Tag Archives: weather records

Local, Terra Firma, Weather

Record-setting January heatwave in Seattle ends

[WBHG News 24 – Kirkland] – It isn’t unusual for Seattle to tickle 60 degrees in January, but to reach or pass 60 degrees four days in a row was enough to set a new heatwave record. It stayed above 50 degrees for 5.5 days – 131 hours from January 27 to February 1, and three new high-temperature records were added to the books.

Weather records

DateNormal LowNormal High2024 Low2024 High
January 2738° F49° F48° F -50° F at 11:00 AM56° F
January 2838° F49° F51° F61° F – record
January 2938° F49° F51° F61° F – record
January 3038° F49° F51° F60° F – record
January 3138° F49° F53° F60° F
February 138° F49° F47° F – 50° F at 10:00 PM58° F
High and low temperatures versus average at Seatac Airport from January 27 to February 1, 2024

The four-day streak broke the previous three-day record set in 2015, which was also the warmest January in modern history, with an average high of 49.9 degrees. Because 2024 was a fire and ice experience with a cold snap from the 11th to the 18th, the average high was 45.74-degrees, but still more than 4 degrees above normal.

Does this prove climate change

Weather is not climate, and climate is not weather. A singular weather event, like a four-day heatwave, does not prove climate change, just as a seven-day cold snap does not disprove it. Since 1981, the average daily high in January has increased by 1.4 degrees, and the average low climbed 2.6 degrees. Almost all climatologists agree that part of that broader increase, and our increasingly wet weather, has been caused by human activity.

What was unusual about the 2024 winter heatwave was how warm the low temperatures were from January 28 to 31 – 13 to 15 degrees above normal. Had the January heatwave been in July, Seattle’s low temperatures would have been 70, 70, 70, and 72. How warm would that have been? The warmest low temperature in Seattle’s history was 73 degrees during the June 2021 “heatpocalypse.” It would have been misery for the region, which has the second-lowest number of air-conditioned buildings and homes in the United States.

What’s next

As for the week ahead, starting Saturday, normal temperatures are returning, with highs near 50 and lows close to 40. Saturday will be cloudy but dry, and Sunday should be pleasant under party-cloudy skies.

Health and Lifestyle, Local, Weather

Seattle’s 6-day heatwave is one for the record books

[KIRKLAND, Wash.] – (MTN) Clouds and marine air rolled into Puget Sound, putting an end to a six-day run of temperatures over 90 degrees, the longest heatwave since weather records have been kept in Seattle.

The infamous heatwave of 2021, which killed over a dozen and smashed multiple weather recordings, including setting an all-time high of 108 degrees at Seatac Airport, couldn’t pull off five days in a row over 90. The heatwave of 2022 set the new mark and did it without the benefit of an onshore flow. Winds were light through the entire period but were mostly from the west, northwest, and north. If the wind had been from the east, Seattle likely would have broken 100 degrees on several days.

Record highs

Multiple records were set, but the bar was high. July 28 and 29 were competing against the 2009 three-day heatwave where Seattle reached 94 on the 27th, 97 on the 28th, and the previous all-time record high of 103 on the 29th. That heatwave was caused by an onshore flow and ended when the winds shifted overnight on the 29th, ushering in cloudy skies and normal temperatures. The heatwave of 2022 was shockingly consistent.

  • July 26 – 94 degrees – broke the old record of 92
  • July 27 – 91 degrees
  • July 28 – 94 degrees
  • July 29 – 95 degrees
  • July 30 – 95 degrees – three-way tie of 5-days in a row over 90 degrees, prior records were 1981 and 2015
  • July 31 – 95 degrees – longest streak over 90 degrees and tie for the longest streak of highs reaching 95 degrees or hotter; the prior record was 2021

July 26 to 30 was the fourth hottest streak on record, with an average high temperature of 93.8 degrees. The record-setting heatwaves of 1981, 2009, and 2021 were hotter.

