Late Spring Heat Wave Across the Western US

Today is turning out to be a beautiful Memorial Day around Western Washington! Below are temperatures at 4:15 PM.

Temperatures are warming into the upper 70s to low 80s, with today’s sea breeze effect providing the occasional 15-20 mph gust. Then, on Tuesday and Wednesday, we will experience a late spring heat wave, with temperatures of 80-87 degrees likely.

Below is the forecast for Puyallup from Weather Underground.

Wow! Temperatures on Tuesday and Wednesday will likely reach the mid to upper 80s across the Puget Sound area, warmest in the valleys & foothills. Temperatures decrease through the rest of the week, with a chance of rain returning by the weekend.

Below is the UW forecast for temperatures across Washington at 4 PM Wednesday...the warmest day of the week.

Most of the state is warm...except the coast, where cooler air will be slowly moving in. It’ll be downright hot in the Columbia Basin, with highs of 100-105 degrees possible in the Tri-Cities. Records will be broken there. 

On an even broader scale, the Western US will be under the familiar summer “heat dome” pattern (although it isn’t summer just yet). Below is the UW forecast showing the major upper air high pressure ridge causing the unseasonably hot late spring temperatures.

You can see how the ridge completely dominates the West, especially California, where temperatures are skyrocketing into the triple digits today.

More 100+ degree temperatures will be observed across parts of the Western US in the coming days. This will continue to make the drought situation worse, including in Washington, where I expect drought coverage to continue increasing. Stay tuned.

Enjoy the sun! Our warmest temperatures so far in 2021 are likely on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Warm & Dry Memorial Day Weekend Ahead

A mostly sunny, warm, and dry Memorial Day weekend is ahead! Before we get to the forecast...let’s quickly recap Thursday’s rain.

Most of the area received 0.25 to 0.8 inches of rain. Areas in the mountains and on a path from Gig Harbor to North Bend received the most rain, mostly due to heavy showers Thursday afternoon and evening. This was the most rain since February for our area, but it didn’t do much to knock back the drought coverage, as we’ll see later.

Now...we are transitioning to a much warmer and drier pattern. Below is the forecast for Puyallup from Weather Underground.

It’ll be a heat wave! Temperatures begin warming into the mid 70s on Saturday, then to the upper 70s on Sunday. Monday (Memorial Day) brings temperatures in the low 80s! Highs in the low to mid 80s are expected from Monday to Wednesday! 

Also notice that nightly low temperatures don’t get below 55 degrees from Monday to Wednesday. These will be our warmest days (and nights) since last summer. Additionally, while the forecast says “partly and mostly cloudy,” expect mainly high clouds...except some low clouds on Saturday and Sunday that will burn off through the day.

Drought Update:

Below is the most recent US Drought Monitor map for Washington. 

The biggest change in this update is the addition of Extreme Drought in parts of Southeast and East Central Washington. 

Despite little change on the map, drought coverage continues to increase in Western Washington. Below is the link to a King 5 News article about drought in Washington.

http://www.king5.com/mobile/article/news/local/wildfire/washington-state-drought-advisory-wildfire-season/281-95a12aa8-f176-4bed-8e18-b9853e6c9e8a

This blog will continue to cover the drought situation closely throughout the rest of spring and into summer. 

Enjoy the great weather this weekend!

Update: Rainy & Breezy Day on Thursday

A rainy and breezy day is likely for the area on Thursday. Let’s start below with the forecast precipitation from NWS Seattle. This forecast is for 12 AM Thursday to 12 AM Friday.

Expect 0.25 to 0.5 inches of rain during this period. Most rain will fall Thursday morning, with rain becoming more showery-and winds increasing-by afternoon.

There is also a 10-20% chance of thunderstorms from 11 AM to 7 PM Thursday. Lightning and thunder aren’t very likely, but remember, “when thunder roars, go indoors!”

Now for the wind...Below is the wind forecast for Puyallup.

Expect southwest winds gusting 25-35 mph starting Thursday morning. We still have a couple forecasts showing 40-50 mph wind gusts. Remember that while it is unlikely, be prepared for those stronger winds and potential tree damage. Winds will subside by Friday morning.

Real quick...here’s the forecast for Puyallup from Weather Underground.

Expect rain starting as early as late Wednesday and showers lasting as late as Friday morning. Then, the warmup begins, with a warm Memorial Day weekend in store. Warm temperatures continue through the first few days of June. 

