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Mild And Mostly Dry Puget Sound Weekend, With Some Sun

Elaine Thompson
/
AP Photo
Pedestrians huddle under umbrellas as they walk past the Pike Place Market and in view of Elliot Bay behind, Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2017, in Seattle.

A good weekend for getting outdoors and enjoying nature lies ahead, with mild temps  and mostly dry conditions in the Northwest, and sun peeking through the clouds.

“It’ll be very nice, said knkx weather expert Cliff Mass on Friday morning. “A ridge of high pressure is building over us as I speak.”

He says the low clouds that are hanging around in places such as the South Sound will give way as the day progresses.

“It will be partly sunny by the afternoon, temperatures getting up into the upper 40s to around 50. So, really decent day,” Mass said.

Sunny Saturday

He says Saturday will be the best day, as that ridge of high pressure stays in place overhead, delivering clearer conditions and fewer clouds.

“They’ll see sun in many locations around the area and temperatures into the lower 50s,” he said.

Rain Likely Late Sunday

Mass says a very weak disturbance in the high pressure known among meteorologists as an "upper-level shortwave" will start moving in on Sunday, bringing a short rainy phase with it.

“The morning should be fine,” Mass said. “But the clouds will definitely thicken up in the afternoon and we’ll probably get some showers later in the afternoon on Sunday and into Sunday night.”

He says temperatures will get up around 50, with relatively warm air above us. He expects that warmth to stick around even as the skies cloud up early next week, but they won’t deliver much moisture around the Puget Sound region.

Early Next Week: Dry And Mild  

“There’ll be clouds on Monday and Tuesday, but I expect it to be relatively dry,” Mass said.

He says the trough of low pressure will move through, pushing most of the wet weather south of us, with temperatures here up around 50 or maybe even the lower 50s.

“So, pretty nice period, except for some showers, later on Sunday,” Mass said.

To hear the forecast along with Cliff’s discussion of how the seasonal forecasts for rain this winter in the Northwest and California went wrong, you can click on the “play” icon at the top of this post.

The weekly knkx 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 knkx 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.

Bellamy Pailthorp covers the environment for KNKX with an emphasis on climate justice, human health and food sovereignty. She enjoys reporting about how we will power our future while maintaining healthy cultures and livable cities. Story tips can be sent to bpailthorp@knkx.org.