Was this due to climate change

Weather is not climate, and climate is not weather. A heatwave in Puget Sound does not prove or disprove climate change. Just as the cold, wet, cloudy non-existent Puget Sound spring did not disprove or prove climate change. Globally, 2022 is currently the fifth hottest on record through June. Record-setting heat has hit Europe, Asia, and North America.

Will we have a smoke season

Washington’s cold and wet spring provided a good snowpack and slowed down the growth of underbrush and other burn materials. The heatwave that baked the region has removed some of that safety margin, and a large wildfire has erupted near Weed, California, on the Oregon-California border. For the next six to eight weeks, the chances of smoke rolling into Puget Sound will likely increase looking at the long-term weather models.

The time to prepare for smoke is now by making sure you have a supply of N-95 masks, particularly if you exercise or work outdoors or have moderate to severe asthma or other clinical breathing issues. If you don’t have air conditioning, now is the time to set up your clean air room and have a plan in place in the event it is over 85 or 90 degrees with heavy smoke. You can build your own smoke filter for under $50 with a box fan, furnace filter, and small bungee cords. Securely attach the air filter to the fan’s intake side, ensuring the arrow on the filter faces the right way.

Local, Weather

Puget Sound lowlands facing a frigid week with record-setting cold

[KIRKLAND, Wash.] – (MTN) Record cold is on tap for the week ahead with temperatures 15 to 20 degrees below normal. There is a slight chance for a few stray flakes of snow late Sunday night before the region dries out and a cold sun peeks through partly cloudy skies.

A weak disturbance currently developing in Eastern British Columbia will move into Eastern Washington on Sunday Night, bringing cloudy skies to the Puget Sound lowlands. A strong area of high pressure off Vancouver Island will keep the disturbance to our east, and push it southward into Oregon. As the two centers of circulation push against each other winds will increase on Monday afternoon. In the lowlands, winds will be 10 to 15 MPH from the north, with higher gusts. The north wind will pull cold air southward into Washington.

Temperatures will be in the mid-30s on Monday morning, reaching a high of 42 to 44 along the I-405 corridor. There is little support for a convergence zone to form on Sunday night, and not enough moisture to produce pockets of accumulating snow. Lows on Monday night will drop to 26 to 28 degrees. This is just the opening act.

The area of high pressure will move further east on Tuesday, while the low-pressure area will get better organized and drift to southwest Oregon. A cold front will move through the lowlands on Tuesday afternoon, with winds of 10 to 20 MPH and higher gusts, pushing additional cold air in from the Fraser Valley. Area skies will clear out before sunset, enhancing radiational cooling overnight. The daytime high will be 37 to 39, before dropping to record-cold with lows of 19 to 21 degrees.

Wednesday will be cold under mostly sunny skies with a high of 36 to 39. High clouds that move in during the late afternoon will thicken up overnight and help keep things slightly warmer. Lows will reach 26 to 28 degrees with a very slight chance of a light snow flurry with little to no accumulation.

Looking at the long-range weather model, Thursday should be a mostly sunny day. Daytime temperatures will break over 40 degrees with a high of 40 to 44. Nighttime lows will reach 23 to 27, putting the current record of 24 at risk. For now, Friday is forecasted to be a repeat a Thursday, with clouds thickening up in the evening.

Cold temperatures will bring life threatening conditions and can freeze pipes

Temperatures this low are life-threatening to the houseless. At press time, there was no information about available cold weather shelters, or what action King County officials are taking.

The coming week will also be dangerous to pets and on Tuesday night, backyard livestock. Cats and dogs will need places to escape the cold, ideally inside your house. Water bowls for animals will freeze making it impossible for them to hydrate.

Outside faucets should have hoses disconnected and be covered or wrapped to protect them from freezing. In older homes with sinks that face outside walls, setting your faucets to a weak trickle and opening the under-sink cabinet doors will help prevent pipes from freezing. Know where the water shutoff valve is for your house and make sure if you need a tool to use it, that you have one.

