SEATTLE — Wednesday brings cooler temperatures, but highs will still remain above normal for several days, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
Some relief as already arrived on the coast from western Washington’s heat wave. The Heat Advisory for that area expired on Tuesday. The Heat Advisory for Admiralty Inlet, eastern Straight of Juan de Fuca, Olympics, San Juan County and western Skagit and Whatcom counties expired at 10 p.m. on Tuesday.
A Heat Advisory in effect for the inland Puget Sound area expired at 5 p.m. Wednesday. High temperatures are expected to remain in the 80s with overnight low temperatures dropping into the 50s, providing some respite and lessening the risk of heat-related illness.
A Red Flag Warning expired for the Cascade mountains, but heat risk is expected to remain elevated amid higher-than-normal temperatures and low humidity.
Temperature records broken
Temperature records have been broken multiple days in a row in the midst of a heat wave that has settled over western Washington.
SeaTac, Seattle, Olympia and Bellingham all set daily temperature records on Tuesday, which was projected to be the hottest day of western Washington's heat wave.
Olympia cracked the triple digits, registering a high temperature of 100 degrees. The previous high temperature record of 95 was set back in 1985.
SeaTac observed a high of 98, breaking the previous record of 93 set back in 2010. This cracked the top 10 for warmest days ever recorded at SeaTac Airport, coming in at #9 on the list.
On Tuesday, Seattle's high temperature was 97 degrees, and Bellingham's was 88, both setting new daily temperature records.
Olympia hit 99 degrees on Monday, breaking its previous daily temperature record of 95, set back in 2010. Seattle and Quillayute also broke their previous temperature records with highs of 91 and 87, respectively. Sea-Tac tied its previous daily temperature record of 95 degrees set back in 2010.
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport also set a record-high minimum temperature on Monday. The low temperature was 67 degrees and ranks 18th on the list of 20 warmest nights ever recorded in Seattle. Seventeen of the top 20 warmest nights have happened in the past 20 years.
Records broken over the weekend include SEA Airport with an observed high of 93 degrees, breaking the previous daily record of 90 degrees. Olympia hit 97 degrees, breaking the previous daily record of 95 degrees set in 1953 - 71 years ago.