Rainfall across Washington state was widespread and particularly heavy in spots late Monday through Tuesday. The Cascades received more than two inches in spots and many lowland locations along Puget Sound got more than one inch.
This is very beneficial rainfall ahead of a heat wave, and while it won’t prevent fires from spreading when we hit the hottest days of the year Sunday and Monday, it will help.
A few spotty showers are likely into early Wednesday morning before we see more sunshine and a dry stretch of weather that could go more than a week. Highs will still be “cool” Wednesday — in the 60s.
Temperatures will warm back to the 70s in many spots from Seattle south by Thursday or Friday, but over the weekend as high pressure aloft dominates with sinking air that discourages clouds, the lower-level wind flow will turn offshore, which means the cooling winds that usually blow in generally from the Pacific Ocean are replaced by generally east-to-west winds.
This offshore wind flow tends to promote hot high temperatures, especially nearer the Cascades where the wind currents out of central Washington descend in elevation. This downslope wind naturally warms and dries. The same phenomenon will occur on the west and south sides of the Olympics.
We haven’t made too many changes in the temperatures forecast for the weekend into early next week, and expect highs in the upper 80s in Seattle by Sunday afternoon and around 90° on Monday. It’ll again be hotter nearer the mountains, and also south of Seattle away from the water. Highs approaching 100° are possible in the Willamette Valley of Oregon with this kind of a weather setup!
Seattle’s record high for Sunday the 14th is 86° set in 1988 and for Monday the 15th is 88° set in 1963. Both of these records are on the “cooler” end of the daily record highs for the month of June and are likely to be broken.
The UV index will also be in the “very high” category in the coming days, so don’t forget the sunblock.
Or the lifejackets! Water temperatures are only in the 50s and 60s around the region, so cold water shock is a high threat for anyone who falls in unexpectedly.
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