Dave Letterman's always reminding us that "the government is now controlling the weather." Whoever's in charge has decided that these last few days should be absolutely screwy in the Pacific Northwest.

Portlanders, quit reading this blog and go outside for the warmest weather you're going to have 'til next May! For you readers in other parts of the globe, here's the story:

It's unseasonably warm here in the City of Roses. As I write this, in the middle of the night, it's a balmy 70 degrees at the airport. Tonight will see the warmest low temperature ever charted in Portland on an October 21. During the day yesterday we made 76 degrees, an all-time high for the 20th, and we could get close to 80 today.

You know it's hot here in October when the inside of your house is cooler than the outside. I was flabbergasted when I stepped out into the gray day yesterday and was hit with a warm blast.

There are two kinds of warm in these parts: sunny warm and windy warm. We're definitely in the latter mode this time, with southerly winds bringing in the hot air. The weather people, who have to have cute names for these things, call this pattern a "pineapple express." Whatever. It's not all that sunny, and so the overall effect is a little muggy and sickly. But those of us who are in no hurry to break the woolies out of mothballs will gladly take another toasty day or two before the damp chill returns.

Up to our north, things are not so mellow in Seattle. The system brought them nearly 5 inches of rain yesterday -- the most rain ever measured in a single day in the Emerald City. They're dealing with some serious flooding up there, whereas there's been barely a spit down here, just a couple of hours' drive away. Go figure.

Some rain is due here in Portland tomorrow, after which they say it will be back to more normal weather. But today at least, the kids' trip to the pumpkin patch will be in shirtsleeves.