Western Washington Braces for Mid-90s Heat and Smoke as Air Alert Runs Through Wednesday
Updated
Updated · KOMO News · Jul 21
Western Washington Braces for Mid-90s Heat and Smoke as Air Alert Runs Through Wednesday
3 articles · Updated · KOMO News · Jul 21
Summary
Tuesday and Wednesday are set to be western Washington's hottest days of 2026 so far, with highs in the low 90s around Seattle and Bellevue and mid-90s in Olympia and the Chehalis Valley.
A strong high-pressure ridge is driving temperatures 10 to 15 degrees above normal, while overnight lows in the mid-60s could keep homes without air conditioning stuck in the upper 70s to low 80s.
Canadian wildfire smoke is also moving in on northeasterly winds, with an Air Quality Alert through Wednesday focused on Skagit and Whatcom counties and conditions near Lynden and Sedro-Woolley possibly turning unhealthy for sensitive groups.
Seattle's air remained moderate Tuesday and is outside the alert area, but central and eastern Washington face worse smoke as multiple wildfires continue burning between Republic and Moses Lake.
Thursday should bring relief as a low-pressure system pushes in cooler marine air, lowering highs back into the 60s and 70s and improving air quality, though isolated thunderstorms could ignite new fires.