WEST SEATTLE WEATHER: After the heat, the storm

(Photo sent by Dave McDorman)

The sun has set on a record-tying hot day – 98 degrees at Sea-Tac – though the Jefferson Square temp/time sign counted a few bonus degrees:

(Photo sent by Jason Hubbard)

The cooldown is bringing a few surprises – raindrops, for example – and a texter says there’s lightning on the radar, headed this way.

(Photo sent by Kersti Muul)

The National Weather Service just posted this update minutes ago:

…high based thunderstorms have sprung up in and around the Seattle metro area. The concern with this type of convection is that due to their high based nature, not a lot of precipitation is expected out of them, but they are producing a fair amount of lightning, which can be fire starters. The prolonged period of hot and dry weather has dried the fuels out, therefore it would not take much to ignite some of these fuels that have had ample time to dry out and become much more combustible. The main message for the next few hours is to play it safe with lightning and stay indoors.

Tomorrow’s high is still predicted to be 80ish.

RickB August 16, 2020 (9:01 pm)

Just saw a lightning bolt to the northwest from my house in White Center.

Eddie V. August 16, 2020 (9:16 pm)

When you realize your DJI Mavic is a good Powerful fan on its way up to snap a quick pic of tonight’s sunset :)

ACG August 16, 2020 (10:13 pm)

The sunset was incredible tonight!

flimflam August 17, 2020 (6:03 am)

even though it wasn’t in the forecast, the combo of extreme heat, some clouds/overcast skies and just how still it was felt like thunderstorm weather. it was so strangely quiet in my neighborhood as well – too hot to move!