Hearing rumbles? Showers, thunderstorms make their way in Western WA
Jul 16, 2026, 10:46 AM
(Map courtesy of KIRO 7)
(Map courtesy of KIRO 7)
If you’ve been hearing rumbles of thunder or watching the radar this morning, you’re not imagining things. A band of showers and a few thunderstorms is tracking northwest across Western Washington, and that’s going to be our main weather story today.
The bulk of the activity will continue moving north through the morning, with the greatest chance of showers and a few lightning strikes shifting north of Puget Sound later this morning. As the system lifts away, we’ll see fewer showers this afternoon, although an isolated shower can’t be ruled out.
The good news? These storms are not expected to be severe. That means we’re not looking at widespread damaging winds or large hail. Still, any thunderstorm can produce brief downpours, gusty winds, lightning, and a quick drop in visibility, so it’s worth keeping an eye on the sky if you’re heading out this morning.
Once the morning activity winds down, temperatures will stay noticeably cooler than we’ve seen lately. Afternoon highs will top out in the low to mid-70s with a bit of a breeze, making for a much more comfortable day.
Even though the storms won’t be severe, lightning remains a concern because our vegetation is so dry. A Red Flag Warning remains in effect for the Olympics, the Cascades, and parts of Eastern Washington, where any lightning strike could spark new fires.
Looking ahead, we’ll return to a more typical summer pattern. Friday brings morning clouds followed by increasing sunshine and highs in the mid-70s. This weekend features morning clouds and afternoon sunshine with temperatures climbing back into the 80s, and next week looks even hotter with many locations reaching the upper 80s to lower 90s.
