It’s been cool, damp and showery in the Northwest lately, with a classic pattern of June gloom overshadowing the official start of summer earlier this week. But that’s about to change. KPLU weather expert Cliff Mass says the heaviest rains are over for a while.
He says the recent clouds and precipitation were caused by an upper-level disturbance moving through the region. Mass says that will pass through the area by Saturday morning.
Still Rainy Friday
“So we had a lot of showers and rain,” Mass said, predicting that Thursday’s damp spell will linger into Friday, with showers rotating around over Western Washington during the day.
“I am afraid there’s more showers, particularly on the western side of the Cascades and over the crest,” he said. “And there’s a good chance of a Puget Sound convergence zone north of the city. So – a little bit more rain [on Friday.]”
Transition Day Saturday
“As the disturbance moves past, we’ll have some clouds in the morning Saturday, maybe a few errant showers. But as it moves toward the east, we’ll start drying out,” he said.
He says expect the sun to come out during the morning and into the afternoon, with temperatures rising “probably into the lower 70s, if you’re away from the water. So, a pretty decent day, especially after the early morning,” Mass said.
Sunny And Warm Sunday, Monday And All Next Week
“Sunday looks delightful,” Mass said. “It’ll be sunny; Temperatures will be in the mid-70s.”
He says Monday looks even better.
“A mini high-pressure builds over us and temperatures could surge to the upper 70s, even near 80s, so definitely an improving trend,” he said
Next week, he says the weather just gets better and better – “as perfect as you can imagine.”
He says there won’t be any big heat, but no rain either, with temperatures reaching into the mid-70s and maybe a bit of clouds each morning.
“But then we’ll have sun each day as well. So, almost a perfect week next week,” Mass said.
He says the cloudy skies and mild temperatures the region has been experiencing are extremely typical for this time of year. Likewise, right now precipitation levels are close to normal for most places in Western Washington.
If the trends continue as they should, Mass says high pressure will build so far to the north of us that the offshore flow it produces will clear out most skies around the Puget Sound region for a more extended period.
“And that’s normally sometime after July 4th – and July is the most perfect month, especially the second half,” Mass said.
To hear a discussion of how recent Northwest weather is connected to the record heat in California and the Southwest – despite the huge contrast, as well as Cliff’s description of why the heaviest rains lately have been in the central Cascade mountains, you can click on the “play” icon at the top of this post.
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.
