09/27/06 Warmer Weather

Hot weather returns. I'm Greg Martin with today's Fruit Grower Report. Everyone was really starting to get ready for cooler temperatures as the autumnal equinox passed last week. Now the temperatures have jumped nearly 20 degrees. Meteorologist Tim Creek takes a look at the warmer weather. CREEK: Temperatures over the last few days have really warmed up and you know this trend is going to continue through the rest of this week and even into Saturday. I think by Sunday though we're going to see a change which will all lead to cooler temperatures, maybe low to mid 70's on Sunday. And then a cooling trend back into the mid to upper 60's for much of next week. But basically what we are seeing is a very stable weather pattern over the area. A big, broad ridge of high pressure that extends out from the Pacific over the state of Washington, over Idaho and into western Montana. Storm activity that tries to push in is diverted well to the north into Canada and then into central and eastern Montana and warmer air is gradually making it's way up into the region from the south. Now although temperatures have been upper 70's to near 80 degrees over the last few days, I think the second half of the week we are look at low to mid 80's as that warmer air continues to build in. Now in fact there is a weather disturbance off the coast; it's well off into the Pacific, but as it get closer later this weekend, I think our warmest day may be Friday; possibly Saturday and we might see mid 80's area wide. I don't think it's going to get any warmer than that but low to mid 80's is a good. I would say 10 to 15 degrees above average for this time of year. That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Northwest Ag Information Network.