Record breaking 'three-peat' of 80+ heat expected in Western Washington

SEATTLE -- Blue skies and warm temperatures. The sands of Golden Gardens and Alki Point were crowded  with people enjoying the spring sunshine and record high temperatures of 80 or above around Puget Sound.

80s are rare in April for Western Washington, but they happen from time to time. 7 out of the 30 days in April have record high temps in the 80s.  But, since record keeping began in the Emerald City in the 1890s, there has never been three days of consecutive days in the 80s in April. At least until this week.

Sunday's high temperature of 80 at SeaTac broke the old record of 74 from 1983.

On Monday, National Weather Service officials say the temperature reached a sweltering 89 degrees at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, making it the warmest day ever recorded in Seattle in April. The weather service also said the cities of Olympia and Bellingham broke heat records with 88 degrees and 79 degrees, respectively.



 



On Tuesday, we're also expecting temps in the low 80s.  The normal afternoon high temps is 59 for this part of spring.

"Just another mild July morning here in Seattle," joked Nat'l Weather Service forecaster Dana Felton in the online Area Forecast Discussion for Seattle this morning.



Though the mild morning temperatures in places like Maple Valley, Everett and Kirkland were no joke in the mid to low 60s for overnight lows.

"There has never been an April in Seattle weather records, which started in the 1890s, with more than two 80 degree days back to back," says Felton. "80 degrees plus has only happened twice. April 23rd and 24th in 1905. And April 29th and 30th in 1976."

Felton says there was one time when Seattle almost saw three days of 80+ temps back in 1934. On the 18th through the 20th, the high temperatures those days were 80, 79 and 81.



Yesterday's warmth broke records in many places around the region: Olympia (80), Hoquiam (80), Forks/Quillayute (77), Bellingham (70). In Oregon: Medford (87), Newport (86), Astoria (85), Salem (84 tie), Portland (81). The Sunday record in Salem, Oregon was first set back in 1897 when William McKinley was president.

The earliest in the year Seattle HAD seen 80 is was April 1st in 1987. The hottest April HAD ever been for Seattle was 85 on April 30th,  1976.