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Tired of All The Damp, Wet And Cloudy Washington Weather? Blame ‘Troughzilla’

Lindley Ashline
/
Flickr via Compfight
Seattle as seen from the Bainbridge Island ferry on a typical "June gloomy" day.

If you were tired of all the unseasonably warm and sunny weather Washingtonians saw up till last week, it looks like your prayers have been answered, says KPLU weather expert Cliff Mass.

“For those people who were complaining about the heat and the warmth and the sun and the dryness, well, your prayers have been met,” Mass joked.  He says we are now in a relatively wet, cool pattern that he expects to stick around well into next week.

A Major Trough

“Instead of the big ridge that has been dominating the West Coast, a very high-amplitude trough has developed” said Mass, a professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle.

“I call it 'Troughzilla,' kidding around, but this is a very high-amplitude trough that has dug all the way down to California.,” Mass said. “And that has brought below-normal temperatures, clouds and rain to the region.”

He says Friday will be relatively decent with near-normal temperatures in the 60s, some clouds and maybe a shower or two, particularly in the mountains.

But that changes on Friday night into Saturday morning.  

Wet Weekend Ahead

“A part of that trough is going to move off to the northeast. And as it does so, moisture is going to stream around from the east – an unusual direction, “ Mass said, “coming against the Cascades and then over Western Washington. “

He says that will bring rain overnight and particularly on Saturday morning. Showers will continue into Saturday, Mass says. And they will probably stick around on Sunday, with temperatures only getting up into the lower 60s.  High temperatures are normally about 65 at SeaTac this time of year, Mass says.

The Pattern Continues

Next week, Mass says the pattern will basically continue.  He says the trough will weaken, but the ridge won’t redevelop to push out the cloudy weather. Temperatures will get into the mid-60s and he expects some partial sunshine, “and maybe some more rain coming in mid-week.”

“So – extremely normal weather, at least as far as next weekend.”  

For a discussion of when "June gloom" is expected this year and why, you can click on the “play” icon at the top of this post.

The weekly KPLU feature ‘Weather with Cliff Mass’ airs every Friday at 9 a.m. immediately following ‘BirdNote’, and twice on Friday afternoons during ‘All Things Considered’. The feature is hosted by KPLU Environment Reporter Bellamy Pailthorp. Cliff Mass is a University of Washington professor of atmospheric sciences, a renowned Seattle weather prognosticator, and a popular weather blogger. You can also subscribe to a podcast of ‘Weather with Cliff Mass’ shows.

Bellamy Pailthorp covers the environment for KNKX with an emphasis on climate justice, human health and food sovereignty. She enjoys reporting about how we will power our future while maintaining healthy cultures and livable cities. Story tips can be sent to bpailthorp@knkx.org.