The calendar suggests that we should be into fall in the Northwest however actual weather conditions seemed to have missed the message judging by the first week of September. Afternoon temperatures have continued to be around 6 º C(10º F) warmer than the average for this time of the year. Overnight temperatures are also milder than normal, but being “too hot to sleep” has not been an issue.
There is no doubt that the region has experienced the warmest summer on record. Armstrong for example, which normally gets morning frost due to its topography resulting in a pooling of cold air, has had a running tally of 106 frost free days…a few decades ago it set a different record of only 7! Perhaps gardeners should cover the tomatoes for Monday morning … I may have just jinxed it!
The next seven days look frost-free for most northern locations. Afternoon temperatures should continue to be fair, reaching between 18-20 º C(high 60’s º F) for the next couple of days, and then warm up again after a cool Monday morning.
Graham Saunders