Breaking News, Local, Weather

Local store shelves emptying as weather, holidays, and COVID stress the supply chain

[KIRKLAND, Wash.] – (MTN) Empty spots on store shelves and coolers are getting bigger across Puget Sound as the labor shortage, weather, post-holiday buying, and COVID place increasing stress on supply chains.

Shortages of cold medication and home rapid COVID tests have grown to include fresh produce, milk, pet food, and some dry goods. Shortages are spotty and vary across stores. In Seattle, social media and pictures show empty dairy sections. In Kirkland, Fred Meyer had plenty of milk, eggs, and cheese but very little fresh produce.

The holiday buying season both for goods and food products arrived just before a snowstorm and historic cold blanketed the region. The timing combined to empty shelves for some, but by New Year’s many locations had recovered.

The COVID variant Omicron is sickening a record number of people, with worker shortages across every sector from hospitals to warehouses. With national unemployment at a robust 3.9 percent, the nation was already deep into a worker shortage before the ongoing coronavirus surge.

The trucking industry is short over 80,000 drivers nationally. Drivers are typically paid by the mile, and go unpaid when they aren’t moving. Labor shortages at warehouses and distribution centers can leave bulk freight motor carriers waiting for hours, and sometimes days without pay. Additionally, trucker pay has declined 50 percent in the last 20 years, forcing experienced drivers to leave the industry. Long-haul bulk freight has suffered the most, with many drivers wanting better pay or assurances they will get to sleep in their own beds at night.

Tracking technology has turned into a double-edged sword for the freight industry. The same systems that monitor driver behavior, safety, and location, have created a Fifth Element style driving environment. As an example, if a driver is moving in a freight yard or loading dock and exceeds 5 MPH, tracking systems will consider that movement as travel. If the driver is only moving their vehicle but on a mandatory rest window, they get penalized. Drivers have complained that getting stuck in traffic results in filling out online forms and explaining to dispatchers why they aren’t moving and on schedule.

Washington awoke on Friday morning to find the region was being pummeled by another once in a 100-year weather event. Heavy rain, flooding, and historic snowfall have crippled land transit into Puget Sound closing all mountain passes, stopping railroads, and for a short period this morning, closing a 20 mile stretch of I-5 in Lewis County. A similar weather system in December of 2007 crippled transit and disrupted the supply chain in Western Washington.

Wenatchee and Leavenworth received record amounts of snowfall on Thursday, with Leavenworth declaring a state of emergency. The Bavarian-themed tourist town received three feet of snow in 24 hours. Chelan County also declared a state of emergency and made a disaster declaration due to record snowfall.

All mountain passes are closed until at least Sunday due to record amounts of snow, avalanche danger, landslides, and downed trees. Snoqualmie Pass has recorded 69 inches of snow in four-and-a-half days with more expected through Friday. Stevens, Whites, and Blewett Passes haven’t had updated snowfall reports since Jan. 5.

The same weather system that has buried the Cascades is causing historic flooding in South Puget Sound, Southwest Washington, and in communities such as Issaquah. The Washington State Department of Transportation was forced to close a 20-mile section of I-5 between Centralia and Chehalis on Friday morning, the first major closure due to flooding since 2007. The highway is temporarily reopened this afternoon, but DOT traffic cameras showed water lapping at the edges of I-5. The Chehalis River isn’t expected to crest until Friday night or early Saturday morning.

The Newaukum and Skookumchuck Rivers reached near-record levels. The Thurston County Sheriff was appealing for people to follow evacuation orders and not to ignore road closures. In Issaquah, a phase two alert was issued on Thursday, when the Issaquah Creek broke its banks. On Friday morning, floodwaters were slowly receding.

The timing of these disruptions has created a perfect storm for the delivery of goods into the region. By Friday evening, the only way in and out of Puget Sound, the Islands, and the Olympic Peninsula will be by boat or aircraft. Combined with a growing number of COVID cases sidelining more workers, Western Washington should accept more empty shelves in the days to come.

