A few showers may fall on Bloomsday runners

This Sunday is one of Spokane’s favorite events. Bloomsday was born during the running boom that swept the nation in the late 1970s. The inaugural Bloomsday was May 1, 1977, and was first billed as “Run with the Stars.”

Most Bloomsday runners, if not all, hope for ideal weather conditions. At this time of year, the average high temperature is 63 degrees with an average low of 40 degrees. For this year’s Bloomsday, there could be a few showers around with temperatures close to normal. All-in-all, conditions should be pretty good for Bloomsday 2010.

Although many years have seen great weather conditions, Bloomsday has seen its share of extremes.

For example, on May 6, 1984, about one to two inches of snow fell before the race began. Throughout that morning, runners experienced a rain and snow mix as temperatures remained in the 30s until the early afternoon. The official high temperature for that chilly day was 47. There was another cold Bloomsday on May 2, 1999. From 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., .07 inches of rain fell with temperatures holding in the chilly upper 30s and lower 40s. Winds occasionally gusted to 15 to 20 mph making it uncomfortable for spectators and runners alike.

On the flip side, the first Bloomsday run in 1977 was one of the warmest. Temperatures at the start of the race were near 60 degrees. By the early afternoon, readings climbed into the upper 70s. May 4, 1980, was another warm day with a starting race temperature of 55 degrees. By 2 p.m. it was 78. The official high for that day, as well as the one in 1977, was 81.

Bloomsday has also seen a thunderstorm. On May 5, 2002, a thunderstorm dropped small hail and sent temperatures falling into the lower 40s with winds gusting to 25 mph.

After a chilly end of April, conditions are looking good for the start of May. High pressure is expected to build into our region giving us more sunshine and warm afternoon temperatures.

That early-to-mid May warm spell should be followed by more showers and cooler temperatures. The rest of the spring season will likely feature more back-and-forth weather patterns from warm and dry to cool and showery.

By the middle of June into early September, very little rain is expected as high pressure should dominate the Inland Northwest. This could result in some forest fires into the early autumn period.

In addition to the dry weather, I still see many hot afternoons with temperatures near or above 90 degrees. We may see as many as 25 such days by the season’s end in late September.