[Two weeks Mon 7/7/25 – Sun 7/20/25, rural Central Oregon High Desert.]
Only 1 precipitation event this 2-week period: 0.18” over about 2 ½ hours with rain and a few minutes of small hail during thunderstorms the afternoon of Tue 7/8.  NWS had predicted a Red Flag Warning with a threat of dry lightning.  The storm(s) moved north and northeast from late afternoon into evening spawning up to 2 dozen mostly small wildfires reported over the next several days - 15 of which were reported the next day.  Most were stopped at under an acre within a day while 4 became significant.  One of the 4 was the Cram fire in Jefferson County (approx 100 NE of this station) which became the largest wildfire in the U.S., reaching 95,769 acres before crews were able to stop the progress by the Sun 7/20.  This station experienced some high elevation haze and/or light smoke from the major wildfires for only 3 days following the 3 -day NWS Heat Advisory 7/12 - 7/14.  ||  Similar to the past several years at this station, daytime high temps ranged from 81-100°F and averaged 90°F for the period, with lows ranging from 45-48°F and averaging 38°F.  But I remember years farther back in which overnight freezing occurred at least a couple times a week if not more, and daytime highs were closer to mid 80’s.  the  ||  This period, I observed the first honey bees of this season as well as several more bumblebees than the previous period (and years) on the wild lupines growing in the open area of the garden.  There are noticeably less flea beetles and grasshoppers/locusts attacking the veg garden this year, although there seem to be more types of the latter (or maybe I am becoming more observant?).  There are now 2 quail families frequenting the back yard.  water has been set out for mule deer, birds and wild rodents (a distance from the home. ||  Using 2 air cond units for the last 2 weeks on a daily basis, along with passive cooling after sunset thru early morning except during one night of smoke.  Well water temp is still amazingly cold from the tap.   Generally, the undeveloped ground is dry and dusty, and areas that are watered (or rained on) do not hold it the moisture for more than a few hours.  The native grasses are still green, but much of the other wild ground cover has become desiccated.