Last night was certainly interesting with a moderately strong cold front that moved quickly through the Salish Sea reminding us that while it may have been in the 80’s yesterday, there is always an opportunity for rain and wind. The cold front brought the temps down just a bit and left us with a cloud cover this morning which by now has almost totally burned off. This will now be the start of a great Seafair weekend and if you’re not on the Lake, you’re going to have a very enjoyable time out on the Salish Sea.
500MB August 2 
Surface Forecast August 3 
Surface Forecast August 4 
Surface Forecast August 5 
500MB August 6 
Surface Forecast August 6
This is confirmed by both the surface analysis chart and today’s satellite picture which show the remnants of the cold front and yet another series of low-pressure systems lined up offshore and headed for the Pacific NW. The Pacific High is still not “normal,” that is, it’s not in the right place and it still is no where near the pressure it should be. As a result, there are now a series of thermal low-pressure systems forming east of the Cascades which combined with the weak high-pressure system in the Pacific will keep an onshore flow coming down the Strait of JdF and generally keeping the weather warm but not hot. In other words, another great summer weekend in the Pacific NW that will carry into next week.
Also assisting in keeping our weather on the moderate side, are the two, weak, upper level lows showing on the 500MB chart for today. One is off our coast, the other is a cut-off low over Vancouver Island. This will bring occasional morning cloudiness over the area and generally act as a lid to keep things from getting too warm. All good.
Conditions for the Salish Sea will tend to be light with very little gradient, with some breeze in the Eastern Strait of JdF in the late afternoon and evening hours diminishing after midnight.
Use the sunblock, be safe, and enjoy our glorious summer.
Bruce has raced and cruised the Pacific Northwest his entire life. He earned a Bachelor’s of Science from the University of Washington in Biological Oceanography and learned meteorology “to keep from getting kicked around on the race course.” Bruce spent nearly two decades as Associate Publisher for Northwest Yachting Magazine, retiring in mid-2015, and was the chairman of the board of trustees for the Northwest Marine Trade Association in 2014. (photo of Bruce driving Playstation is a bit dated, but cool)