BIPOC, French Toast Emergency, Local, Weather

Widespread lowland snow will bring a White Christmas to Western Washington after all

[KIRKLAND, Wash.] – (MTN) A small shift in the storm track with a little more intensification means widespread snow across Western Washington is likely on Christmas Day into Sunday morning. After the system moves out, record low temperatures will plunge Washington state into the deep freeze creating dangerous conditions.

The I-405 corridor can expect one to four inches of snow, with some areas potentially seeing more. The Bellevue-Kirkland-Woodinville area will get three to five inches from Saturday morning to Sunday afternoon. To help the houseless, warming centers, overnight shelters, and housing vouchers are being provided across the county.

Friday morning the low-pressure system that will become our snowmaker was further south and a little stronger than what the models predicted yesterday. The National Weather Service has not issued any weather warnings for the Puget Sound lowlands at the time we went to press, but we expect Winter Weather Advisories for part of Saturday, Saturday night, and part of Sunday posted later today.

Christmas Eve started with a mix of sun and high clouds for the region, but that will be ending soon. Between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., the rain will move into the area with wet snowflakes mixed in above 500 to 1,000 feet.

Friday night temperatures will drop close to freezing in the Bellevue-Kirkland-Woodinville area, Lows will be 33 to 35 and the rain should transition to wet snow for a few hours overnight. Drivers should be cautious, especially on side streets, hills, bridges, and overpasses.

The forecast for Christmas Day is more complex than yesterday. Your location and elevation will decide how much snow will fall during the day. The urban canyons of Bellevue and Seattle, along the shoreline of Puget Sound and Lake Washington, and area hot spots like Totem Lake will see more rain than snow. The hilltops such as Queen Anne, Finn Hill in Kirkland, and the foothills in Woodinville, Duvall, and Issaquah will see more snow. Precipitation will be in showers so some locations may be mostly dry while others could get dumped on. To complicate things further high temperatures will be 36 to 38 – a couple of degrees cooler will turn that rain/snow mix into mostly snow. Additionally, conditions are more favorable for a Convergence Zone to form in the evening. Expect one to two inches of snow, with the potential for a couple of areas to get higher amounts.

Saturday night the low-pressure area is now predicted to be just off the northeastern tip of Washington. Cold air will start to be pulled down from the Fraser Valley and light snow showers will fall through the region. Another one to two inches of snow will fall, while the urban canyons of Seattle and Bellevue will get more of a rain/snow mix. Temperatures will be 25 to 27 degrees, warmer in the urban cores, and roads will become slippery.

Sunday will be cold with widespread light snow across the region into the early afternoon. The change of about 100 miles in the location of the low-pressure area has boosted the amount of snow with two to three inches expected in the Bellevue-Kirkland-Woodinville area. It is too soon to predict if a convergence zone will form, but the models are more interesting than yesterday. Snow will taper off in the evening with highs between 28 and 30 degrees.

On Sunday night snow showers will end and our region will experience record-breaking cold under mostly cloudy skies. Lows will be 8 to 11 degrees. The record low at SeaTac is 20 and doesn’t stand a chance.

Monday will be partly cloudy and very cold, with a high of 22 to 25.

Monday night will be partly cloudy and cold, with temperatures from 13 to 15 degrees. The record low at SeaTac Airport is 12, so a tie isn’t out of the realm of possibility.

Tuesday will be a slight improvement under partly cloudy skies with a high of 28 to 30 degrees.

The outlook for the rest of the week is for temperatures ten to 15 degrees below normal through Thursday, with only a slight improvement in the long-range forecast. Your weather apps might be showing a snowflake on Thursday too, but it’s too far out to make a prediction.

Cold temperatures will bring life threatening conditions

Temperatures this low are life-threatening to the houseless and Seattle’s Human Services Department is opening two overnight shelters from Dec. 25 to Dec. 29. One shelter will be located at Seattle Center Exhibition Hall and can serve about 100 people, 18 and older including pets. The other is located in Pioneer Square and can serve 80 people, 18 and older. Additionally, the Salvation Army can accommodate up to 240 people at its shelter in SODO.

