September sizzle ahead

SEATTLE - Despite the intense heat in the mid 90s and hazardous air quality in Central Washington-- progress continues on containment of the Evans Canyon Wildfire between Naches and the Ellensburg area. Containment as of this writing is approaching 50%. Overnight lows will settle near 60, but tomorrow temps could be near 100 again. There are some potentially troublesome winds that will pick up-- with possible wind gusts from the NW about 30-35 mph. 

Air quality continues to be an area of concern with an Air Quality Warning in effect until Tuesday morning for parts of Kittitas, Yakima, and Klickitat Counties. Burning eyes, and runny nose are among the more mild symptoms from extended exposure in the smoky air. It can be more serious for those with heart and lung conditions. Limiting outdoor activites, especially for the very young and very old is a good idea with conditions like this. 

Summery weather continues in Western Washington, with some brief morning clouds leading to some nice hazy sunshine around Puget Sound. Highs will be mostly in the upper 70s-- with areas in the South Sound and Lewis County getting into the lower 80s. Clouds last a bit longer along the coast, so temps there will end up being in the upper 60s and low 70s. 

High pressure off-shore will amplify as we get into the middle of next week, so we'll see a warm up each day until the middle of the week. It looks like two days will be near record high temps as the mercury pushes up towards 90. So far this year we've seen 3 days of 90+ temps. This could be day #4 and possibly day #5 above 90 for 2020.  

Both Wednesday and Thursday of this coming week could end up breaking or tying previous one day records. Normal high temperature for this part of late summer is 74 degrees. 

For those of us who would prefer more seasonal conditions, Mother Nature provides a nice push of cooler marine air. We often call this 'nature's air conditioning' and it should be in full effect by next weekend with some morning clouds to help nudge our temps back into the 70s. Not a drop of rain in sight, however. 

-Tim Joyce