521  
FXUS66 KSEW 110817  
AFDSEW  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA  
117 AM PDT SAT JUL 11 2026  
   
SYNOPSIS
 
 
AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL PRODUCE VARYING AMOUNTS OF CLOUD  
COVER THROUGH THE WEEKEND ALONG WITH NEAR SEASONAL TEMPERATURES.  
HIGH PRESSURE WILL REBUILD INTO THE REGION MONDAY AND TUESDAY  
FOR A WARMING TREND. A WEAK SYSTEM MAY BRIEFLY COOL TEMPERATURES  
AROUND THE MIDDLE OF THE COMING WEEK BEFORE A LONGER TERM DRY  
AND WARM SPELL RETURNS TOWARD NEXT WEEKEND.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM /TODAY THROUGH MONDAY/
 
 
A UPPER LEVEL TROUGH JUST OFFSHORE WILL SEND A SERIES OF WEAK  
DISTURBANCES ACROSS THE AREA INTO EARLY SUNDAY. FOR THE MOST  
PART, DRY CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL THOUGH A COUPLE LIGHT SHOWERS  
WILL BE POSSIBLE AT TIMES ACROSS THE OLYMPIC PENINSULA, NORTH  
INTERIOR, AND NORTH CASCADES. TEMPERATURES THROUGH SUNDAY WILL  
HOVER WITHIN A COUPLE DEGREES OF SEASONAL NORMALS FOR MOST SPOTS.  
THE UPPER TROUGH WILL LIFT BACK INTO BRITISH COLUMBIA LATER ON  
SUNDAY AS STRONG UPPER RIDGING CENTERED OVER THE ROCKIES AND  
NORTH GREAT PLAINS EXPANDS A LITTLE WESTWARD. WITH WEAKER  
ONSHORE FLOW AND MODEST HEIGHT RISES, TEMPERATURES ON MONDAY  
WILL EDGE UPWARD SEVERAL DEGREES WITH PLENTY OF SUNSHINE.  
 

 
   
LONG TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/
 
 
THE DRY AND WARM TREND CONTINUES INTO TUESDAY. LOW LEVEL ONSHORE  
FLOW WILL INCREASE A NOTCH OR TWO WHICH WILL COOL COASTAL AREAS  
A BIT, BUT INTERIOR TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN WARM WITH AREAS  
AROUND SEATTLE METRO SEEING A 30-50% PROBABILITY OF MODERATE  
HEATRISK.  
 
UNCERTAINTY REMAINS IN THE TEMPERATURE TREND FOR THE LATER HALF  
OF THE UPCOMING WEEK AS A NUMBER OF ENSEMBLE MEMBERS RETAIN SOME  
DEGREE OF UPPER TROUGHING JUST OFFSHORE. BASED ON THE TRENDS OF  
THE LAST FEW DAYS, THE MAIN EFFECT OF THIS WEAK TROUGH MAY BE  
TO SIMPLY DELAY AN IMPENDING LENGTHY PERIOD OF ABOVE NORMAL  
TEMPERATURES THAT MOST GUIDANCE POINTS TOWARD COMMENCING BY NEXT  
WEEKEND.  
 
27  
 

 
   
AVIATION
 
 
VFR CONDITIONS PREVAIL ACROSS THE AIRSPACE WITH MID-LEVEL  
BKN/OVC STRATUS AROUND 5500-8000 FT ACROSS MOST OF THE REGION.  
LOCATIONS THAT HAVEN'T OBSERVED MID-LEVEL STRATUS ARE EXPECTED  
TO SEE IT FORM BY 10-12Z SAT. GUIDANCE HAS ONLY LOW TO MODERATE  
CONFIDENCE (20-45% CHANCE) THAT STRATUS WILL DETERIORATE INTO  
MVFR/IFR CIGS AT MOST TERMINALS EXCEPT FOR ALONG THE NORTHERN  
PUGET SOUND AND OVER TERRAIN WHERE CONFIDENCE INCREASES TO  
60-80%. IF MVFR/IFR CIGS DO DEVELOP, IT WOULD BE BY 10-12Z SAT,  
IMPROVING TO VFR BY 17-20Z. WINDS GENERALLY REMAIN LIGHT AND  
SOUTHWESTERLY, INCREASING TO 8-10 KTS AFTER 18-21Z SAT THROUGH  
AROUND 06Z SUN.  
 
KSEA...VFR CONDITIONS PREVAIL. GUIDANCE INDICATES A 20-40% CHANCE OF  
MVFR CEILINGS DEVELOPING 10-13Z SAT. IF THEY DO MANIFEST, A RETURN  
TO VFR BY 18Z IS FAVORED. SOUTHWEST WINDS CONTINUE BELOW 8 KT. THERE  
ARE SIMILAR CHANCES FOR STRATUS REFORMING AROUND 10-12Z SUN.  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
 
A WEAK SURFACE TROUGH WILL REMAIN OVER THE OFFSHORE WATERS TODAY  
BEFORE HIGH PRESSURE BROADLY REBUILDS INTO THE COASTAL AND  
OFFSHORE WATERS SUNDAY AND MONDAY AND REMAINS IN PLACE INTO  
MIDWEEK. THIS WILL PROMOTE A FAIRLY TYPICAL SUMMER PATTERN WITH  
VARYING DEGREES OF ONSHORE FLOW PROMOTING A DIURNALLY DRIVEN  
INCREASE IN WESTERLIES THROUGH THE STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA NEARLY  
DAILY. NORTHWEST WINDS OVER THE COASTAL WATERS ARE LIKELY TO  
INCREASE LATER MONDAY INTO TUESDAY AS THERMALLY INDUCED SURFACE  
LOW PRESSURE EXPANDING OVER THE INTERIOR OF WESTERN WASHINGTON  
TIGHTENS THE ONSHORE GRADIENT.  
 
27  
 

 
   
FIRE WEATHER
 
 
THE CURRENT ONSHORE PATTERN WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEKEND  
WHICH WILL LEAD TO CONTINUED EXCELLENT NIGHTLY RH RECOVERIES.  
THERE'S A 30-40% CHANCE OF RAIN SHOWERS TODAY, MAINLY FOR THE  
OLYMPICS AND NORTHERN CASCADES, BUT RAINFALL AMOUNTS DURING  
THIS PERIOD WOULD GENERALLY TOTAL LESS THAN 0.10".  
 
A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE REBUILDS INTO THE REGION MONDAY AND  
TUESDAY. WHILE THE ONSHORE PATTERN WILL LARGELY REMAIN IN PLACE,  
WARMER DAYTIME TEMPERATURES AND CLEAR SKIES WILL LIKELY LEAD TO  
RH VALUES DIPPING INTO THE 20-40% PERCENT RANGE, WITH THE  
LOWEST VALUES IN THE SOUTH INTERIOR AND CASCADES VALLEYS. THIS  
WILL ALLOW FINE FUELS TO CONTINUE TO DRY WITH ELEVATED FIRE  
WEATHER CONDITIONS. SOME MODEST COOLING IS SLATED TO ARRIVE BY  
THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK, BUT MAY WELL BE SHORT-LIVED.  
 

 
   
SEW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
WA...NONE.  
PZ...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 3 AM PDT EARLY THIS MORNING FOR  
CENTRAL U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-EAST ENTRANCE  
U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA.  
 
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 5 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 3 AM PDT  
SUNDAY FOR CENTRAL U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-  
EAST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA.  
 

 
 

 
 
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