If you have children and live in King County, you can Parents can call the King County Emergency Family Shelter Intake Line at 206-245-1026 between 8 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. for assistance.

The City of Kirkland announced they will be providing hotel vouchers to the unhomed in the city as well as opening warming centers. Hotel vouchers are available by contacting the City of Kirkland, police, fire, or parks departments or by calling (425) 577-5656. For families living at the safe parking lot at the Lake Washington United Methodist Church, vouchers for extended stay hotels have been provided.

Warming centers will be available at the following locations.

  • North Kirkland Community Center
    • December 27 – 29, 1 PM to 4 PM
    • December 30, 8 AM to 12 PM
  • Peter Kirk Community Center
    • December 27 – 29, 8 AM to 5 PM
    • December 30, 8 AM to 12 PM
  • Kirkland City Hall
    • December 30, 8 AM to 12 PM

Temperatures this low will be a danger to pets and backyard livestock. Cats and dogs will need places to escape the cold, ideally inside your house. Water bowls for animals will freeze up in this weather making it impossible for them to drink water.

Outside faucets should have hoses disconnected and be covered or wrapped to protect them from freezing. Setting your faucets to the slowest trickle keeps water moving in your pipes preventing freezing. For sinks that face outside walls of your home, open the cabinet doors to allow warm air to circulate. Know where the water shutoff valve is for your house and make sure if you need a tool to use it, that you have one.

Extended cold is also hard on your car’s batteries. If the starter battery in your car is over four years old, the cold snap could spell the end of its useful life. Hybrid and electric vehicles can lose effective range when it is this cold. This happens due to physics impacting battery performance and the increased draw from the cabin heater, window defrosters, and comfort accessories like heated seats. If you find your range is deteriorating turning off the cabin heat and using heated seats to stay warm uses less power.

Local, Weather

Western Washington White Christmas chances are fading but historic cold lies ahead

[KIRKLAND, Wash.] – (MTN) Record low temperatures are coming to Western Washington even as the promise of a white Christmas along the I-405 corridor is fading away.

A weak low still promises to bring some snow into the Puget Sound lowlands late on Christmas Eve and Christmas Eve Night. After Saturday, dangerously cold air will settle into the region six months to the day after Seattle experienced three days of record-shattering heat.

Christmas Eve looks promises to be a typical December day in Washington – cold, wet, and dreary. There is a weak low currently at the very southeastern tip of Alaska that is moving along the British Columbia coast, and that will be our snowmaker later in the weekend. Winds will be breezy and from the south, as high temperatures struggle to reach 40 degrees. Rain will fall through most of the day.

Friday night temperatures will drop close to freezing in the Bellevue-Kirkland-Woodinville area, with the lowest temperatures at the highest points and away from the water. Lows will be 33 to 35 and drivers should be cautious for icy patches especially on bridges and overpasses. The center of low pressure will be around the southern tip of Vancouver Island.

The forecast for Christmas Day is complex. That weak low will drift across the Olympic Penisula and park over the Olympic Peninsula. Cold air will start to spill into Western Washington, with temperatures rising to 36 to 39 degrees, peaking around 11 a.m. Cold air is dry air, and there isn’t a lot of moisture or energy in this system to produce a lot of precipitation. Areas below 500 to 1000 feet should expect a mix of rain showers, graupel, and wet snowflakes. The highest hills in our region could see more flakes. By 5 p.m, temperatures will be approaching freezing, and snow showers will transition to rain. Side streets, overpasses, and highway ramps could get icy during this transition.

