Late last week, the long range forecasters at NOAA's Climate
Prediction Center released their new 30- and 90-day forecasts
for the upcoming summer. And for the Pacific Northwest, it would
appear that our sunny and summery mid-May was more of a tease
than a sign of things to come -- at least in the short term. The
30-day forecasts for June are showing an above average chance of
cooler than normal temperatures across the Pacific Northwest
(specifically, a 50 percent chance of cooler than normal June, a
33 percent chance of a normal June, and just a 17 percent chance
of a warmer than normal June.) But on the other hand, it's also
showing a greater than average chance of a drier than normal
June (same probability spread as the temperature above.) A cool
but dry June? That seems at least to me to point to a steady
dose of what's known around here as the "June Gloom" -- where we
get a steady marine flow that brings in the familiar ritual of
morning clouds then afternoon sunshine. But if the marine flow
is stronger,