The hottest weather of the year thus far is here, but relief from this late spring heat wave lies ahead for the rest of the week. The National Weather Service (NWS) has a heat advisory in place for much of the North Sound and Western Washington through early Tuesday morning.
The hottest temperatures during this period of warm weather will be on Monday, and are expected to equal or break daily records. For instance, the record Monday at Everett-Paine Field has a record high of only 78 set in 2015 with a forecast high climbing above 80. Bellingham’s Monday record is 82 degrees and the forecast there is close to that reading.
Heat of the Night
The NWS heat advisory indicates abnormally warm conditions that include not just the heat of the day, but also the heat of the night. The ongoing hot conditions place additional stress on human health, particularly those already vulnerable such as infants, elderly, and those with heart or respiratory ailments.
During this period of late spring heat; a number of record warm low temperatures are likely to fall. Low temperatures across the interior of Western Washington and the North Sound Monday and Tuesday mornings will fall only into the mid-50s to mid-60s.
At Everett-Paine Field, the record warm lows are in the mid-50s both days.
What to do During Hot Weather
It is very important to relieve the stress from hot weather, particularly early in the warm season. Here are some tips to be cooler and avoid any heat health related concerns.
- Seek air conditioned facilities such as businesses like shopping malls and theaters.
- Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water and avoid alcoholic beverages.
- During the heat of the day, avoid strenuous activities like running or jogging and if working outdoors, take breaks and again drink plenty of water.
- Avoid leaving children and pets in cars even if for just a few minutes. Temperatures inside a vehicle can soar to well above 100 degrees in less than 10 minutes, even with the windows open. Remember – Beat the Heat, Check the Back Seat!
- The most vulnerable to prolonged heat are the elderly, the very young, and those with heart related medical conditions. Check on these family members, friends or neighbors to help ensure they are doing okay.
- Wear light, loose-fitting clothing to help reflect the heat.
- Area waterways also offer cooling relief. Just remember to wear a properly fitting U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket. Area waterways are still cold. Accidentally falling into such cold water results in cold water shock – like stepping into a cold shower – the leading cause of drownings across the state.
Cooler Conditions Just Ahead
Higher pressure aloft over Western Washington combined with low level offshore air flow toward the Pacific Ocean are both driving this late spring heat. By Monday night and Tuesday, both systems are forecast to change. The high pressure aloft is expected to weaken and move inland and the low level flow will switch to onshore bringing cooler air inland from the Pacific.
The cooling will begin along the outer coast Monday night into Tuesday and continue Wednesday. Temperatures in the North Sound should drop around 10 degrees or so Tuesday from Monday’s hot conditions, mainly in the mid-70s and 80s. On Wednesday, morning marine clouds should invade parts of the North Sound with high temperatures dropping down into the more comfortable mid-60s to 70s.
With the onshore flow of cooler air, the rest of the week is anticipated to have areas of morning marine clouds with sunshine the remainder of each day.
At this point, no rain is in sight through the coming weekend. This weekend also marks the summer solstice early on Sunday at 124 AM. The total amount of daylight from sunrise to sunset will be around 16 hours.
With the summer season getting underway next week, more ‘hot’ weather is likely. The latest seasonal weather outlook continues to reflect warmer and drier than average conditions through September. Consider this current period of ‘hot’ weather as a dress rehearsal for more heat coming this summer.
