May be showers for Bloomsday run
Sunday is Bloomsday. It’s one of Spokane’s – and the rest of the Inland Northwest’s – favorite events. The annual tradition, also known as the Lilac Bloomsday Run, was born during the running boom that swept the nation in the late 1970s. The inaugural Bloomsday, was May 1, 1977. Billed as “Run with the Stars,” it featured Olympic gold and silver medalist Frank Shorter, who finished first in the race. The founder of Bloomsday, local runner Don Kardong, finished third.
More than 1,000, runners, or Bloomies, participated in the first Bloomsday. Since then, the field has grown substantially. By the second year, more than 5,000 runners joined in. By 1988, the total grew to approximately 57,300 runners. Bloomsday participation reached its high of 61,298 in 1996 with impressive numbers expected this year as well.
Most Bloomsday runners, if not all, hope for ideal weather. At this time of year, the average high temperature is 63 degrees with an average low of 40 degrees. Although many years have seen favorable weather conditions, Bloomsday has seen its share of extremes.
For example, on May 6, 1984, about 1 to 2 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 day was only 47 degrees. 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 upper 30s and lower 40s. Winds occasionally gusted to 15 to 20 miles per hour, making it uncomfortable for spectators and runners alike. Despite our snowy winter season, I’m not expecting to see any snow this Bloomsday.
On the flip side, the first Bloomsday run 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 degrees. The official high for that day, as well as the one in 1977, was 81 degrees.
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.
There have been a number of Bloomsdays with winds gusting to 10 to 20 mph. The windiest Bloomsday was on May 6, 1990, with gusts more than 30 mph during the race. By the early evening, a peak gust of 46 miles per hour was recorded.
It looks like runners and observers may be dodging some rain showers for this Sunday’s race. Temperatures should start off near 40 degrees and climb into the 50s by the end of the race. Don’t forget to take your jacket if you’re planning to go cheer for the runners. Last year’s Bloomsday weather was dry and pleasant with a high of 66 degrees.
Warmer temperatures should arrive next week. It should also be a bit drier.
Then, we’ll return to our long-standing pattern of “sun and showers” and cooler-than-normal temperatures into mid-June. The summer of 2008, however, should be warm and dry with just a few showers or thunderstorms for variety.
Contact Randy Mann at randy@longrangeweather.com.