Seattle weather: Cooler with more clouds on Wednesday
Seattle weather: Turning sunny with a warm weekend ahead
Seattle weather: Turning sunny with a warm weekend ahead
SEATTLE - Onshore flow is keeping our mid-August weather comfortable across Western Washington, but changes are on the way for Wednesday.
Tonight will be pleasant with temperatures in the 50s and increasing cloud cover.
It will be cool with increasing clouds Wednesday morning in Western Washington. (FOX 13 Seattle)
Cooler, more unsettled weather on Wednesday
An incoming system to the north will bring cooler temperatures and increase the chance for showers over the mountains on Wednesday afternoon. The interior lowlands will drop into the low to mid-70s.
The best chances for thunderstorms will remain over the higher elevations, but this is something to watch closely given the potential for lightning and wildfire starts. The good news is this system will move through quickly. Shower and thunderstorm chances should wind down by around midnight Wednesday night.
Thursday will be warmer and sunnier after some brief morning clouds. Inland highs will climb back into the upper 70s and lower 80s Thursday afternoon.
Western Washington smoke outlook
The weather pattern through Thursday doesn't currently point toward a major, widespread smoke event in Western Washington, though we could see some light surface-level smoke from Canadian wildfires Wednesday night into Thursday.
Light surface smoke could move into the Puget Sound area on Wednesday night. (FOX 13 Seattle)
Wildfire, air quality east of the Cascades
The trough moving through Wednesday will bring cooler temperatures and unsettled weather to Central and Eastern Washington. That should provide a brief break from the heat. However, the potential for lightning Wednesday is of concern for wildfire danger, particularly around the Cascades and North Cascades. A dry thunderstorm can produce little rainfall while still generating lightning, creating the potential for new fire starts.
Looking ahead to the weekend
It will be a sunny and warm weekend, but not too hot. Highs will be in the low 80s Saturday and Sunday.
It will be warm and sunny for most of the next 7 days in Seattle. (FOX 13 Seattle)
Wednesday night will be big for stargazing
We're in the middle of an unusually busy stretch for skywatchers, with a six-planet alignment and the peak of the Perseid meteor shower happening at nearly the same time.
Six planets, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, will be aligned on Wednesday night. It's often called a "planet parade," although the planets aren't actually lined up in a straight line in space. They're simply positioned in a way that makes them appear along a similar path across our sky.
For the best view from Western Washington, you'll want to be up before sunrise Wednesday morning and find a location with a clear view toward the eastern and southeastern sky. Don't expect to see all six planets with your naked eye. Jupiter, Mars, Saturn and Mercury are the easier targets, while Uranus and Neptune are much fainter and generally require binoculars or a telescope. The farther you can get away from city lights, the better. Give your eyes 15 to 20 minutes to adjust to the darkness.
Six planets, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, will be aligned on Wednesday night. (FOX 13 Seattle)
At the same time, we're approaching the peak of the Perseid meteor shower, which is one of the most popular meteor showers of the year. The Perseids are created by debris left behind by Comet Swift-Tuttle. As Earth passes through that debris trail, tiny particles burn up in our atmosphere, creating those familiar streaks of light across the sky.
The best time to see the Perseids will be in the hours before dawn. The peak comes overnight Wednesday into Thursday.
The best time to see the Perseids will be in the hours before dawn. Thursday morning. (FOX 13 Seattle)
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The Source: Information in this story comes from weather models interpreted by the FOX 13 Seattle weather team.