954  
FXUS66 KSEW 171635  
AFDSEW  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA  
935 AM PDT THU SEP 17 2026  
   
SYNOPSIS
 
 
HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT AND A THERMAL TROUGH PUSHING INLAND WILL  
BRING WARM AND DRY CONDITIONS TO THE INTERIOR OF WESTERN  
WASHINGTON TODAY. ONSHORE FLOW WILL RESUME ON FRIDAY, BRINGING  
MORE SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES AND MORNING CLOUDS TO THE AREA  
THROUGH THE WEEKEND. LIGHT SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE FOR PORTIONS  
OF THE AREA EARLY NEXT WEEK AS A WEAK SYSTEM MOVES INTO THE  
REGION.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM /TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY/
 
 
THE LATEST FORECAST REMAINS ON TRACK THIS MORNING WITH NO  
UPDATES. UPPER LEVEL RIDGING WILL CONTINUE TO NUDGE INTO THE  
AREA TODAY AS AN UPPER LOW OVER NORTHERN CA/OR STARTS TO LIFT  
NORTHEASTWARD TO EXIT THE REGION. A THERMAL TROUGH SITUATED  
ALONG THE COAST WILL PUSH INLAND TODAY, ALLOWING FOR OFFSHORE  
FLOW TO TRANSITION BACK TO ONSHORE THIS AFTERNOON. A FEW AREAS  
OF PATCHY, SHALLOW FOG REMAIN POSSIBLE ACROSS THE AREA EARLY  
THIS MORNING WITH GENERALLY LIGHT WINDS ACROSS THE AREA AND SOME  
RESIDUAL MOISTURE FROM RECENT RAINS. EXPECT THE EXTENT OF FOG  
TO BE LESS THAN THAT OF YESTERDAY, HOWEVER, AS OFFSHORE FLOW  
CONTINUES TO PROMOTE DRYING IN THE LOW LEVELS. ANY SHALLOW FOG  
THAT DOES DEVELOP WILL DISSIPATE RATHER QUICKLY THIS MORNING.  
THE THERMAL TROUGH PUSHING INLAND WILL CONTINUE TO PROMOTE  
WARMING ACROSS THE INTERIOR, WITH HIGHS EXPECTED TO BE IN THE  
MID TO UPPER 70S FOR MOST SPOTS. A FEW SPOTS, MAINLY ALONG THE  
CASCADE VALLEYS AND ACROSS THE SOUTHERN INTERIOR, COULD EVEN  
MAKE IT INTO THE LOW 80S THIS AFTERNOON.  
 
ONSHORE FLOW WILL RESUME BY THIS AFTERNOON AND PERSIST INTO THE  
WEEKEND, BRINGING SLIGHTLY COOLER, MORE SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES  
TO THE AREA ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. THE RETURN OF ONSHORE FLOW  
WILL ALSO BRING THE RETURN OF MORNING STRATUS TO THE INTERIOR  
BOTH DAYS. STRATUS WILL SCATTER AND RETREAT BACK TO THE COAST BY  
THE AFTERNOON ON FRIDAY AND LOOKS TO LINGER A BIT LONGER ON  
SATURDAY BEFORE GIVING WAY TO SOME AFTERNOON SUN. AFTERNOON  
HIGHS WILL BE IN THE LOW TO MID 70S ACROSS THE INTERIOR AND MID  
60S ALONG THE COAST BOTH DAYS.  
 

 
   
LONG TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/
 
 
SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES AND DRY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH  
SUNDAY, WITH ONSHORE FLOW CONTINUING TO PROMOTE MORNING STRATUS  
ACROSS THE INTERIOR AND MOSTLY SUNNY AFTERNOONS. ENSEMBLES THEN  
HINT AT THE PATTERN CHANGING EARLY NEXT WEEK AS UPPER LEVEL  
TROUGHING STARTS TO DEVELOP OVER THE NORTHEASTERN PACIFIC. THIS  
SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL OPEN THE DOOR FOR SYSTEMS TO MOVE INTO  
WESTERN WASHINGTON. AT THIS TIME, THE NEXT WEAK SYSTEM LOOKS TO  
APPROACH THE AREA LATER MONDAY INTO TUESDAY AND WILL BRING THE  
NEXT CHANCE OF LIGHT RAIN TO THE AREA. SHOWER CHANCES AND SLIGHTLY  
COOLER TEMPERATURES, WITH HIGHS IN THE MID 60S TO LOW 70S, THEN  
LOOK TO PERSIST INTO MIDWEEK.  
 
14  
 

 
   
AVIATION
 
 
LIGHT FLOW ALOFT WILL TURN NORTHERLY LATER TODAY AS HIGH PRESSURE  
REMAINS CENTERED OFFSHORE WITH AN UPPER LOW WELL SOUTH OF THE  
REGION. LIGHT OFFSHORE SURFACE FLOW WILL TURN ONSHORE TONIGHT AS  
THERMALLY INDUCED LOW PRESSURE SHIFTS INLAND FROM THE COAST. PATCHY  
VALLEY FOG IN OUTLYING AREAS THIS MORNING WILL BURN OFF WITHIN THE  
NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS, VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL TODAY. IFR/LIFR  
STRATUS WILL RETURN TO THE IMMEDIATE COAST TONIGHT.  
 
KSEA...VFR. SURFACE WINDS N/NW 8 TO 12 KNOTS TODAY. WINDS WILL BACK  
TO LIGHT SOUTHERLY AFTER 06Z TONIGHT.  
 
27/41  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
 
THERMALLY INDUCED LOW PRESSURE ALONG THE COAST WILL SHIFT INLAND  
LATER TODAY. NORTHERLY OR WEAK OFFSHORE FLOW WILL TURN ONSHORE  
TONIGHT. LIGHT ONSHORE FLOW WILL THEN PERSIST FRIDAY THROUGH THE  
UPCOMING WEEKEND AS A SERIES OF SYSTEMS PASS WELL NORTH OF THE  
WATERS. THE TREND WILL LIKELY PERSIST INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK.  
 
27  
 

 
   
FIRE WEATHER
 
 
A THERMAL TROUGH PUSHING INLAND TODAY WILL BRING ONE LAST DAY OF  
WARMER AND DRIER CONDITIONS TO THE INTERIOR. OFFSHORE FLOW WILL  
GRADUALLY TRANSITION BACK TO ONSHORE THIS AFTERNOON, THOUGH  
RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES STILL LOOK TO DIP INTO THE 20S AND 30S  
ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE CASCADES. THE LOWEST HUMIDITIES WILL BE  
CONCENTRATED OVER THE NORTH CASCADES THIS AFTERNOON.  
 
ONSHORE FLOW WILL THEN BRING COOLER TEMPERATURES AND INCREASED  
MOISTURE TO THE AREA FRIDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND, HELPING TO  
MINIMIZE FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK.  
 
14  
 

 
   
SEW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
WA...NONE.  
PZ...NONE.  
 

 
 

 
 
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