NORTH SOUND, SEPT. 6: Given how smokey it looks outside, does the song “Smoke From A Distant Fire,” written by the Sanford-Townsend Band come to mind? Well, that is the case.
Smoke from the now more than 2-month-long Mason County Bear Gulch fire and the new Wildcat fire just east of Mt. Rainier have combined to create the hazy skies, blood red moon, and vibrant sun colors.
This summer makes it seven out of the last nine summers with wildfire smoke in the region. The first in 2017 involved smoke from dozens of fires in British Columbia. Locally, in 2022, the Bolt Creek Fire along the Stevens Pass Highway generated a considerable amount of wildfire smoke.
So, when will this smoke clear out? And is summer weather coming to an end? Firstly, a change in the recent warm weather is expected to unfold this weekend and into the first half of next week.
An upper-level low well off the coast is forecast to spin clouds, spotty light showers, and cooler temperatures onshore during the weekend. Any rain amounts are anticipated to be limited yet will help begin clearing the wildfire smoke.
A threat of late-day thunderstorms is possible in the mountains on Saturday, mainly in the Cascades. So, if there are plans to be in the mountains this weekend, be prepared for the possibility of lightning.
High temperatures in the North Sound this weekend are expected to cool into the lower to mid-70s, with 60s along the coastlines. The average early September high temperature in the North Sound region ranges from 70 to 75.
Heading into the first half of next week, the weather could get wetter. The offshore upper level is forecast to work its way into western Washington, bringing with it a greater chance of showers. Tuesday, Sept. 9, looks to be the wettest day. Temperatures will struggle to reach 70 degrees.
By Wednesday, the lowlands of the North Sound could have between a quarter and a half inch of rain. In the mountains, up to an inch of rain could accumulate.
Any rainfall will be welcome given the ongoing dry conditions. Much of the state is in moderate to extreme drought conditions according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Everett- Paine Field is over 12 inches below average for the year thus far.
Thanks to the dry conditions, the threat of wildfires remains elevated. The risk of lightning in the mountains this weekend could spark new wildfires.
The expected rainfall by the middle of next week, though, will help dampen those heightened wildfire concerns. Smoke from the Bear Gulch and Wildcat wildfires has helped create poor air quality across much of the region, pushing into the moderate category in many areas. The anticipated rainfall by early next week will help cleanse and improve air quality.
If longer-range weather charts are on track, with weather conditions drying out again later next week, with the sun reemerging. The 8-to-14-day outlook, which runs into mid-September, shows above-average temperatures. Yet the threat of any 90-degree days is basically over. The odds of temperatures climbing back into the 80s, though, remain possible, but grow smaller as the fall season approaches.
This time of year, each day is losing over three minutes of daylight. Sunsets are now arriving before 7:45 p.m. By the time we reach the fall equinox on Monday, Sept. 22, the loss of each day’s daylight will be close to three and a half minutes.
At this point, summer weather is not entirely over. Yet, fall is right around the corner. Enjoy the remaining days of summer.