October 11, 2024
Comets and Sun-Rays
Last updated 12:00 PM, Friday, October 11th, 2024
By Joseph Gavin Clark, Gaby Castronover, and Jake Stevenson
Happy Friday Huskies! For those of you unaware, last night a geomagnetic storm made it possible to see the wondrous aurora borealis right here in Seattle! Hopefully many of you were able to take advantage of this opportunity and get some pictures as it’ll be a while before it’s as visible as it was. Don’t worry if you weren’t able to snap a picture, though, starting tomorrow we’ll be able to see a different celestial event in the southwestern skies: the Tsuchinshan-ATLAS comet! The comet will be visible until October 26th, so make some time to get out there and witness this rare event!
Our relatively dry weather we have been seeing this week will thankfully continue into the weekend. We have a strengthening upper level ridge giving us dry conditions. An upper level ridge is basically an area of high pressure that extends into the upper troposphere, fun fact! With sunny skies and warm temperatures ahead these next few days, soak up the sun and enjoy it while you can. Whether it be hiking Cougar Mountain, going on a run in Ravenna park, or just taking a chill stroll with friends; we encourage you to get outside and enjoy this Autumn sunshine!
As we look ahead to the rest of the week we can see that the sunny sensation that will be this weekend will come to a close, with an unlikely return before Spring. Our first round of true Fall Seattle weather is on the way as a system moves in from the Gulf of Alaska and brings with it a soon to be comfortable gray blanket. Along with our new bedding we can also expect some moisture. Although throughout the week we expect the rain to be off and on it is a good bet that Monday morning will be calmer followed by heavier rains that evening. Tuesday will likely be a bit of lull before another trough moves through the region Wednesday bringing more consistent showers. Throughout this rainy period expect temperatures to hover in the mid fifties throughout the day as the clouds and rain moderate our daily temperature swings.
We hope you get out and enjoy your weekend, Huskies, before the true study weather sets in next week, and for any of you waking up early tomorrow to watch the Iowa game hats off to you!
Reach forecasters Gavin Clark, Gaby Castronover, and Jake Stevenson at theuwdawgcast@uw.edu, on X/Twitter @TheUWDawgcast, or on Instagram @uwdawgcast.
