Weekend Warmth and the Secrets of Northwest Heatwaves: All in My New Podcast

This weekend is going to be the warmest of the year so far in the Pacific Northwest and my podcast provides the details.  

 But  I don't stop with the forecast:  in my second segment, I tell you how difficult it is to get a heatwave in western Oregon and Washington because of the cool Pacific Ocean and the specific conditions needed to push us into warm territory.

The key feature promoting weekend warmth is an upper-level ridge of high pressure that will develop over us on Saturday and Sunday (see upper level...500 hPa pressure...about 18,000 ft...for 5 PM Sunday)

At the surface, this situation is associated with high pressure inland that produces easterly (offshore-directed) flow that pushes the cool marine influence out to sea.   This is shown by a surface map at 5 PM Saturday, with colors showing temperatures and pressures by solid lines.

The latest forecasts for surface temperature show the warming.

5 PM Saturday:  Temperatures in the 80s or more are found in the Columbia Basin, southwest Washington and into Puget Sound.

Even warmer on Sunday, with 90s (pink colors) spreading from the Willamette Valley into SW Washington as well as in the Columbia Basin.

Monday's 5 PM temperatures suggest major changes. Very hot in the Columbia Valley (more than 100F) and profound cooling along the immediate coast.  The marine air is moving back in! Perhaps the warmest day in northern Puget Sound.

And Tuesday afternoon will be profoundly cooler in the west.  Wow.  You might need a sweater!

To listen to my podcast, use the link below or access it through your favorite podcast service.

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Announcement

   I will be giving a talk on Northwest Weather and signing copies of my updated book (Weather of the Pacific Northwest) at the Northgate (Seattle) Barnes and Noble at 1 PM on Saturday, June 25th.  

My Saturday Weather Talk in Seattle and the New Edition of Weather of the Pacific Northwest

I am excited about the possibility of doing in-person bookstore talks again...and I am beginning with one at the Barnes and Noble in Seattle (Northgate) at 1 PM this  Saturday (June 25th).  More information here.  It will be very good to talk to people in person.

My talk will describe some interesting aspects of Northwest Weather, including the origin of June gloom, Northwest heatwaves, the rapid transition to summer in late June or early July, and much more.    I will also note the heavily updated version of my Northwest Weather book (see below).  I will be happy to sign and personalize any copies of my book you purchase at Barnes and Noble or bring with you.

The new version of my book is entirely updated with recent storms and weather events, and I have added two major chapters:  one on the meteorology of Northwest wildfires and the other on the weather of British Columbia.  I completely rewrote the chapter on climate change in the Pacific Northwest.  The outline of the book is found below:

More information on the book can be found at the Barnes and Noble and Amazon websites.  

See you on Saturday.