We managed to cool off more than forecast Wednesday and as of 5 p.m. were 1 degree below the average high of 82 degrees for the date. The big weather banner is that it will be hot today through Saturday and the National Weather Service has heat warnings and fire weather warnings due to strong, gusty east winds.
The peak of the heat and extreme fire danger will be on Friday and Saturday. They even have a rare heat advisory out for the ocean beaches as east winds reach the ocean and cause temperatures Friday in the 80- to 95-degree range. Remarkable. And we thought the worst of the heat was over for summer.
It was a pattern like this, with hot temperatures and strong east winds, that blew over the Oregon coastal mountains and ignited the Tillamook Burn decades ago. There is an outdoor fire ban in effect for Western Washington. Please be careful with outdoor cooking and recreational fire pits. All campfires are prohibited in Washington state parks through Sept. 30.
Cooler ocean air arrives later on Sunday and will last for a few days. It could get hot again later next week. We managed to get our average mean temperature of 69.4 close to normal. It is just one-half of a degree below average. That will change quickly the next couple of days.
