Record heat possible for Whatcom County, along with a hidden danger
Temperatures will rise into the 70s in Bellingham and Whatcom County for the first time this year, possibly bringing record warmth by the weekend.
High pressure is building off the Washington coast and that means temperatures will keep warming through this week, reaching the low to mid-70s by Friday, April 28, said Jacob DeFlitch, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Seattle.
“Although some uncertainty exists in exactly how warm temperatures are Friday, most will be in the 70s, with low 80s possible especially near the Cascade Foothills and away from the water with the offshore flow,” DeFlitch said in the online forecast discussion Monday, April 24.
The record high for Friday is 73 degrees, set in 1976.
If the mercury hits the 70 mark, it won’t be Bellingham’s earliest 70-degree day — that happened March 12, 2018.
Warm weather won’t linger, however, with temperatures dropping to a more seasonable 60 degrees by Sunday, April 29, according to the forecast.
Meanwhile, weather service officials emphasized that even though the air is warmer, local rivers and lakes remain cold, and the shock of jumping into cold water could have deadly consequences.
“In regards to impacts, the main focus will be on cold water safety going into the weekend,” DeFLitch said.
Most rivers and lakes are about 40s degrees in early spring, he said.
