Seattle could see 2023’s final day of 80 degrees this weekend

While summer is winding down and the sun is starting to set earlier and earlier, KIRO Newsradio’s meteorologist Ted Buehner said you have one last weekend of nice warm weather before settling into fall.

Fall officially starts on the equinox at midnight Sept. 22, making this the last weekend of summer, and Seattle will be given another warm one, that could reach 80 degrees.

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“This will be the final weekend of this year’s summer,” Buehner said. “And it’s going to be yet another warm one.”

Sunny, clear skies across the Puget Sound region are expected this weekend, with high temperatures in the mid to low 80s in Seattle, with even higher temperatures expected in the south. This Saturday could be the last 80-degree day of the year.

“Historically, typically, our average last day of 80-degree weather in the Seattle area is Sept. 13. So we’re pretty much on track with that. But keep in mind that last year, we hit 88 degrees on Oct. 16, which was the warmest ever so late in the year.” Buehner said. “That doesn’t mean we won’t hit another 80-degree mark at this point as we proceed into October, but the days are getting shorter, and it gets a lot harder to do that. But at this point, it sure looks like this might be our final 80-degree day of the year.”

A cooler front will roll over the region late Saturday and Sunday, with temperatures in the upper 70s before isolated showers bring temperatures down into the 60s on Monday.

For your upcoming fall season, Buehner said that you should expect mostly business as usual for autumn weather. It is the first El Niño winter in the last three years, though, which Buehner said will make things a bit warmer and drier than it has been recently.

“At this particular point, the odds on temperatures look to be above average overall, doesn’t mean we won’t have some cool spells,” Buehner said. “But overall, when you look at the 90-day period for October into December, the odds are tipped in the direction of warmer than average. For precipitation, they’re tipping the odds towards drier than average conditions.”

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So is snow coming to Seattle this year, then?

Unfortunately for those looking to ski down First Hill, the El Niño winter means that with warmer and drier weather we probably won’t get any snow, but Buehner said that there is always a chance.

“To have snow during El Niño seasons is much more rare, particularly when compared to La Niña winters,” Beuhner said. “But that doesn’t mean it can’t happen. In fact, out of the 10 snowiest winters in Seattle history, three of them have been El Niño seasons, so you can’t put those chains and those winter tires away yet.”