The rainiest day of spring will feature a cold front that will move through and set up a warm and dry pattern, with highs of 80+ degrees likely. Interesting how our weather works!

Rainy & Breezy On Thursday, Then the Warmup Begins

The rainiest day of this spring so far is expected on Thursday. But, before we get there...expect a mostly cloudy & dry day on Wednesday, with highs of 65-70 degrees. 

The precipitation chance increases late Wednesday night, and will continue through early Friday. Below is the UW forecast for precipitation through 5 AM Friday.

Expect 0.3 to 0.75 inches of rain in the South Central Sound. This, along with rain in SW WA and the Willamette Valley, will help to alleviate some of the drought (any rain is helpful)!

Additionally, a breezy to locally windy day is likely with frontal passage on Thursday, with breezy conditions continuing into Friday. The Puyallup wind forecast is below.

Expect winds gusting 25-35 mph from midday Thursday to Friday morning. Notice that 2 forecast models show winds gusting 40-45 mph on Thursday. While that is not very likely, remember that the outlier can be correct sometimes...so be prepared for stronger winds. 

I will do a short update Wednesday night about the Thursday weather outlook, so stay tuned!

Now...let’s take a look at the forecast. (All from Weather Underground for Puyallup).

Wednesday will be in the upper 60s-low 70s. Thursday will be colder, with highs possibly staying below 60 degrees. Then, temperatures slowly rebound, reaching the mid 60s on Friday, then low to mid 70s on Saturday, and finally 80 degrees by Sunday!

The warmth doesn’t stop there...below is the forecast for the start of June.

Looks like “June Gloom” will be on an extended Memorial Day vacation. Speaking of which, you’re probably amazed that it will be dry, sunny, and 80+ degrees on Memorial Day in Western Washington! Let’s just say that doesn’t usually happen in our neck of the woods. 

Rain Returns This Week, Potentially Hot Weather on the Horizon

The persistent marine layer of clouds and cooler temperatures kept the sun away for most of the weekend. Looking to the week ahead, a few rainy days are expected. 

Let’s start with the Puyallup forecast from Weather Underground.

The rainiest days this week will be Monday and Thursday. Expect a cool week and highs in the 60s (with the exception of 70s on Wednesday).

Below is the UW forecast model for rain through Wednesday morning.

Expect the South Sound area (Tacoma, etc.) to be generally rain-shadowed, receiving 0.2 to 0.3 inches of rain, maybe more in isolated spots. Much more rain, on the order of 1-2 inches, will be possible from Seattle northward and in the Cascades.

Another rainy day for the whole area is likely on Thursday...so stay tuned.

Looking farther ahead, we are seeing some signs of a potentially warm end of May/start of June. Below is the extended forecast for Puyallup.

Wow! 85 degrees is in the forecast...but details are still up in the air...so another thing to stay tuned for!

One more tidbit...for the 7th year in a row, a named storm formed in the Atlantic before the start of hurricane season. Tropical Storm Ana was active this weekend. It is now dissipating, but is still active. Stay updated on hurricane season here: National Hurricane Center

Enjoy the rain this week...it has been absent for awhile.

Mostly Sunny Weekend, Drought Update, and Early Tropical Activity

A mostly sunny weekend is in store! After a cloudy week, some sun will be nice! Below is the forecast for Puyallup from Weather Underground.

Expect a mostly sunny weekend, with highs in the mid 60s to mid 70s. Rain showers return on Monday and linger into Tuesday and possibly Wednesday.

Now...a quick look at the latest release of the US Drought Monitor.

The drought is still very bad across the Western US, especially the Desert Southwest and Great Basin. However, as we’ve talked about in recent blogs, we can’t ignore the growing drought coverage in the Pacific Northwest. Below are zoomed in maps for Washington and Oregon from the Drought Monitor.

Washington is in better shape than Oregon, but there is still drought coverage.

In Oregon, the entire state is under some kind of drought, with Exceptional Drought in East Central Oregon and severe drought along portions of the coast. This is due to the small amount of normal rainfall across the whole state.

In Washington, the whole state except the Olympics and Cascades is under drought. The only change recently is an increase in Moderate Drought in SW and NE Washington.

I will continue to keep the blog updated with the Drought Monitor, and I have added a permanent link to the US Drought Monitor on the right side of the blog. (Once on the website, click a region on the map to see it in more detail).

One more thing...although the Atlantic hurricane season doesn’t begin until June 1st, two “invests” (areas of possible tropical development) are active in the Atlantic basin. Below is a map from the National Hurricane Center updated Friday night.

