Buehner: More ‘sunny, unseasonably warm’ spring weather through Tuesday

Easter Weekend was about as good as it gets weather-wise. Highs over the weekend nudged into the 60s for many Western Washington locations that were away from cooler waterways like Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the outer coastline. Many Easter eggs were found and others simply enjoyed the early spring sunshine.

To refresh, March came in like a lion with cool wet weather and went out like a lamb. More on that proverb and its origins later.

In the meantime, more sunny and unseasonably warm early spring weather is in store through Tuesday this week as high pressure aloft provides the fine dry conditions. Highs are expected to climb into the 60s with morning low temperatures in the 40s. Average high temperatures this time of year are generally in the mid-50s.

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Yet, all good things do come to an end. The high pressure aloft that provided the sunny warm weather is anticipated to shift inland as a Pacific weather system moves ashore with rain and much cooler air Tuesday night and Wednesday. High temperatures on Wednesday will plummet well down into the 50s, about 15 degrees cooler than Monday and Tuesday.

Mountain snow levels will also drop down to around 2,500 feet Wednesday and near 2,000 feet Thursday. Motorists crossing the Cascades mid-week should be prepared for renewed winter weather driving conditions. And remember, the deadline to remove studded tires was Sunday, March 31. Washington State Patrol (WSP) could pull over motorists who still have studded tires and offer a costly $137 fine.

The Seattle Mariners will enjoy fine yet cool weather for their evening games on Monday and Tuesday against the Cleveland Guardians. The Wednesday afternoon game will likely have the roof closed at T-Mobile Park as that three-game series concludes.

On Thursday, scattered showers are expected to linger and finally taper off by Friday. Highs on both days will remain in the 50s. Lows in the cooler locations like Olympia, Shelton and Arlington will likely dip into the mid-30s, with lower 40s elsewhere. Yet, some sunshine will return as the work week wraps up.

Regarding the proverb – in like a lion, out like a lamb – there are a few theories on where the proverb originated. One theory is the proverb originated from the stars. The constellation Leo (Latin for Lion) dominates the night sky around the first of March. By April, the constellation Aires (Latin for Ram) plays a greater role in the night sky.

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Since Aires is not quite a lamb, one of the best theories on where this proverb started came from Thomas Fuller’s 1732 publication entitled, “Gnomologia: Adagies and Proverbs; Wise Sentences and Witty Sayings, Ancient and Modern, Foreign and British.” Thomas Fuller was a British physician and intellectual. He had fun compiling and issuing this unique publication that included the words, “comes in like a lion, goes out like a lamb.”

The month of March certainly followed this proverb with a cool wet start to the month and warm sunny spring weather to finish.

Ted Buehner is the KIRO Newsradio meteorologist. You can read more of Ted’s stories here and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter.