More heat is headed toward Whatcom. How hot will it get? And what else is on the way?
Another stretch of unseasonably warm weather is headed toward Bellingham and the Whatcom County lowlands, and several heat records could fall before the weekend.
Meteorologists at the National Weather Service in Seattle said that the mercury will hit the upper 80s in Bellingham, and lowland Whatcom County residents could see daytime highs in the 90s on Wednesday, Aug. 17, and Thursday, Aug. 18.
“Thursday looks like it will be the hottest day of the week with a moderate heat risk of heat-related illness for those that are more susceptible to heat (such as those without adequate cooling or hydration),” meteorologist Kayla Mazurkiewicz said in the online forecast.
Normal mid-August highs are in the low 70s for Bellingham, but heat waves are common in late summer.
Bellingham’s record high temperature for Wednesday is 93 degrees, set in 1977, and on Thursday it’s 88, set in 2016.
Meanwhile, a heat advisory has been issued for much of Western Washington, including Bellingham and Whatcom County, from noon Wednesday through midnight Thursday, said weather service meteorologist Carly Kovacik.
“The hottest spots will be the valleys of the Cascades, where temperatures could make it into the upper 90s to near 100 in a few places. As such, an excessive heat warning remains in effect for the valleys in the Cascades below 2,000 feet through Thursday,” Kovacik said online.
More seasonable temperatures are expected Friday, Aug. 19, when temperatures will crest in the mid-70s.
But that relief could be short-lived, because NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center is forecasting a strong chance of above-normal temperatures for the next two weeks.
This story was originally published August 16, 2022 at 8:37 AM.
