Good morning!
The majority of us didn’t see nature’s pyrotechnics last night, as the atmosphere never really destabilized enough for the predicted thunderstorms to fully develop. However, as the graphic above shows, there was an incredible amount of lightning further east, especially into Idaho and Montana.
We are starting out with overcast skies this morning as the upper-level trough that passed over our area yesterday continues to direct cool, moist marine air into our region. This layer is pretty thick, and although some areas, such as the Seattle metropolitan area, should be treated to some afternoon sunshine, other areas, such as the coast, may remain shrouded in low clouds and fog the entire day. As a result, highs will struggle to reach 70 today throughout Western Washington, with the coolest temperatures on the coast.
Credit: University of Washington Atmospheric Sciences Department
We still have cool air aloft and an unstable atmosphere, so there is a chance of thundershowers today, particularly over the Cascades and SW Washington where there is the highest “CAPE,” a measure of the instability of the atmosphere. The mountain ranges are often the “hot spots” for thundershowers in the summer because of a phenomenon known as “upslope flow,” where warm air flows up the slopes of the mountains and converges at the top, creating clouds, precipitation, and the occasional thunderstorm.
We look to gradually warm up for the rest of the week, and by Friday, we should be treated to bluebird skies with highs in the mid 80s!
Enjoy your Monday!