At the moment of the autumnal equinox, 1:44 pm yesterday, I was standing on the summit of Marys Peak in driving rain and 44 mph wind with gusts to 65. Fifteen minutes later I leaned into the strongest gust, 76 mph, as the first Pacific storm of the rainy season pushed through right on schedule.
It’s a bit early for a storm of this strength, though down in the valley it was merely breezy. Combined with around 2″ of rain from a late-summer thunderstorm earlier this month, we are well above normal. That is a very good thing given that we had a dry spring and summer, and famously green Oregon is beginning to turn green again.