Who canceled summer? Why it’s going to stay chilly in Whatcom County
In the Northwest, we have an adage that summer doesn’t start until after Independence Day.
Well, the Fourth has come and gone — so what gives?
“We’re just stuck in a persistent trough pattern with an onshore flow,” said Jeff Michalski at the National Weather Service in Seattle.
Michalski told The Bellingham Herald that he doesn’t see a significant warming trend for Western Washington in the near future.
And the one-month outlook at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center shows a high probability of below-normal temperatures.
“People are saying, ‘Where’s summer?” said Randy Small, who manages the Whatcom County Weather page on Facebook.
July’s average high temperature is 71.3 degrees as recorded at Bellingham International Airport, according to NOAA online records.
But for the first nine days of July, the average high is 65.1 degrees — the coldest start to the month since 1987, when the first nine days averaged 65 degrees.
In contrast, the first five days of July averaged 80 degrees in 2015.
Weekend forecast
Friday: Sunny, high near 69. Mostly clear Friday night, low of 56.
Saturday: Increasing clouds with a chance of rain and a high about 66. Rain Saturday night, with a low of 56.
Sunday: Chance of showers, with a high of 66. Partly cloudy Sunday night, low of 54.
Monday: Mostly sunny, high of 66.
This story was originally published July 10, 2020 at 12:57 PM.
