Seattle woke up to mostly clear skies and crisp air on Wednesday, May 27, with temperatures near 52°F at Boeing Field and light northerly winds already in place. The city is on track for a bright afternoon with highs near 72°F, and inland spots are poised to flirt with the upper 70s by Thursday, May 28, before a cooler, showery pattern muscles back in late in the week as a weak low pulls moisture into the region.
Afternoon Sun, Then A Friday Cool-Down With Showers
Skies are expected to stay mostly sunny through this afternoon, with north winds generally under 10 mph and highs topping out near 72°F, especially warm in inland neighborhoods. The quiet stretch does not last long. Showers are forecast to return late Thursday night into Friday morning (May 28–29), and Friday will feel noticeably cooler with a high near 60°F. Rain totals look light overall, generally under a tenth of an inch, but the timing has all the makings of a soggy start for the Friday morning commute.
Gales On The Strait, Choppy Ride For Small Boats
Out on the water, forecasters have posted a Gale Watch for the central and east Strait of Juan de Fuca for Thursday evening into late Thursday night, with Small Craft Advisories continuing for parts of the coastal waters. Short-period steep seas teaming up with incoming swell will leave conditions choppy and potentially hazardous for smaller vessels, so mariners should think twice about crossing exposed waters or consider ducking into safer harbors. Check the latest watches and marine details from the National Weather Service Seattle.
Weekend Outlook
By the weekend, winds and seas should gradually ease as the onshore gradient relaxes, setting up a drier Saturday and a mostly sunny Sunday with highs in the mid-60s. Early next week trends warmer again, with inland highs expected to climb back into the low 70s by Monday and Tuesday. If you are trying to squeeze in one last patio afternoon before the rain returns, Thursday looks like the final reliably warm window ahead of those Friday showers.
This update is a quick follow-up to our May 26 outlook. For more background on the midweek warm-up, see midweek warm-up targets the 70s. Keep an eye on local advisories if you are heading out on the water or traveling early Friday.
