Muggy ‘Junuary’ to give way to sunshine, above average temps

If it feels a lot muggier to you than normal around here, you’re not imagining it. The National Weather Service says we’re mired in the middle of some pretty thick air. But the outlook is brightening for later in the week.

“I would say it’s unusual to the point where we don’t see it very often, but we do see it every once in awhile,” says NWS meteorologist Ted Buehner.

Blame an atypical weather pattern that sucks moisture from the south into the Pacific Northwest, raising the humidity this week to somewhere between 70-80 percent. That’s more like Texas than Tacoma.

Thankfully, it only happens a few times a year. “A lot of us would have more air conditioning than we do if it happened more often,” Buehner says.

It’s been pretty soggy as well. Buehner says Seattle-Tacoma International Airport had .32 of an inch of rain in the 24-hour period ending at 5 a.m. Monday. Heavier rain is forecast for Monday night and Tuesday.

Showers are expected to continue through Wednesday, but sun is back in the forecast for Thursday through Sunday, with highs in the mid to upper 70s.

And our latest blast of ‘Junuary’ won’t last long. Strong, high pressure is moving in, bringing with it dry conditions, sunshine, and temperatures in the 70s.

“By the time we get into Friday and Saturday,
we’ll be above what we typically get heading into the end of June,” Buehner says.

The Independence Day forecast is looking promising as well. Unlike most years, Buehner says the longer term forecast calls for the dry, warmer weather to carry right through the holiday. That means summer might actually start before July 5 for a change.