NORTH BEND, Wash. — We have already seen temperatures hit triple digits in western Washington amid a heatwave.
On any given day, western Washington can have a variety of forecasts due to microclimates.
Microclimates are specific climates for a smaller area, where the weather typically differs from surrounding area.
There are many factors that impact microclimates. These include elevation and topography, proximity to mountains, wind speed and direction, and proximity to bodies of water.
In addition, human-made infrastructure also impacts microclimates. Areas that have a lot of green space and trees tend to be cooler, compared to areas that have a lot of dark pavement and cement that trend warmer. This is because of differences in albedo. Albedo is how much a surface absorbs or reflects heat. Light surfaces have high albedo so they reflect a lot of heat, making them cooler.
Current heatwave
High temperatures will linger in the low 90s through at least Wednesday as the western Washington heat wave continues.
Favored locations to see high temperatures in the 90s will be areas away from water and regions south of Seattle along with the Cascade foothills and valleys. The Cascade valleys, Southwest Interior, including southern Mason County, could approach triple-digit heat this upcoming week.
Seattle is forecast to be on either side of 90 much of the week, potentially doubling the number of 90-degree days so far this year.
Prior to the heat wave, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport recorded two days of high temperatures of 90 degrees or warmer. Back on July 5 and July 15, Seattle saw a high temperature of 91 degrees, which is the warmest temperature of the year so far.