There was rain in the very early hours of the Sunday morning, and on and off during the day— about 0.3 inches here in the city.
By nightfall, the skies had cleared and there was soccer practice at Miller Playfield here in Capitol Hill.
Friday/ need a little rain ☔
Happy Friday.
It’s been a dry October here in the city.
We have recorded only 0.47 in of rain so far.
By Oct. 22 each year, the average for the month of October for Seattle is 2.29 in.
It should start raining on and off every day, starting on Sunday, and all through the last week of October.
Friday/ fog early 🌫 sunny later ☀
Happy Friday.
My mail-in ballot for the 2026 Midterm General Elections arrived in the mail today.
The fog we had this morning cleared, giving way to a perfect 72°F (22°C) later in the day.
Friday/ gray and cold ☁️
Happy Friday.
There was rain on and off today here in the city in Seattle, with a high 59°F (15°C). That is a far cry from the blazing sun and 100°F (38°C) highs we had in Palm Springs.
A soft drizzle was coming down and even the pickleball courts nearby were deserted at about 6 pm tonight.
Friday/ downtown Palm Springs 👩🏼
Happy Friday.
It was 100°F (38°C) outside here in Palm Springs today, so we could not spend too much time out and about in the middle of the day.
In 1949, at age 22, Monroe spent time at Charlie Farrell’s legendary Palm Springs Racquet Club, where she was photographed by local photographer Bruno Bernard (“Bernard of Hollywood”).
These poolside photos and her time at the club helped connect her with William Morris Agency executive Johnny Hyde, who became a pivotal figure in advancing her early career.
[Source: PS Resorts.com, Reddit, Acme House Company]
The phrase “P.S. I Love You” is a nod to a classic mid-century promotional slogan and vintage ephemera from Palm Springs’ golden resort era.
Monday/ feels like fall ☁️
The city of Seattle had half an inch of rain on Sunday, and the days are cooler now: a high 67°F (19 °C) today.
The first of the leaves have started to fall from the trees, but asters and daisies are still out— splotches of lavender, lilac and pinks.
Friday/ a late bloomer 🪴
Happy Friday.
It is Labor Day Weekend here in the United States: the unofficial end of summer.
There was a little rain on Tuesday and Wednesday here in the city (0.2 in) and mild temperatures all week (high 60s, about 19 °C).
The hardy plumbago (leadwort) on my back porch has bloomed, the way it does every year, late summer and into fall.
Friday/ sunset 🌇
Happy Friday.
Here is tonight’s sunset, seen from East Mercer St and 13th Avenue East. (Sunset is now at 8.10 pm.)
Friday/ smoke, high up 🌄
Happy Friday.
The smoke has returned here, to the west of the Cascade Mountains, but the worst of it lies at 5,000 ft or higher.
The day-time highs here in the city have been right around the average for August this week: high 70s with 80°F (27°C) today.
Friday/ sunset 🌇
Happy Friday.
It was a warm-ish day (83°F/ 28°C) here in the city, but there was a breeze around this morning and tonight.
The smoky air has cleared somewhat.
Sunset is now at 8.34 pm.
The Space Needle hoisted a commemorative flag honoring the YMCA’s 150th anniversary today.
Friday/ record heat 🔥
Blistering heat was expected to spread across a vast portion of the Western United States on Friday and through the weekend, with temperatures soaring into the 90s and even to over 120 degrees from the deserts of Arizona and California to the rolling plains of Montana.
The forecast showed the heat peaking in many places on Saturday and Sunday, when afternoon temperatures could rise as high as 103 (39.5°C) in Sacramento, 105 (40.5°C) in Salt Lake City, 115 (46°C) in Las Vegas and 117 (47 °C) in Palm Springs, according to the National Weather Service.
-Amy Graff writing for the New York Times
There were two highs of 91 (33°C) on July 20 and 21, and I count 6 days in the 80s, looking at the National Weather Service data. We have not had wildfire smoke here in the city of Seattle so far.
We should not be fooled by that. National Public Radio reports that ‘Fire season in the Pacific Northwest is off to a roaring start, with fire officials predicting explosive growth of eastern Washington wildfires in the days ahead’. The winter snowpacks were 50% of the normal levels and vegetation is dry as tinder due to years of drought conditions. [Headlines and graphic from The New York Times]
Friday ☀️
Happy Friday.
