Unseasonably Warm and Sunny In Wenatchee, NCW, Then Abrupt Change
The next several days will be especially warm and sunny in Wenatchee and areas east of the Cascades.
National Weather Service meteorologist Greg Kock says the warner air is coming from an area of high pressure that's hanging over the entire western U.S.
The pattern is bring excessive heat to some regions, given the time of year.
The Phoenix area will top 100 degrees Thursday and Friday while temperatures will reach into the 80s and 90s in interior California, and about 80 in part of Oregon and southern Idaho.
Kock says the pleasant weather in Washington state will be short lived.
"By the time Sunday arrives, a cold front will be moving in," said Koch. "We'll see increasing chances of rain by Sunday night and Monday. And we will be much closer to our seasonal normals by Tuesday and Wednesday with high temperatures in the lower to mid 50's."
The normal highs in Wenatchee on Thursday and Friday are in the upper 50’s, about 15 degrees below what the area will experience.
Kock says the mountains will see a big change early next week when temperatures fall..
"In this transition that we're looking for this Monday and Tuesday, there is a decent chance that the mountains around Wenatchee will experience their first significant snow of the season," Koch said.
Snow levels will drop to 3,000 feet on Monday and Tuesday. However, Koch does not think the snow will lead to travel problems over mountain passes at this point.
He says we’re now in a season of transition with periods of nice weather along with cooler and unsettled conditions.
The 8-14-day outlook from the National Weather Service shows temperatures will be at or below normal in central Washington. Precipitation will be higher than normal before tapering off at the end of the extended forecast.