SEATTLE — SEATTLE FORECAST SUNDAY
- Morning Low: 60
- Afternoon High: 88 (Record: 86 set in 1988)
A Heat Advisory has been issued for most of Western Washington for Sunday and Monday.
I’m forecasting 88° for Seattle on Sunday, which would break the daily record of 86° from 1988, and on Sunday, the high in Seattle should hit 90°, breaking the old daily record of 88° from 1963.
It will be even hotter on Sunday and Monday near the Cascades (closer to that “hairdryer” of easterly downsloping winds) and south of Puget Sound. Expect more low-mid 90s in these locations, including Chehalis, Olympia, Enumclaw, North Bend and Monroe on Sunday and some mid to even upper 90s on Monday! Some low 100s are expected down in the Willamette Valley of Oregon.
The heat will coincide with the first local World Cup match in Seattle on Monday, so those heading to the match or festivities should make sure to stay hydrated and find a source of air conditioning if overwhelmed by heat. Also, the UV index will be in the “very high” category so sunblock is a must.
As far as fire danger, we had more than an inch of rainfall around much Western Washington back on Monday into Tuesday, the grasses and fine fuels will dry out in a hurry with sunny skies and warm temperatures.
East of the Cascades, the fire danger will be even higher with grasses along the eastern slopes of the Cascades and across much of Central Washington already brown, dried out (or “cured”) and ready to burn.
As far as winds that could spread a fire this weekend into Monday, we’ll watch for some breezes closer to the Cascades in Western Washington where temperatures will actually reach well into the 90s starting Sunday. Spots like Monroe, Granite Falls, Darrington, Enumclaw, and North Bend all will have some hot, dry winds coming out of the Cascades.
The onshore push of cooler and more moist air will pick up on Tuesday west of the Cascades, but that will increase winds in central Washington where it will remain quite hot on Tuesday. Fire danger could peak in these locations into midweek.
I don’t see any significant chance for rain in the next ten days, so despite cooler temperatures next week, it’ll still likely remain slightly warmer than normal with some clouds and sun.