Saturday night the low-pressure area will have drifted further south and will be located off the northeast tip of Washington. The center of circulation will pump coastal moisture into the Puget Sound region as cold air starts to spill in from the Fraser Valley, causing widespread snow showers to form. Expect 1 to 2 inches of snow overnight. Convergence Zone forecasts are extremely difficult to make, however, there isn’t a lot of moisture nor wind dynamics that point to heavier snow bands being widespread. Temperatures will be 23 to 25 degrees. The record low at SeaTac Airport is 22, so it’s possible the record will get tied or broken.

Sunday will see snow showers moving out of the area by 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. as the low dissipates and moves into southwest Washington. It will remain cloudy with high temperatures reaching 28 to 30 degrees. There is a chance slight chance for a few stray flakes late in the day as the temperature drops and wrings out the remaining moisture from the low-pressure system. As it weakens and moves south, the floodgates for cold Fraser Valley air will open.

On Sunday night our region will experience record-breaking cold. The skies will partially clear allowing for radiational cooling and winds will shift out of the north pulling cold air from Canada into our region. Lows will be 13 to 16 degrees. The record low at SeaTac is 20 and doesn’t stand a chance. If the record low reaches 13 or colder, the difference between the high temperature of the year and the low temperature of the year will be 100 degrees or greater!

Monday will be one of the coldest days in years. The high temperature will only reach 19 to 22 degrees under partly cloudy skies. Winds will be light at 7 to 10 MPH, but enough to make the air feel like it can cut like a knife.

Monday night will be clear and cold, with temperatures from 12 to 14 degrees. The record low at SeaTac Airport is 12, so a tie isn’t out of the realm of possibility.

The outlook for next week is bitter cold through Thursday, which is the first day where high temperatures might reach freezing. Your weather apps might be showing a snowflake on that date too, but it’s too far out to make a prediction.

Temperatures this low are life-threatening to the houseless and Seattle’s Human Services Department is opening two overnight shelters from Dec. 25 to Dec. 29. One shelter will be located at Seattle Center Exhibition Hall and can serve about 100 people, 18 and older including pets. The other is located in Pioneer Square and can serve 80 people, 18 and older. Additionally, the Salvation Army can accommodate up to 240 people at its shelter in SODO.

If you have children and live in King County, you can Parents can call the King County Emergency Family Shelter Intake Line at 206-245-1026 between 8 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. for assistance.

Temperatures this low will be a danger to pets and backyard livestock. Cats and dogs will need places to escape the cold, ideally inside your house. Water bowls for animals will freeze up in this weather.

Outside faucets should have hoses disconnected and be covered or wrapped to protect them from freezing. Setting your faucets to the slowest trickle keeps water moving in your pipes preventing freezing. For sinks that face outside walls of your home, open the cabinet doors to allow warm air to circulate. Know where the water shutoff valve is for your house and make sure if you need a tool to use it, that you have one.

Extended cold is also hard on your car’s batteries. If the starter battery in your car is over four years old, the cold snap could spell the end of its useful life. Hybrid and electric vehicles can lose effective range when it is this cold. This happens due to physics impacting battery performance and the increased draw from the cabin heater, window defrosters, and comfort accessories like heated seats. If you find your range is deteriorating turning off the cabin heat and using heated seats to stay warm uses less power.

Local, Weather

Special Delivery! Fall weather arrives with a wet and windy weekend ahead

[KIRKLAND, Wash.] – (MTN) After a rollercoaster summer of record-shattering heat, a tie for the driest July since weather records have been kept, and 51 days without rain, fall is arriving. A particularly strong storm system for mid-September is delivering three days of rain, the potential for urban flooding, and strong winds on Friday afternoon.

The central pressure of the storm approaching is flirting with 990 MB, which is similar to Hurricane Nicholas that hit Texas on September 14. For the Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville area, the two issues will be rain through the weekend and wind this afternoon.

It’s already raining across the region, and rain will fall through the day, with the chance for heavy showers and even a growl of thunder. Over lunchtime, there could be a break in the rain, but don’t be fooled. Between 3 to 5 PM will the rain will pick up, get heavier, and the winds will increase. Peak winds will be between 7 PM and 10 PM at 15 to 20 MPH, with gusts up to 40 MPH.

