Dry & Cold Week Ahead

FastCast—Monday, Dec. 12 to Saturday, Dec. 17:

After a chilly and wetter than average beginning of December, a stark change is ahead, with dry and cold weather expected for the entire week. A large high pressure ridge will build over Western BC and the Gulf of Alaska, pushing weather systems away from the Pacific Northwest. Expect decreasing clouds from Monday to Wednesday (with a chance of fog), with partly to mostly sunny conditions from Thursday into next weekend. In an abnormal twist for mid December, no rain is expected for the next week. Temperatures will be chilly, with highs only reaching the upper 30s to low 40s. Overnight lows will be cold, in the mid 20s to low 30s in the lowlands. It will be downright frigid in Eastern Washington, with highs in the low 20s to mid 30s and hazardous lows in the single digits to upper teens, with the potential for lows of -5 to -10º. Stay tuned as this cold pattern continues!

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Continue reading the full blog below!

A much different pattern is ahead for the Pacific Northwest, as cold and dry weather will establish itself over the next week, with little to no rain in sight. Let’s take a look at the forecast!

First up is the reason why this pattern is happening. Below is the European model forecast showing the massive high pressure ridge that will develop by midweek.

Notice the massive ridge over Western BC and the Gulf of Alaska. This ridge will influence weather over the Pacific Northwest, deflecting storms away from the region and allowing us to stay cold & dry.

How cold will it be? Let’s take a look at the European model forecast for Wednesday morning lows.

Expect lows in Western Washington in the upper 20s to low 30s, warmest near the water. Eastern Washington will be getting very cold, with overnight lows dipping into the low teens to mid 20s. Colder weather will be found later in the week…so stay tuned.

High temperatures will also be on the chilly side. Below is the European model forecast for high temperatures on Tuesday, though they will be similar all week.

Expect Western Washington’s highs to be in the upper 30s to low 40s, except into the mid 40s on the coast. Eastern Washington won’t get above freezing, with most of Eastern WA not getting out of the mid 20s.

Let’s take a look to see what’s in store for the extended forecast, as seen in outlooks from the NWS Climate Prediction Center for December 17-21. 

First, the temperature outlook, seen below.

This outlook shows a 60-90% probability of below average temperatures from this upcoming weekend to the next week.

The precipitation outlook confirms the cold and dry pattern that we talked about earlier.

This outlook shows a 40-50% probability of below average precipitation through next week. 

Cold weather is in the forecast for at least the next week…so stay tuned for more information!