Warm spell ends in western Washington
After several days of unusually warm temperatures, western Washington is bracing for a notable shift in weather. Starting Thursday, a cool marine layer will sweep in, marking the return of June gloom, according to Cliff Mass, Professor of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Washington.
Thursday brings clouds and cooler air
“The June gloom will be here,” Mass explained during an appearance on The Jason Rantz Show on KTTH. Low clouds will dominate the skies, and daytime highs will drop into the mid to upper 60s°F (around 18–20°C). This marine push will hold its ground for several days, significantly reducing the early-summer warmth that has lingered across the region.
While western Washington prepares for cooler and cloudier skies, eastern Washington will retain its warmer, sunnier pattern, Mass noted.
Reservoir levels stable despite dry months
Despite a drier-than-normal May and early June, reservoirs west of the Cascades are currently in good condition. Mass highlighted that Seattle, Tacoma, and Everett are all at or near normal for water storage. “There’s not going to be a water shortage,” he affirmed, even though precipitation totals have lagged behind seasonal averages.
Dry weather not tied to global warming
When asked whether the recent dry spell might be linked to climate change, Mass was clear: “You can’t pin it on global warming, but you can pin it on natural variability of the atmosphere.” He emphasized that similar patterns have occurred in the past and are not unprecedented.
However, he acknowledged a broader trend: global temperatures are slowly rising. “The Earth is warming slowly, and that’s having an effect on temperatures—they are one to two degrees Fahrenheit (0.5 to 1°C) warmer than they were,” he said. But for now, local spring precipitation does not show a clear connection to that warming.
From sun to shade: weather reality check ahead
The record highs seen just days ago—temperatures near 88°F (31°C) in some locations—will be replaced by gloomy mornings, persistent cloud cover, and mild highs. While this marks a return to seasonal norms for western Washington, it also signals a transition away from early summer heat.
Stay tuned as the marine layer deepens and the June gloom settles in across the Puget Sound region.
