Seattle weather: Wildfire smoke clears, cooling off this weekend

SEATTLE, WA - Smoke is making its way out of western Washington Friday. The onshore flow is also helping improve air quality. Some haze may linger, but smoke should become less noticeable across most of western Washington, with the greatest smoke concerns shifting closer to the Cascades and active wildfire areas. 

For reference, this explains what each level means on the air quality index:

🌞 One more hot day before a weekend cooldown

A Heat Advisory remains in effect until 10 p.m. Friday, with afternoon highs climbing into the lower to mid-80s, especially along the I-5 corridor from Everett to Olympia. While today will still be warm, temperatures are expected to be a little lower than yesterday thanks to a light onshore breeze.

What's next:

The good news is that relief is on the way. A gradual cooldown begins this weekend as marine air moves inland. High temperatures on Saturday and Sunday will settle into the mid-70s to lower 80s, much closer to normal for early August. Skies will stay mostly sunny after some morning clouds on Saturday.

Looking ahead, expect mostly sunny and comfortable weather through much of next week, with highs generally in the mid-70s to around 80 degrees and cool nights in the upper 50s. Forecast confidence decreases later next week, so stay tuned for updates.

Day-by-day at a glance

• Friday: Sunny and hot, highs in the low to mid-80s. Heat Advisory in effect until 10 p.m.
• Saturday: Morning clouds, then mostly sunny. Highs in the mid-70s to low 80s.
• Sunday: Mostly sunny and seasonable. Highs in the mid-70s to low 80s.
• Monday through Thursday: Mostly sunny with pleasant afternoons, highs mainly in the mid-70s to around 80 and overnight lows in the upper 50s.

Overall, today marks the last significant heat before Western Washington returns to a more typical summer weather pattern for the weekend and much of next week.

Have a great day! Stephen Kilbreath (FOX 13 Weather)

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