Weather
Record-Breaking Temperatures In Puget Sound Today
It's going to be so warm today around Puget Sound, we might set an all-time record.
SEATTLE, WA - The current forecast calls for a high Monday of 70 degrees in most places. That would be a record itself, but if temperatures rise above 70 degrees? That will set an all-time record for the region, according to the National Weather Service.
A 70+ degree day Monday would be the earliest such day since the National Weather Service began keeping records in the 1940s.
Chasing history? Perhaps. Officially, we're going for 70 degrees in Seattle. That would be daily record breaker. IF we manage to get above 70, it would be the earliest calendar year occurrence of an above 70 temperature since records began at Sea-Tac in the 1940s. #wawx
— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) March 12, 2018
Why is going to be so warm? According to University of Washington meteorologist Cliff Mass, it's due to strong air flow from the east. When that air descends from the Cascades, it gets compressed, which generates warmth.
Find out what's happening in Seattlefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
"One driver of the warmth will be easterly flow, with strong downslope warming over the western slopes of the Cascades. Air get compressed as it descends from higher to lower altitudes, and compression causes warming (like you notice when you use an air pump)," Mass wrote in a blog post.
One caveat: cities near Cascade passes (looking at you Issaquah) will be cooler because the easterly flow won't be descending as far, and therefore won't generate as much compression.
Find out what's happening in Seattlefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
How warm will it get near you? Here's a look at predicted highs around the region:
- Seattle: 70
- Gig Harbor: 70
- Edmonds: 71
- Issaquah: 68
- Tacoma: 72
- Puyallup: 72
- Enumclaw: 71
- Bellevue: 71
Image via Shutterstock
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