SPOKANE, Wash. — The 48th running of Bloomsday is this weekend. And knowing early May weather, conditions can sometimes be a wildcard as we've seen everything from perfect spring weather, near 80-degree days, and even snow and hail on rare occasions.
This is on full display already as a big weather forecast update came Wednesday morning for the big race as rain chances went up massively and temperatures are now looking to be among the coldest Bloomies have ever experienced during the afternoon.
What changed is that we are no longer forecasting those typical Spring scattered showers that pop up in the afternoon. Instead, a full low pressure storm system will draw more widespread rain and colder air through the Pacific Northwest, arriving a some point on Sunday. Rain chances are now 80%. But it's not clear if it's a morning rain, afternoon rain, or all-day rain. Check back for more updates as we get closer.
As for the temperatures, morning temps are expected in the low to mid 40s. If it's raining, perhaps a bit colder which would make things feels much colder while racers line up downtown. Temps my only climb to the upper 40s later in the morning, depending on the rain. Afternoon temperatures will either be mid-40s with rain or low 50s with dry pockets. This is much colder than the original forecast.
Key message is that everyone outdoor should prepare for the rain.
The warmest Bloomsday was the first one in 1977 and 1980. Both days had a high of 81 degrees.
The coldest Bloomsdays were in 1984 and 1999; the high temperature during those two years was 47 degrees.
Twice, Bloomsday has seen snow. In 1984, there was 1-2" of fresh snow before the race began. In 2002, there was a bit of snow and hail falling during the event.
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