In a grocery store near you a checker asks: “You bummed out by all the rain this summer so far?”
Shopper’s Reply: “No, it’s okay, it’s not July 5th yet, ha-ha”
Checker: “Ha-ha-ha, that’s what they say…July 5th is when Portland’s summer starts, ha-ha.”
We all joke about it. We laugh about it. But it turns out this weather joke is actually true.
While looking up some other facts that Meteorologist Matt Brode and I needed to find, I ran across this about July 2012:
Average High – Portland – July 1st-4th: 71 degrees
Average High – Portland – July 5th to 11th: 84 degrees!
As I said during my weather segment, it’s like someone flipped a switch. And finally, summer’s here. All joking aside!
Bruce, You insist on using the word “awesome” to describe almost everything. Last night you used the word twice, once to describe the sunset. You could use the word beautiful, for instance. Awesome would be when the top blew off of St Helens or last years tsunami. Please stop using the word “awesome” incorrectly. Lloyd
Lloyd–you have a pretty awesome point. (Sorry, couldn’t resist!). I use that word so often in my regular conversation I probably don’t realize when I’m overdoing it on the newscast. So thanks for the reminder. Just give me a few days to break the habit, will you?
Have a great weekend!
I’ve heard this adage all my life here in Oregon and it seemed to be truer than not but it’s easy for our perceptions to alter our memories. Did you look into the historical data on this one? I’d be so interested to know if it holds true for past averages as well.
Bethany—the shift if less dramatic if you look at the long term–but it is still there. And you’re right. We often remember the weather differently the the way it actually was. That’s why I did look this one up just to be sure.
Thanks for your post and have a great weekend.
Bruce; You might have gotten away with the “joke’ this year if you went travelling up here, but usually the “switch’ doesn’t get turned on in Vancouver BC until after the 12th. My average maximum temperature for July1-4 was about the same as yours (70.9F) but only went up 2.5F for the 5th-11th. This year, however, we’ve been laughing since the 5th! 馃檪
Roland–
This is great. I’m so glad you guys have a date, too. Now I’ll always remember that summer ‘starts in Vancouver B.C. on July 12th.’ Classic!
Happened to stumble on your website. Actually, since 1991, I have told “foreigners” (people only visiting or students from around the world) that in Western Oregon, it doesn’t stop raining until July 5. They don’t laugh, but I do…….mary
Mary–I’m laughing with you. We know the truth, ha-ha. Thanks for reading and taking time to post!