The area in the central Atlantic has a 90% chance of becoming a subtropical storm this weekend, and the area in the Gulf of Mexico has a 50% chance of becoming a brief tropical depression or storm early on Saturday. Ana is the first name of the upcoming season.

Stay updated here: National Hurricane Center (nhc.noaa.gov)

Enjoy the nice weekend!

Normal Spring Weather, Abnormally Dry Conditions Continue

Tuesday and Wednesday were partly sunny with scattered showers and even a few lightning strikes. Parts of the area received some rain, but generally less than 0.2 inches.

The drier than normal trend will continue through the next few days. Below is the Puyallup forecast from Weather Underground.

No rain through the next 5 days, with another cool day on Thursday, then a warmup to the upper 60s-low 70s. The temperatures will drop back to the mid 60s on Sunday. A couple chilly nights (for May) are expected overnight Wednesday to Thursday and also into Friday. Temperatures will drop to the low-mid 40s, even lower in some outlying areas.

Notice something about the forecast? No rain for the next 5 days (and more). This is part of the overall dry spring that we’ve been having. Below is a graphic from the NWS Climate Prediction Center showing percent of average precipitation expected from May 27-June 2.

Notice Washington is in the 33-40% below average range.

Although there are worries about drought in the Pacific Northwest, below is a graph from the US Bureau of Reclamation showing current water levels on reservoirs in the Yakima River system.

You can see that the level is increasing now, due to the snowpack melting down from the mountains. We are currently above average and very near 2020’s level. Water supply won’t be an issue this summer...you can thank a huge snowpack for that!

One enjoyable thing about spring weather is the puffy cumulus clouds (sometimes cumulonimbus clouds) that build up due to heating in the atmosphere and on the ground...check out the anvil top on this cumulus cloud on Wednesday.

Since that cloud developed an anvil, you could argue that it was a cumulonimbus cloud. Below are some other cool cumulus clouds from Tuesday.

I took both these photos from Federal Way, looking west (upper photo) and northwest (lower photo).

Enjoy the spring weather (and cloud-watching)!!

 

Drought in the Pacific Northwest, Cool & Showery Days Ahead

Recently, we took a deep dive into the major drought impacting the Southwest US. Due to a very dry spring, the drought is increasing in the Pacific Northwest.

Below is the US Drought Monitor valid May 11th. Notice the moderate and severe drought moving north into Oregon and SW Washington (along with Eastern WA). Western Washington is under the “abnormally dry” category.

Generally, Oregon is in worse shape than Washington, but more severe drought is beginning to creep into our state.

We can see the reason for expanding drought due to much less rain than average over the past 60 days.

Below are two maps showing percent of average rainfall for Washington and Oregon from March 18th to May 17th.

The majority of Washington and Oregon have received less than 70% of average rainfall in the last 60 days. The Puget Sound area and most of the Willamette Valley is at 25-50% of normal, and most of Eastern Washington, parts of Portland, and other parts of Oregon have less than 25% of normal rainfall.

While it has been a very nice spring with lots of warm weather, we are “paying” for the warm weather because of its impact on drought.

Bottom line: Drought is getting worse in the Pacific Northwest, including the Puget Sound area. For now, we aren’t discussing impacts of the drought, but be aware of it and expect to hear more on this blog in the coming months.

Now to the upcoming weather...

Monday was cooler than originally forecast and 10-20 degrees colder than Sunday. The graphic below shows the difference in temperature between 4 PM Monday and 4 PM Sunday.

Quite a change from sunny and near 80 degrees on Sunday...then Monday was cloudy, breezy, and rainy late, with highs barely cracking 60 degrees.

Looking ahead, here is the Puyallup forecast from Weather Underground.

Expect Tuesday and Wednesday to be showery with highs near 60 degrees. There is a 10-20% chance of thunderstorms on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons. Remember, “when thunder roars, go indoors!” Temperatures warm up starting Thursday, reaching 75 degrees with mostly sunny conditions by Saturday.

Additionally, it will be breezy through Tuesday afternoons/evening. The forecasts below show winds gusting 20-35 mph.

Remember that any showers on Tuesday and Wednesday, especially in the afternoon, could feature brief heavy rain, gusty winds, small hail, and the potential for thunder and lightning.

Warm Sunday, Cooldown Ahead

Saturday was a warm and mostly sunny day, with highs generally in the mid-70s, but cooler by the water.

An even warmer day is expected on Sunday, with highs approaching 80 degrees. Expect most locations to reach the mid to upper 70s.