I walked down to the Capitol Hill branch of the Seattle Public Library today to take back my two books that were badly overdue. I walked by the little car with the AFK BYE* plates again, and it made me smile.
*Away From Keyboard, Bye. AFK originated in 1990s chatrooms and gaming communities, and is now commonly used in mobile messaging to let someone know you will be temporarily unavailable to respond.
(Just make sure the other person knows what AFK stands for, or they might think you cussed at them and no longer want to respond! 😆)
Elsewhere on the North American continent here, it is much, much warmer. The planet’s strongest heat dome will soon tower over the Rockies and Plains, reports the Washington Post, pushing temperatures into record levels in 32 states. Yikes.
Wednesday/ hot outside 🔥
It was toasty outside here in the city of Seattle, yesterday and today: 92°F (33°C).
It will cool down tomorrow, though. Elsewhere in the United States there are communities that deal with much warmer days, with flash floods and with tornadoes.
And look at the cheeky post of German magazine Die Zeit on X, about a First World soccer fan’s dilemma:
‘The big question after the World Cup: What gives life structure now, with no more football on TV?’
Answer: All right, I guess I’d better go return the deposit bottles now.
Friday/ the wildfires are burning 🔥
Happy Friday.
It’s wildfire season and dozens of wildfires are suddenly burning in Oregon, reports the New York Times. The state told thousands of people to be ready to evacuate.
In the northeastern United States, smoke from Canadian wildfires will likely linger in the air for the World Cup Final that is set for Sunday in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
So far, predictions are that conditions will be noticeably improved compared to previous days, though. 🤞
Thursday/ a summer storm ⛈️
This morning, a storm brought thunder, lightning, and heavy rain to large parts of downtown Seattle.
The downpour totaled 0.36 inches (9 mm), and brought a sudden end to our 19-day dry spell.
Pierneef’s technique included Cubist and Art Deco influences, breaking down the rolling plains, landscapes and his signature acacia trees into structured, monumental planes.
[Sources: Google AI Overview/ Strauss & Co. Art Auctioneers]
Sunday 🌤️
There were beautiful clouds in the view from 13th Ave E and East Mercer St this morning. The Space Needle dome still has its soccer ball coat on, but maybe not for much longer, now that the World Cup is in its final week.
We have been blessed with mild day temperatures the last week or two here in the city— 72°F (22°C) today.
A heatwave was building again in the Southwest and Great Plains this weekend, and it is going to move eastward from there.
Tuesday/ watch out for recency bias 🤔
Recency bias is a cognitive shortcut where our brains heavily favor recent events, making them feel more important, likely, or accurate than older information. Because these memories are the freshest, they disproportionately skew our judgment and decision-making.
-Google AI Overview
June is done, and we are at the halfway mark for 2026.
I was going to remark that it was a cool June, but the data says otherwise!
It was a warmer-than-usual June.
Conversion: 60°F = 16°C, 65°F = 18°C, 70°F = 21°C, 75°F = 24°C, 80°F = 27°C, 85°F = 29°C, 90°F = 32°C
Says meteorologist Morgan Palmer: ‘This June was another month of mainly warmer-than-normal days and mild nights, despite the significant swing in temperature that had record highs and days of chill and gloom.
At Sea-Tac Airport (SEA), it was the third month in a row of warmer average temperature than normal. (Average daily temperature is the high and low temperature combined.)’
Wednesday/ warm weather 🌤️
Today was the last of the three warm days for now.
We had 88 °F (31 °C) here in the city— very warm for early summer, but nowhere near the extreme heat that scorches Europe right now.
Paris experienced a high of 106° F (41° C) today with a low of 77° F (25° C) during a record-breaking early summer heat event.
Sunday/ toasty ☀️
It was warm outside today, with a high of 88°F (31°C) here in the city.
I went down to Myrtle Edwards Park on Elliott Bay for a few sunset photos.
The park has refreshed landscapes with new lawns, meadows, and trees that flourish in coastal conditions.
It also offers improved access to two beach coves and enhanced pedestrian and bike trails.
Tuesday/ a storm in Boston ⛈️
I have plans to travel to Boston on Friday*, and I see there was a severe thunderstorm over the city today.
Temperature highs had spiked up all the way to 96°F (36°C), a new record for May 19.
*A conference billed as the Boston 2026 World Expo starts there in the convention center on Saturday. It is the 12th international philatelic exhibition of the United States and serves as one of the world’s largest global stamp and history gatherings.
[caption and image from nbcboston.com]