The heatwave in June followed by very little rain has stressed many trees that are still full of leaves. Between the heat stress and the foliage that can act like sails, the usual trouble spots such as Finn Hill should expect to lose power. There isn’t enough wind in the forecast model in Central Puget Sound for a Wind Advisory, but areas north of Everett could see gusts over 50 MPH.

Temperatures will be in the low to mid-60s. Over the next 24 hours, close to an inch of rain should be expected for the area.

Rain will taper off briefly on Saturday morning, while the wind will continue into the afternoon. Another shot of rain will arrive around noon, and you should expect rain through Sunday. On Saturday another 1/3 of an inch is expected, with another 1/3 on Sunday. If the forecast model holds, our region will get a month of rain in 3 days, in what will feel like a repeat of our major rain event back on June 13-14.

Temperatures will hold in the mid-60s during the day and the mid-50s during the night.

Rain could get heavy enough to cause some minor urban flooding in locations such as 120th in Kirkland in front of Fred Meyer.

Local, Weather

Here we go again, record-setting heatwave to sear Seattle a second time

[KIRKLAND, Wash.] – (MTN) The Seattle area is poised to break 100 degrees for the fourth time this summer, with a significant heatwave forecasted for the rest of the week. The National Weather Service issued an Excessive Heat Warning, including the Puget Sound Lowlands, from noon on Wednesday to 7 PM on Saturday.

A ridge of high pressure is building over the Pacific Ocean, bringing eyebrow-raising heat to our region, but not as hot as the record-shattering heatwave in June. Temperatures broke 100 degrees three days in a row earlier this year during a historic heatwave that shattered all-time temperature records from Alaska to California. 

In addition to the heat, Western Washington can expect some smoke to move into the region. High-pressure areas circulate counter-clockwise, which will pull smoke up from Southern Oregon and Northern California. Thursday and Friday are looking to be the worst days, but they won’t be like last year’s conditions. Most of it will be aloft, but some near-surface smoke is supported in the models. One other plot twist, the smoke is making Friday’s forecast pretty challenging.

Wednesday will start with partly cloudy skies and a low around 60 degrees F. in the Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville area. Temperatures will reach 87 to 90 degrees F. The usual hot spots of Totem Lake, Kingsgate, and the urban canyons of downtown Bellevue will likely get to the 90 degrees F. mark.

Wednesday night temperatures will drop to 62 to 64 degrees F. in our area. We’ll get a bit of offshore flow overnight, making it a bit uncomfortable, and pulling smoke into our region.

Thursday will see high temperatures from 95 to 98 degrees F. with increasingly hazy skies. The dewpoint will be around 60 degrees F., making it feel a little sticky. The air quality will decline to moderate with PM 2.5 in the 55 to 70 range. The record high is 96.

Thursday night will see high-altitude smoke continue to thicken, which will act as a blanket. Nighttime temperatures will be uncomfortable, with lows from 66 to 68 F. Winds will be near calm, with a slight offshore flow. As the air cools, some of that vertically integrated smoke will sink, and there isn’t much wind to circulate the air. The air quality will be moderate, with PM 2.5 in the 70 to 90 range.

Friday’s forecast is a tough call. The more smoke in the air, the more it will help lower high temperatures. The high-pressure area will continue to drive eastward, and the wind will shift to be more west-northwest during the day or early evening. High temperatures on Friday will be 97 to 100 degrees F. for the Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville area, which is 15 to 20 degrees above normal. If the smoke is thicker than the models indicate, shaving a few degrees from the high is possible. The air quality will be moderate, with PM 2.5 will be in the 55 to 70 range. I would expect to have the hazy orange glow we’ve seen a few times this year during the day. The record high is only 91 and is destined to be shattered.

Friday night won’t offer much relief again, but the smoke will begin to be pushed out. Lows will be 65 to 67 F. Air quality will be good to moderate, with PM 2.5 in the 40 to 60 range.

