Historic October Heat, Smoke & Fire Dangers: Puget Sound Forecast

SEATTLE — The latest forecasts show a good chance that this weekend will be another one for the record books. If temperatures in Seattle reach their projected high Sunday, the Emerald City will break through 80 degrees later in the year than ever before and hit the threshold twice in October for the first time. Saturday will get close, too, and more daily records look likely to fall.

Seattle already broke its October record for most 75-degree days, logging its sixth Thursday, more than any other year since records began in the 1890s. According to the National Weather Service, the last 100 days have seen 77 with above-normal temperatures, including 25 straight through Wednesday. With just 0.4 inches of rain since July 5, it has also been the second-driest 100-day stretch ever recorded in Seattle.

Unfortunately, the latest twist in a strange year of weather will coincide with more wildfire smoke. An air quality alert will be in place across Western Washington from 5 p.m. Friday to 11 a.m. Monday.

“Starting tonight through [Sunday] night, easterly winds will pick up and King and Snohomish counties are likely to see steady smoke from the Bolt Creek and White River fires, and [unhealthy for sensitive groups] or unhealthy air quality,” the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency warned Friday. “The smoke could easily push further west and south to Kitsap and Pierce counties, and beyond.”

The easterly winds will lend to hot, dry and breezy conditions along the west slopes of the Cascades, bringing critical fire dangers through the weekend. A red flag warning will be in place for the area between Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon, with relative humidity as low as 25 percent.

Finally, there is some good news on the horizon: Temperatures are on track to tumble about 10 degrees by Monday, and there are some early signals in the extended forecast that fall weather may finally take hold by next weekend. Odds from the Climate Prediction Center also favor a shift to wetter weather arriving over the last full week of October.

Here is the five-day weather outlook for the Seattle area:

• Saturday: 79°/54° (Haze)
• Sunday: 81°/51° (Haze)
• Monday: 70°/51° (Mostly sunny)
• Tuesday: 69°/50° (Partly sunny)
• Wednesday: 71°/50° (Mostly sunny)