September 8, 2022

Forecast: September 8th, 2022

Last updated 1:30 PM Thursday, September 8 2022

By Anthony Edwards

Hello Huskies!

It’s officially September, which means school starts this month. But fret not, there are still three weeks of summer to soak up, so take advantage while you can!

In the meantime, we have plenty of sporting events on tap to forecast for, including the second straight home game for the UW football team. 

Before we get to the game day forecast, there is a lot of eventful weather happening in the meantime.

Thursday has turned into a beautiful one, with temperatures running just a few degrees below average in the low 70s due to a refreshing north breeze rushing down the Puget Sound. Skies are generally clear, other than a few areas of low clouds between Olympia and Aberdeen, and a few passing high clouds over the region.

The clear skies won’t last for long, though, and it won’t be due to clouds.

Winds have started to swing from the typical westerly direction to a more northeasterly orientation, bringing with it some wildfire smoke from fires in the North Cascades. By Friday morning, there will be smoke up and down the Puget Sound, mainly aloft, before it begins to settle toward the surface as the day goes on.

Despite the smoke, high temperatures will shoot up into the low 80s on Friday, with breezy east winds and low dew points creating hazardous fire conditions. The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning between Friday afternoon until Saturday afternoon due to the combination of high temperatures, low humidity, and wind conditions. Be cautious to avoid starting fires!

The smoke sticks around into Saturday, which will also be the hottest remaining day this summer. Temperatures will soar well into the 80s, surpassing 90 degrees in some spots.

Washington hosts Portland State on Saturday at 1 p.m. and the kickoff temperature will be in the mid 80s. 90 degrees looks possible by the final whistle. Plenty of smoke will accompany the game and tailgates.

Temperatures by the water Saturday will feel much better than in the interior. A north breeze off the Puget Sound may keep downtown Seattle in the 80s, but Sea-Tac Airport has less exposure to these winds, and eclipsing 90 degrees at the official weather station looks likely. If this happens, Seattle will set a new record for 90-plus degree days in a calendar year, with 13 days.

Sunday marks the beginning of a cool-down to more seasonal weather by the time next week begins.