May has never started off warmer.
The temperature at Sea-Tac Airport shot up to 85 degrees yesterday afternoon as a strong ridge of high pressure baked the region in summer-like heat, toppling the old record high for May 1 of 81, set back in 1998. The 85-degree reading also marks the second-earliest time in the year that we’ve gotten that warm, surpassed only by 1976, which hit 85 one day earlier on April 30.
The balmy weather is just about history today as the hot air glides east, flipping the winds back to the west and drawing in a fresh supply of cooler air from the Pacific. Already, temperatures are running roughly 10 degrees lower than at this time yesterday—perched in the lower 60s rather than 70s.
As the day progresses, marine air will continue to trickle in, with plenty of clouds in tow. Rain chances, however, look spotty at best through tonight, with just a couple sprinkles in the mountains and north of Everett.
That all changes later tomorrow as a giant upper-level low over the ocean pulls up along the coast, lobbing increasingly wet weather in our direction. Although we’re likely to skate by dry during the morning hours, rain should return to the Sound by mid-afternoon, becoming moderate in scope by Saturday night. Over half an inch could fall from then through early Sunday, with temperatures sagging into the low 50s.
More showers rotate into Seattle during the day on Sunday as the low continues to wobble offshore, holding highs a tad below normal in the upper 50s. The low then cuts inland to our south Monday into Tuesday, allowing showers to diminish and more sun to poke through as we head further into next week.
Sure, it won’t be nearly as nice as these past few days—but you can only have summer in May so often, right?
