Clouds could be the bigger story than rain for Seafair weekend

When people think about weather affecting Seafair weekend, rain is usually the first thing that comes to mind. This year, however, the bigger forecast concern may actually be the clouds.

A weak weather system is expected to move into western Washington late Friday and through Saturday, bringing cooler temperatures, more cloud cover and the chance for a few light showers. At this point, Saturday still looks like the best opportunity for any rain, but it doesn’t appear to be a washout. In fact, many locations could stay dry for much of the day.

What we’ll be watching just as closely is the cloud cover, especially with the Blue Angels returning to Seattle skies. Depending on how low the clouds are, the Navy may have to adjust its flight demonstration. While it’s still too early to know if that will be necessary, cloud ceilings can sometimes have a bigger impact on the show than a few passing rain showers.

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Here are the show possibilities based on cloud levels:

• Flat Show if ceilings stay around 1,000–4,500 feet.
• Low Show if ceilings lift into the 4,500–8,000 foot range.
• High Show if ceilings lift to 8,000 feet or scatter out.

The first weekend of August is typically one of Seattle’s driest weekends of the year, so even a few showers are somewhat out of the ordinary. Fortunately, rainfall amounts look light, with Sunday trending drier as the system moves away.

Until then, we’ll enjoy a classic stretch of summer weather. High pressure building into the Pacific Northwest will bring patchy morning clouds followed by afternoon sunshine through Friday, with highs warming into the upper 70s and lower 80s before cooler 70s return for the weekend.

As always, we’ll continue to fine-tune the forecast over the next few days, especially with so many outdoor events planned around Seafair.

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