Seattle weather: Warmer Thursday, then back to normal

Published September 16, 2026 3:12 PM PDT

After a beautiful Wednesday afternoon, we’re heading for the warmest day of the week on Thursday, as a ridge of high pressure strengthens over the Pacific Northwest.

It will be another cool night across Western Washington with clear skies and temperatures dropping into the 40s and low 50s.

A map showing the overnight lows in Western Washington for Wednesday night.

It will be mainly clear early Thursday morning in Western Washington. (FOX 13 Seattle)

Thursday to be the warmest day of the week

Thursday will be warmer with lots of sunshine. With offshore flow developing, we’ll see less morning fog as well. Afternoon highs will climb into the mid to upper 70s across the interior, with some spots potentially approaching 80° in the Chehalis River Valley and Cascade valleys. Even the coast will make it into the 70s.

A map showing the ridge of high pressure over the Pacific Northwest on Thursday.

A ridge of high pressure will deliver sunshine and warmer temperatures to the Pacific Northwest on Wednesday. (FOX 13 Seattle)

What's next:

Temperatures will cool a bit on Friday and return closer to normal for this time of year. Onshore flow will return, bringing a push of brief marine cloud cover into the Puget Sound area on Friday morning. Those clouds should be short-lived, as we get back to sunny skies for the afternoon. Highs will stay in the 70s.

The weekend we will get back to a pattern of morning clouds and afternoon sunshine. Temperatures will be near average for the Seattle area, in the low 70s.

Will it rain in Seattle next week?

What we know:

A weak system could approach the region Monday and Tuesday, but forecast models aren't in complete agreement yet on when the ridge will break down. For now, we'll keep an eye on that system, but expect more clouds early in the week with a chance of showers by midweek.

The 7 day forecast for the greater Seattle area.

Temperatures will warm Thursday into the mid to upper 70s for the Puget Sound area. (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.

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