Saturday looks to be our fourth day in a row where the area will hit 90 degrees F. Highs will be 89 to 92, with clouds building in the afternoon as marine air pushes in from the coast. 

In June, we reached out to King County Health and other area experts to get advice on dealing with extreme heat. If you don’t have access to air conditioning, we can’t promise these tips will keep you from being miserable, but they will help keep you safe.

Local, Weather

After 50 days and 50 nights finally some rain in sight

[KIRKLAND, Wash] – (MTN) The last time it rained at Seattle-Tacoma Airport, where official weather records are kept, was June 15 – 50 days ago. Despite spotty showers and thunderstorms passing through the area yesterday, and some spot drizzle and showers two weeks ago, the rain gauge only got a trace in July. That is the fifth time Seattle has had a rainless month, and the third time in the last ten years. It looks like that is about to change.

If you found a casino to take a rain bet and you picked August 6, you might be a winner – our dry streak is likely to end after day 52. The longest dry streak in Seattle history was in 2017 when the region went 55 days without measurable rain at SeaTac.

Today will feel a big muggy like yesterday with high temperatures in the mid-80s for Kirkland-Bellevue-Woodinville. We have another chance for some pop-up showers and thunderstorms in the early evening hours. Last night’s weather helped push out the vertically integrated smoke, so it will be less hazy.

Thursday will also have a muggy feel, with dew points approaching 60 degrees and highs once again in the mid-80s. Thursday night and Friday morning are when we get our chance for rain.

A system carrying moisture is finally going to reach our region and bring with it widespread showers and much cooler air. The chance of rain peaks in the morning hours and slowly tapers off through the day. It will be cloudy, and the high temperatures will reach 70 degrees for our area.

The weekend is looking cloudy and cool with temperatures during the day around 70. Late Saturday and into Sunday morning looks like another chance for widespread rain showers in the region.

The long-range forecast shows a return to summer next week and drying out again.

Health and Lifestyle, Local

Sun, Smoke, and Showers loom as dry streak extends to day 45

[KIRKLAND] – (MTN) Another heat dome is building in the southwest bringing extreme heat to the western states, with a bump in temperatures for Western Washington coming. The Kirkland-Bellevue- Woodinville area will see nothing like what we had at the end of June, and we are in an era where a 90-degree day in the summer is a “new normal.”

Friday will see our region tickle 90 degrees in the hot spots such as Kingsgate, Totem Lake, and the urban canyons of downtown Bellevue. Cooler spots like Finn Hill, the Houghton Highlands, and right on Lake Washington will be around 88 degrees. East of the Cascades will be much hotter. Spokane is under an Excessive Heat Warning with a high today of 100, 103 on Friday, and 105 on Saturday.

The offshore flow that will start tomorrow will also carry with it smoke from fires burning outside of Winthrop, Washington, and British Columbia. Additionally, the circulation around the high pressure system will pull the smoke up from Oregon. There is nothing in the models to indicate the air quality will get chew or reach dangerous levels, in Western Washington, but unhealthy air is possible for the lowlands on Saturday.

Sunday will cool down due to a combination of events including vertically integrated smoke holding the temperature down, a shift to an onshore flow, and the heat dome moving westward. However, this will also pump moisture into the region making it feel sticky and adding a chance for showers and thunderstorms. The chances are slim right now, and it would require storms to drift off of the Cascades westward into the lowlands.

At 45 days, the dry streak at SeaTac Airport (KSEA) currently sits at 45 days. It seems safe to say at this point that July 2021 will tie July 2017 as the driest month in Seattle history, with just a trace of rain. However, the dry streak has a chance of ending on Sunday. The bad news for firefighters and our parched eastern half of the state is lightning is literally the last thing they need.

The long range forecast shows a growing chance for rain showers through most of next week. There is nothing definite, but I wouldn’t bet against our record streak of 55 dry days in a row falling next week. All it takes is .01 inches of rain at SeaTac Airport to end the streak.