The forecast for Puyallup from Weather Underground is below.

After a warm day on Sunday, temperatures drop to the low 60s for the rest of the week. Small chances of rain exist on Monday and Wednesday.

Additionally, as a front moves through late Monday night into Tuesday, expect breezy conditions, with winds gusting 20-35 mph.

Enjoy the warm weather on Sunday! It’ll be the warmest day since our warm stretch in April!

Warm Weekend Ahead, Rain By Monday

Thursday was a warm day, quite a comfortable day in my opinion. High temperatures reached the upper 60s to low 70s, a preview of warmer temperatures ahead. Thursday’s highs are below.

Warmer days are ahead...with highs of 75-80 degrees likely this Friday and this weekend. The forecast for Puyallup from Weather Underground is below.

Notice highs of 77+ degrees from Friday to Sunday, with cooling highs on Monday (near 70 degrees). Rain returns on Tuesday, with a chance of thunderstorms on Wednesday. Highs on Tuesday and Wednesday will drop to the 60s, barely cracking 60 degrees on Wednesday.

What isn’t shown on this forecast is diurnal sea breeze winds. In short, these are winds that increase during the day due to pressure differences between land (lower pressure) and water (higher pressure). The pressure differences are caused by the land heating faster than water, and since winds flow toward low pressure (which is created by heat), thus creating the sea breeze effect.

If you’ve noticed winds increasing in the late morning or afternoon on warm, sunny days, that is the sea breeze effect. 

In the days ahead, expect north to northwest winds gusting 20-25 mph. These winds peak in the afternoons.

Temperatures Building to a Warm Weekend

Tuesday was a mostly sunny day with high temperatures near normal. “Normal” around this time of year is around 65 degrees at the beginning of May and 69-70 degrees by the end. For Tuesday, normal is 67 degrees. Most locations, except near the water, were at or a couple degrees above normal...a trend that will continue.

Our weather will warm up through the rest of the week. Below is the Puyallup forecast from Weather Underground.

Temperatures will warm to 75-77 degrees by the weekend! Temperatures cool to the upper 60s on Monday, then to the mid 60s with the return of rain on Tuesday.

On days where the forecast says “partly cloudy,” expect the most clouds in the early morning and in the evening.

Since at least 5 days of awesome spring weather are guaranteed, it seems fitting to share a couple more spring flower photos (I hope you’ve been enjoying them)!

Photos taken 5/9 in Federal Way, WA. Photos by The_Weatherman2.

Enjoy the beautiful weather!

Mix of Sun & Clouds, Highs in the 70s This Week

A warm and spring-like week is ahead! Let’s start with the forecast for Puyallup from Weather Underground.

Expect a mix of sun and clouds each day, with cloud cover generally peaking in the morning and decreasing throughout the day.

Highs will be nice and warm, with temperatures of 68 to 74 degrees! The warm spring weather will correspond with beautiful blooms on plants around the area!

Photos taken 5/9 in Federal Way, WA. Photos by The_Weatherman2.

Interesting weather note: On Sunday morning, Tropical Storm Andres formed in the East Pacific Basin, becoming the earliest forming tropical storm on record in the East Pacific. The storm is weak and will have no impacts, but is an interesting meteorological first.  (National Hurricane Center graphic below).

Enjoy the pleasant weather!

Chance of Thunderstorms on Friday, Warming Into Next Week

Thursday was a mixed bag of weather. Highs reached the mid-upper 60s before winds increased along with occasional rain as a cold front moved through. Peak wind gusts are below.

This cold front de-stabilized the atmosphere, and there is a 30-50% chance of thunderstorms on Friday, highest from 11 AM to 4 PM. Expect scattered showers with brief heavy rain and possible hail, gusty winds, and thunder/lightning.

Below is the forecast for Puyallup from Weather Underground.

Showers are present on Friday, with clouds on Saturday. Clearing begins midday Sunday, with partly cloudy conditions on Monday and Tuesday. Temperatures remain around 60 degrees on Friday and Saturday, then gradually warm up into the upper 60s-low 70s to start next week.

If you are interested in photography and local weather, check out this awesome video from Skunk Bay Weather (a great site with amazing webcams) showing interesting weather and sky events since 2018, set to music. The link is below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BgZgczx8fY&t=3s

I hope you’re enjoying watching the trees leaf out and the flowers bloom! It’s spring!

Beautiful pink flowers on an azalea in my yard. Photo by The_Weatherman2.