Cooler Weather Returns After Brief Summer Heat: Puget Sound Forecast

SEATTLE — Washington's first brush with summer heat is on the way out, and Tuesday and Wednesday will see temperatures tumble more than 20 degrees from recent highs. After three days of sunshine, rain showers are back on the menu, too.

The Seattle-Tacoma International Airport posted its first day above 80 degrees in 2022 Saturday and cracked 90 both Sunday and Monday. In 78 years of records, the National Weather Service said just seven others reached 80 degrees later than June 25.

While temperatures ran 10 to 15 degrees hotter than usual over the last three days, forecasters expect the next two will run much cooler, struggling to reach 70 Tuesday afternoon and falling into the mid-60s Wednesday. Both days should also see a few rain showers before a warmer, sunnier trend returns Thursday.

"Unsettled conditions will persist into Wednesday as the upper level low gradually exits to the east," NWS Seattle wrote Monday. "Chances of light rain look to persist into the early afternoon hours, before conditions start to dry out during the afternoon and evening. Temperatures will remain in the 60s for most lowland locations."

While Thursday through Saturday will bring some warmth, conditions will be closer to normal for this time of the year, sticking to the low-to-mid 70s, forecasters said. In the longer term, another dip in temperatures is in the forecast for the latter half of the long July 4 weekend, with mostly cloudy skies and more chances for rain both Sunday and Monday.

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

• Tuesday: 70°/56° (PM chance of showers - 50%)
• Wednesday: 66°/55° (Chance of showers - 40%)
• Thursday: 74°/56° (Mostly sunny)
• Friday: 77°/56° (Sunny)
• Saturday: 74°/57° (Partly sunny)