather Pattern

Meanwhile, the Southwest will see the opposite weather pattern to start the week. Widespread dry and sunny conditions will be the story for the Southwest early this week as high pressure remains entrenched over the region.

Los Angeles will see the mercury hover around 90 degrees early in the week, coming in about 10 degrees above what is normal for the middle of October. The desert of California and into southern Arizona will see readings that eclipse the century mark, including the resort city of Palm Springs and Phoenix.

For instance, Phoenix is forecast to hit a high of 104 degrees on Monday. Should this come to fruition, it would break the record of 102 degrees for this date in history, set in 2020. This temperature lands at about 15 degrees above the historical average.

This unseasonably warmth will begin to filter to the north late in the week, finally reaching the Northwest as the weekend approaches.

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