Our cool and dry weather continues outside of a weak weather system that trails over the region tonight and Friday. More clouds and little moisture, sprinkles at best. Then it is back to sunny skies and cold nights well into next week. With passing clouds, we may remain near the freezing mark tonight, followed by endless days with lows back in the 20s. This week has seen lows in the 20- to 25-degree range in most parts of the county. Highs have been seasonal or close to it. Our average high temperature now is 48 degrees, heading toward that 50-degree mark which occurs Feb. 7. The average low is 35 degrees, and we won’t be that warm for another week at least. Strange weather abounds. Since Dec. 1, 2024, Anchorage, Alaska, has measured less than 4 inches of snowfall. In contrast, Pensacola, Fla., has recorded 7.6 inches. Much of the south and southeast parts of the nation have had more snow than Anchorage this winter. At 10 a.m. Wednesday, it was 30 degrees with snow-covered beaches in Pensacola and a balmy 34 degrees on the Bering Sea at Unalakleet. Meanwhile, we are high and dry and deep in the doldrums of winter weather. Sometimes it is good not to have anything adverse to write home about. I don’t see any rain to speak of unless we get something on the last day of the month. If we continue the status quo, this could be Vancouver’s seventh driest January on record.

I know someone will ask me what the driest January was, so I will list the sixth driest now. Reliable weather records for Vancouver go back to 1896. OK, we had 1.69 inches in 1917; 1.23 inches in 1949; 1.70 inches in 1962; 1.18 inches in 1963; 1.35 inches in 1970; and 1.44 inches in 2001. Vancouver is currently shy of 2 inches. Last year on this date, we were exiting an icebox of freezing temperatures with snow and ice. Vancouver reached 55 degrees after shivering days earlier with a low of 16 degrees. I remember when those east winds switched to southerly breezes, oh it sure felt like springtime. Quite a contrast with a difference of 40 degrees or so. Vancouver went on to a high of 57 degrees two days later. Keep warm. Embrace the winter sunshine this weekend.