Seattle weather: Relief in sight for air quality concerns
Relief in sight for Seattle air quality
Relief is in sight from the smoky conditions in Western Washington, but Thursday will remain hot and hazy. FOX 13 Seattle Chief Meteorologist Brian MacMillan has your 7-day forecast.
SEATTLE - Relief is in sight from the smoky conditions in Western Washington, but Thursday will remain hot and hazy.
Wildfire smoke remains trapped over Western Washington and will continue to be part of the forecast through Thursday. While temperatures will stay well above average, the smoke is actually preventing the region from reaching its full heating potential by blocking some incoming sunshine.
Thursday will be the hottest day of next week, with many inland communities climbing into the upper 80s and lower 90s. Along the coast, temperatures will stay much more comfortable, topping out in the 70s and lower 80s. Overnight lows will remain mild, in the 50s and lower 60s.
It will be hazy with overnight lows in the 50s in Western Washington. (FOX 13 Seattle)
A heat advisory remains in effect through Thursday evening for much of Western Washington.
A heat advisory is in effect for most of Western Washington Wednesday and Thursday. (FOX 13 Seattle)
Smoke relief arrives Thursday night and Friday
The ridge of high pressure bringing the heat begins sliding east Thursday, allowing a push of marine air to move inland.
Smoke will continue to linger through Thursday in Western Washington. (FOX 13 Seattle)
That will shave a few degrees off afternoon temperatures, although you shouldn't expect a dramatic cooldown. Most inland locations will still reach the upper 70s to upper 80s Friday afternoon, while coastal communities cool into the upper 60s and 70s.
Smoke & air quality in Western Washington
Smoke will remain one of the biggest weather stories through Thursday.
Surface level smoke will be at its worst during the afternoon as the atmosphere warms. Light northeasterly winds continue to send additional smoke west of the Cascades from wildfires burning in Central and Eastern Washington.
A marine push should help improve air quality by Friday and the weekend west of the Cascades.
Looking ahead to the weekend
The weather pattern settles into a more typical August setup this weekend with temperatures easing back closer to normal.
Saturday looks to be the warmest day of the weekend, with highs in the mid-70s to mid-80s inland and around 70 degrees along the coast. Sunday into early next week, expect pleasant summer weather with highs right around average for this time of year.
Air quality conditions will improve in Seattle later this week as smoke moves out on Friday. (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.