Category: Weather

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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

We’ve been lucky in Western Washington even though it has been a warm July.
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]
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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! 😆)

These Black-eyed Susans (genus Rudbeckia) seem to seek out the sun. (Careful, or you will get scorched.) Today’s high here in the city was 80°F (27°C), so not bad at all.
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.
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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.

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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. 🤞

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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.

‘Approaching Storm’ (1952) by South African artist Jacob Hendrik Pierneef is an iconic series of oil-on-canvas landscapes. (He painted several of these in slightly different compositions). The works are celebrated for their dramatic, moody skies and geometric depiction of the African bushveld.
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]
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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.

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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.

Posted on X @KIRO7Seattle.
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.)’
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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.

Early afternoon, there were pale blues and billowing clouds in the lookout towards the Olympic Mountains from East Thomas St and 13th Ave East here on Capitol Hill.
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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.

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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.

A lightning strike west of Boston, seen from the Prudential Center as a severe thunderstorm approached the city on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.

[caption and image from nbcboston.com]

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Thursday/ blustery winds 🍃

No! It’s cold! Go back and put your thicker jacket on, I thought, as I headed out the door tonight for a quick walk.
The high today was 61 °F (16 °C), and it was only 53 °F (12 °C) in the early evening hours.

Looking west from E Thomas Street and 14th Avenue E at 7.41 pm tonight.
Shot with iPhone 16 Pro 5x telefoto lens, with ‘Dramatic’ filter added.
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Wednesday/ Earth Day 🌎

Happy Earth Day.
It is a rainy day here in the city of Seattle (55 °F/ 13 °C).

Water, chlorophyll and sunlight: all essential for the survival of humans on Earth.
Do all plants have chlorophyll?
No, not all. The vast majority do (they are called autotrophs).
Even Venus flytraps have chlorophyll, but some plants are without.
Those without are called heterotrophic: they are parasitic, or feed on fungi.
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Wednesday/ a little hail ⛈️

A storm brought thunder, lightning and a little hail to the city today (a quarter inch).

By 6 pm I could go for a walk with my umbrella but I did not venture out too far. It was only 42°F  (5 °C).

There was some damage to the tulips and daffodils in the neighborhood.
A Tesla service truck full of Tesla tires was out and about, and had just replaced the rear wheel and tire on a white Model Y by the curb.

Hail covers Seattle’s Denny Way on Wednesday afternoon.
[Photo by Karen Ducey / The Seattle Times]
The Tesla service truck had come out to replace this Tesla Model Y’s wheel.
(Teslas do not come with spare tires, spare wheels, or jacks in any of their models. The space is saved to increase cargo volume and improve energy efficiency. Instead, Tesla provides roadside assistance and recommends using a portable tire repair kit with a sealant and compressor for minor punctures.)
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Wednesday/ a sunbreak, and a full moon 🌕

It is a soggy start to April here in the Emerald City.
There was a beautiful sunbreak at 6.50 pm, as I stood on the corner of Thomas St and 13th Avenue East on Capitol Hill.

Tonight, there is a full moon in the sky.
Very appropriate— with the Artemis II mission to the moon launch that happened just a few hours earlier from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

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Friday/ a rare snow day ❄️

White snow flakes started coming down here in the city in the wee hours of the morning, transitioning to a very light snow for most of the daylight hours.

Snow in Seattle during March is uncommon— recorded only a handful of times in the last century.
Temperatures are mild today (38°F/  3°C), so some of the snow on the ground has melted away already. (About 3 in. of snow on the ground).

I took these pictures shortly after 9 am this morning.

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Thursday/ it’s hot in Cape Town 🔥

A heat wave in the Cape Town area in the Western Cape in South Africa is driving late-late summer temperatures to record highs.

At Kirstenbosch, the botanical garden in heart of the city, the high reached 42.1 °C (108 °F) on Wednesday, the highest since records began 66 years ago.

Cape Point on the Cape Peninsula also set a record with a temperature of 40°C (104 °F), a first for that location, and verified by the South African Weather Service.

At Alexander Bay in the extreme and arid northwest of the Western Cape province and on the border with Namibia, a reading of 44.8°C (112 °F) was logged.

This is Cape Town’s Camps Bay Beach on the Atlantic Ocean, with the distinct peak of Lion’s Head on the right— the mountain between Signal Hill and Table Mountain.
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Saturday 🌇

There were clouds and a little rain today here in the Emerald City.
It was 54°F (12°C) outside when I went for a walk just before sunset.

The Olympic Mountains were hidden from view tonight, with fiery color bands in the distant skies.
Sunset was at 6.04 pm tonight, and that will change to 7.04 pm tomorrow night after Daylight Saving Time has kicked in at 2 am Sunday morning.
(For the record: I think that’s crazy and that we should stop messing with the time.)
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Wednesday/ out and about 🌞

It was another sunny and cloudless day here in Mazatlán (76°F /24°C ).

This morning, we went for a walk up the main lookout hill here on the shoreline (Cerro del Vigía).

This afternoon, we ran out to the local Sam’s Club (warehouse grocery store) for grocery shopping. We went there by bus and came back with a little Uber car with its trunk and back seat full of groceries.  

Rocky outcroppings on the coastline, seen from the street above as we walk towards Cerro del Vigía.
This is Isla El Crestón (Crestón Island) that is right by Cerro del Vigía. There is a lighthouse at the top of the Crestón Island hill.
Almost at the top of the steps that lead up to the outlook at the top of Cerro del Vigía.
The photo spot at the top of Cerro del Vigía.
The cruise ship at the Mazatlán cruise port is the Royal Princess. She set sail late afternoon for Long Beach, California.
A vista of Centro de Mazatlán from the top of Cerro del Vigía. Look for the yellow Catedral Basílica de la Inmaculada Concepción, a beautiful 19th-century Baroque-Revival church.
The towering condo buildings at the top left are on Avenida del Mar, the road that runs along the promenade called Malecón Mazatlán. We would drive right by them later in the day.
Bougainvillea flowers
Our bus looked like this one.
There is the church: the Catedral Basílica de la Inmaculada Concepción. I will take close-up pictures of it later this week.
Looking towards Centro de Mazatlán (Mazatlán’s old center) and Isla El Crestón from the Uber car on Avenue del Mar the way back from Sam’s Club.
(Optical illusion: it looks as if there is no sand and as if the surf is breaking onto the pavement, but there is a drop to the beach and the sand from the edge of the promenade’s paving. )
Here are the condo buildings on Avenue del Mar that could be seen from the Cerro del Vigía lookout this morning.
Looking back at the Golden Zone, while still on Avenue del Mar.
It looks like someone is getting ready for some parasailing at the beach that runs along Malecón Mazatlán (the Mazatlán promenade).
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Saturday/ it’s still winter 🌄

It has been a cold week here in the Emerald City with the low dipping below freezing on Friday morning, and a few snowflakes in the air this morning.
Highs were in the low to mid-forties (6° to 7°C).

Here is a late afternoon sunbreak on the Cascade Mountains today.
I am standing at Capitol Hill’s 23rd Avenue and Mercer Street.
That is Lake Washington and downtown Bellevue in the foreground.

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Sunday/ at the waterfront 🏙️

I made my way to the south end of the waterfront late this afternoon and walked up to Pike Place market.
The day was brilliant and bright out— but with the air temperature still sharp at 48°F/ 9°C.
I took the sunset picture from Elliot Avenue and Lenora Street.