Washington weather remains cool and gray across downtown Seattle this afternoon as thick marine clouds drift over Elliott Bay and Puget Sound. Damp pavement reflected traffic near Interstate 5 late this morning while a brisk breeze pushed low clouds across the skyline. Temperatures hovered near 54 degrees at Boeing Field, giving the city a classic late-spring Pacific Northwest feel despite brief hints of sunshine developing inland.
According to the National Weather Service, skies will gradually brighten through the afternoon with highs reaching near 71 degrees across Seattle. Light easterly winds continue this afternoon before increasing clouds return tonight ahead of the next Pacific weather system. Memorial Day turns wetter as rain spreads across western Washington by late morning with gusts reaching 23 mph near the coast and across exposed bridges.
Rain remains likely into Monday night before conditions improve Tuesday afternoon. Temperatures cool into the lower 60s early in the week before rebounding toward 69 to 72 degrees Wednesday and Thursday across Seattle, Tacoma and Everett. To be fair, higher elevations in the Cascades could even see a rain-and-snow mix later Tuesday as colder air brushes the Pacific Northwest mountains.
Drivers should prepare for slick pavement and slower travel during heavier rain Monday, especially along Interstate 5, Highway 99 and elevated bridge crossings near downtown Seattle. Ferry delays and reduced visibility are also possible during periods of steadier rain and gusty wind.
The broader western United States stays mostly dry and warmer than normal through early next week, but the Pacific Northwest becomes more active as a colder system pushes inland from the Pacific. That shift may finally end the recent stretch of unusually mild weather across western Washington.
Long-range outlooks still favor above-normal temperatures returning later next week as drier spring weather rebuilds across much of the Northwest.
Five Day Outlook for Seattle, Washington
- Memorial Day: Rain developing late morning with breezy conditions. High near 62.
- Tuesday: Chance of rain with partial afternoon clearing. High near 63.
- Wednesday: Mostly sunny and milder. High near 69.
- Thursday: Mostly sunny with warmer spring weather. High near 72.
- Friday: Chance of rain returning with cooler conditions. High near 61.
