Seattle weather warms briefly Friday before a comfortable weekend with highs in the 70s. (FOX 13 Seattle)
SEATTLE - Heat, haze, and elevated fire danger defined the day across Western Washington. A Heat Advisory remained in effect through 11:00 p.m. for portions of the region as temperatures climbed into the mid to upper 90s across parts of the Central and South Puget Sound, with a few hot spots flirting with — or even reaching — 100 degrees.
Communities including Issaquah, North Bend, Olympia, Shelton, Centralia, and nearby areas experienced the hottest conditions.
Seattle weather will become much more comfortable Thursday after Wednesday's sweltering temperatures. (FOX 13 Seattle)
Warm overnight lows will only add to the heat stress, with many locations staying in the mid-60s overnight, providing little relief. Hazy sunshine persisted as light wildfire smoke drifted into the region.
Wildfire smoke in WA
For most people, air quality remained in the moderate category, meaning widespread health impacts were not expected. However, those who are more sensitive to smoke — including people with asthma, COPD, COVID-19, pregnant people, older adults, and young children — were encouraged to limit prolonged outdoor activity until air quality improves.
A few locations, especially closer to the Cascades and the Canadian border, could briefly reach "unhealthy for sensitive groups" or even "unhealthy." Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups levels. Any more significant reductions in air quality were expected to remain localized rather than widespread.
Seattle weather could see localized air quality reductions near the Cascades and Canadian border where sensitive groups should stay aware. (FOX 13 Seattle)
Smoke forecasts remained highly dependent on wind direction. Northeasterly surface winds continued to transport some smoke into Western Washington, but a more direct easterly wind would have resulted in more widespread smoke impacts. Meanwhile, Air Quality Alerts remained in effect across Eastern Washington.
Elevated fire danger in Western WA
Fire weather concerns also increased. A Red Flag Warning was scheduled to begin at 4:00 p.m. and continue through 2:00 p.m. Thursday for Southwest Washington and the Central South Cascades due to dry air, gusty winds, and the potential for lightning. Forecast confidence in thunderstorm development remained lower than average, but any lightning strikes could ignite new wildfires.
Seattle weather could include isolated thunderstorms in Southwest Washington Thursday, and any lightning may spark new wildfires where fuels remain critically dry. (FOX 13 Seattle)
Looking ahead, Thursday will bring much cooler temperatures along with the chance for a few showers and thunderstorms. Friday will turn warmer again with highs in the low 80s under mostly sunny skies. This weekend is expected to be much more comfortable across Western Washington, with afternoon highs settling into the mid-70s, while Eastern Washington continues to contend with ongoing large wildfires and elevated fire danger.
Seattle weather then turns warm Friday before settling into comfortable 70s for the weekend. (FOX 13 Seattle)
Take good care,
Meteorologist Abby Acone and the FOX 13 Weather Team
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The Source: Information in this story comes from weather models interpreted by the FOX 13 Seattle weather team.