So this is what autopilot feels like.
With no weather systems lurking nearby, it’s been a smooth ride in Seattle the past few days, with abundant sunshine and plenty of warmth. Even the pesky marine clouds, hallmarks of a Puget Sound summer, have largely gone quiet, beaten back to the coast each morning by the strong July sun.
The pleasant conditions will continue right up into the weekend as high pressure remains overhead, holding temperatures a few degrees above normal in the lower 80s. Clear skies overnight will allow the mercury to fall back into the upper 50s by sunrise tomorrow and Friday—in line with the average morning low this time of year.
A few ripples surface on Saturday morning as a weak system treks by to our north, helping to drag the marine layer further inland. The day will probably start off on a cloudy note, with the sunshine breaking through around lunchtime. Highs will slip into the upper 70s—still nice for late July.
Things get slightly bumpier on Sunday as an upper level trough grabs the controls, shutting off the autopilot—and the sunshine. Highs will drop back into the lower 70s under increasingly cloudy skies, with some light rain or drizzle possible near the coast and in the foothills. Seattle, however, looks to stay dry—meaning our streak of days without measurable rainfall at Sea-Tac Airport should surpass 30 as we close in on our first dry July since 1960.
The trough meanders haphazardly over the region on Monday, maintaining the shower threat for the mountains and coast while keeping the sun at bay along the I-5 corridor. Morning clouds will be slow to burn off from Everett to Tacoma, preventing high temperatures from reaching beyond 75 degrees. Rain, though, once again appears unlikely in the greater Seattle area.
On Tuesday, the trough weakens and heads east, bringing the sun back front and center. Temperatures should warm into the upper 70s later in the day as we ease back into autopilot mode, with similar weather next Wednesday. In other words, barring any unexpected turbulence, Sea-Tac stands a good chance of securing just its third dry July ever.
Here’s to smooth skies.
I thought this was an unusual dry spell. Thanks!