July 17, 2024

Clouds Return With a Chance for Thunderstorms

By Joseph Renalds

Hey Huskies!

Today’s weather is going to break the pattern of the clear sunny days we have had for the last couple weeks. A shortwave trough (disturbance aloft in the atmosphere) has brought clouds back to the region this morning. It also feels a bit muggy out there with dew points currently in the low 60s around Puget Sound. This disturbance also generated numerous thunderstorms last night in Oregon.

Today the thunderstorm risk moves north into Washington, with an emphasis in the mountains and eastern half of the state. However, a thunderstorm in western Washington cannot be ruled out. As a result the Storm Prediction Center has included us in their Day 1 Convective Outlook.

At the time this blog is being written, an area of thunderstorms has moved north from Oregon into Yakima and Klickitat Counties. If you are planning to be outside today, especially in the mountains, stay weather aware and be prepared to seek shelter if you hear thunder approaching.

Another risk associated with today’s thunderstorms is fire danger. Dry lighting could easily spark new wildfires in already dry regions of the state which has prompted a Red Flag Warning to be issued through 11PM tonight. Make sure to continue to be careful with any activities that could deal with sparks or fire.

After today, the weather reverts back to where it has been the last few days with temperatures in the 80s and sunny skies. With Monday’s high temperature just barely hitting the 80 degree mark, the streak of days with a high of 80 or higher remains intact. The current longest streak is 15 days which will be broken on Friday.

Have a good rest of your week Huskies and pay attention to the clouds today, they may look more interesting than our normal marine stratus.