Much of western Washington is set to face intense heat over the next few days, as the National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Heat Advisory from Sunday afternoon through Tuesday night.
Forecasters say daytime highs are expected to reach the 80s and 90s, with nighttime lows staying in the 60s. In urban areas, temperatures may not drop below the mid-60s, making it difficult for residents to cool off. The advisory covers Puget Sound, Hood Canal, the Cascade foothills and valleys, and the foothills of the Olympic Peninsula, running from 2 p.m. Sunday until 10 p.m. Tuesday.
According to the NWS, a strong ridge of high pressure building over the Pacific will bring “drier and hotter conditions” to the region. This setup could also cause air quality to dip into the moderate range, or even into the “unhealthy for sensitive groups” category in some locations.
The heat is expected to be most intense in the South Sound, the Southwest Interior, and areas near the Cascade foothills, where temperatures could climb into the low to mid-90s on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. The coast will be cooler, but even there, inland spots will feel the warmth.
Forecasters note that by late Tuesday, the ridge should weaken, allowing onshore winds to return and coastal areas to cool into the 70s. Interior regions, however, will experience the peak heat before temperatures ease back into the 70s by midweek. Clouds are likely to return during the second half of the week, with a chance of showers toward the weekend.
