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!
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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.
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Two of my favorite weather phenomena, marine pushes are great
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