Get your tee shirts and shorts out. You'll need them as we head into the weekend.
That’s the word from KPLU weather expert Cliff Mass, who says the warm air above us is “warm enough that if it was completely sunny today, many people would experience temperatures getting into the lower 70s.”
Possibility Of Record-Breaking Temps Friday
The big question, Mass said, is how much the clouds will thicken up on Friday around the Puget Sound region.
If they’re thick, Mass says temperatures will hit 66 or 67 degrees, which is way warmer than normal.
“So we’re right there on the edge of getting into record-breaking territory,” Mass said.
A Wet Weekend Ahead
Friday night, Mass says a very moist sub-tropical flow known as an atmospheric river will be coming in to the region.
So expect precipitation to start in the early morning hours of Saturday.
Saturday afternoon: Mass predicts half an inch of rain or so in the lowlands and an inch or two in the mountains.
“It shouldn’t bring flooding because the mountains have been so dry,” Mass said.
Sunday, “things diverge a bit with newer models showing Oregon getting hard hit by rain,” Mass said, with probably dry weather on Sunday in areas north of Vancouver, Wash.
Dry Again Next Week
Then “our old friend the ridge” moves in Monday, an area of high pressure that Mass expects will lock in more dry weather next week.
“So it’s that old story: we’re going to be generally without precipitation, and (we'll have) temperatures generally above normal,” he said of next week.
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The weekly KPLU feature "Weather with Cliff Mass" airs every Friday at 9 a.m. immediately following BirdNote, and twice on Friday afternoons during All Things Considered. The feature is hosted by KPLU Environment Reporter Bellamy Pailthorp. Cliff Mass is a University of Washington Professor of Atmospheric Sciences, a renowned Seattle weather prognosticator, and a popular weather blogger. You can also subscribe to a podcast of “Weather with Cliff Mass” shows.
