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Records or No Records: Oregon Coast Remains Sunny

Published 12/08/2011

(Oregon Coast) – It's been sunny – albeit largely chilly – on the Oregon coast almost continuously for the last two weeks. Since the Thanksgiving Weekend storms ended, actually. It's like a light switched on for the beaches and it hasn't stopped. (Above: Cannon Beach on Tuesday was bright and sunny, but chilly)

It seems like a record – but perceptions are deceiving. There have been some other records achieved in the weather department, however, for the Oregon coast and the Pacific Northwest in general, in the realms of chilly weather and barometric pressure.

Steve Pierce, president of the Oregon Chapter of the American Meteorological Society, said while there have been some records broken throughout the northwest, the run of really stellar weather along the Oregon coast isn't one of them.

Cannon Beach on Tuesday

“It may seem rare, but no records are being taken down just yet,” Pierce said.

This pattern of glorious weather looks like it will continue – at least on and off – along the Oregon coast through the weekend and into the next week. More really sunny weather will keep hitting the beaches over the weekend, until a system comes in bringing showers on Sunday and Monday. Then, forecasters say, more nice weather for next week, with some cloudy or rainy days in between.

On December 1, barometric pressure had reached nearly an all-time high around the northwest. At one point that day, the Portland International Airport had recorded a maximum barometric pressure reading (rounded to the nearest hundredth of an inch) of 30.76". It was actually the second highest reading ever since records have been kept at the airport since 1940.

Seaside earlier this week.

Pierce said the all-time highest barometric pressure reading ever in the Portland area happened in 1880.

On December 1, as Pierce shot this notification out, it was an unbelievably warm day on the central Oregon coast, although it wasn't warm if you were in one of the windier spots. Still, there was not a cloud in the sky for much of the day around Newport, Depoe Bay and Lincoln City.

But did that near-record stand for the Oregon coast?

Newport last week.

Pierce said he did not have actual barometric readings for the coast on that day, but it likely was part of this record as well.

“They are much harder to locate for other smaller cities,” Pierce said. “But one thing is for sure, we are all seeing the same baro readings across the Pacific Northwest today.”

Paradoxically - but not surprising - it has been quite chilly, even freezing on the Oregon coast as well as inland during much of this time.

In fact, Pierce said the Portland International Airport is very likely to set a new all-time record for the least number of 60 degree or higher days in a calendar year.

“So far in 2011, the Portland International Airport has reached 60 degrees or higher just 169 times which eclipses every other year on record at that location,” Pierce said. “Records date back to 1940 at the airport. The next closest year to 2011 is 1950 and 1955 which each recorded 172 days at or above 60 degrees.”

Below: near Yachats last week.

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