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The cold temperatures are gone, for real

Awww - we're all ready for a little sun and warmth.
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Awww - we're all ready for a little sun and warmth.

It's true, says KPLU weather expert Cliff Mass, of the University of Washington. It will feel like spring from here on out.

We had clear skies starting this morning, and temperatures will approach 60 on Saturday, says Mass. Expect a few clouds on Sunday, but still a pleasant day.

In other words, much more normal next week, and beyond:

"It really looks like the pattern has changed .... We won't be dry. We'll get showers once in a while, but it looks like temperatures will typically get into the lower to mid 50s and the lows in the 40s."

Compare that with snow showers nearly every day, somewhere in western Washington.

"The last few weeks have been extraordinary," he says.

It's fortunate timing, with no storms brewing over the Pacific, because a crucial weather satellite is malfunctioning. The GOES-West satellite that allows for accurate forecasting of the entire Pacific Coast was in serious trouble this week, as Mass describes on his blog.

Do you have a weather question? Cliff Mass and Keith Seinfeld occasionally answer reader questions on the air.Share yours here.

The weekly KPLU feature "Weather with Cliff Mass" airs every Friday at 9 a.m. immediately following BirdNote, and repeats twice on Friday afternoons during All Things Considered. The feature is hosted by KPLU’s Science and Health reporter Keith Seinfeld. Cliff Mass is a University of Washington Professor of Atmospheric Sciences and renowned Seattle weather prognosticator. You can also subscribe to a podcast of this and previous "Weather with Cliff Mass" shows.

Keith Seinfeld is a former KNKX/KPLU reporter who covered health, science and the environment over his 17 years with the station. He also served as assistant news director. Prior to KLPU, he was a staff reporter at The Seattle Times and The News Tribune in Tacoma and a freelance writer-producer. His work has been honored by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the Knight Science Journalism Fellowships at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.