Northwestern US: 80-degree record warmth to spread from San Francisco to Seattle

By Renee Duff, AccuWeather.com Meteorologist

April 16,2016; 12:42PM,EDT

 

 

A taste of summer is in store for the northwestern United States as temperatures will soar to record levels into early next week.
An expansive area of high pressure will build over the region, pumping warm, summerlike air from San Francisco to Seattle and as far north as British Columbia, Canada.
"Daytime temperatures will be about 20-30 degrees Fahrenheit above normal and threaten records [into early next week]," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski said.

Record highs will likely be shattered through the Northwest, including in cities such as Seattle and Olympia, Washington; Portland, Salem, Eugene and Medford, Oregon; and Redding, California. A few records in jeopardy date back to the 1950s and 60s.
Highs are forecast to reach the 70s and 80s F across northern California, Oregon and Washington spanning Sunday through Tuesday.
Even in some of the higher elevations, daytime temperatures will climb into the 50s and 60s, quite a contrast from the snow and cold that affected the Washington and Oregon Cascades this past week.
RELATED:
Weekly wrap-up: Large, destructive hail pounds Texas; Damaging earthquakes rattle Myanmar and Japan
Powerful April snowstorm to bury Colorado Rockies, High Plains this weekend
Brazil Zika crisis: Over 200,000 deployed in massive mitigation operation ahead of Rio Olympics
Monday is setting up to be the warmest day of this stretch.
Seattle is expected to surpass the 80-degree mark for the first time since Sept. 12, 2015. Cities such as Portland and Medford, Oregon, will flirt with 90 degrees at the start of the week.
This April will likely break the record for the most days with a high temperature above 75 degrees at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. During 1987 and 2004 there were three such days at the airport. Through April 15, 2016, there have already been two such days.
Abundant sunshine will complement the warming temperatures, giving area residents an excellent opportunity to get outside and enjoy the warm spell.
The warm and dry conditions will be a far cry from the cool, damp and dreary weather that plagued the region last week.

Rain jackets and umbrellas will be traded for shorts and sunglasses. People are reminded to apply sunscreen for any outdoor activities as the sun's strength in April is comparable to August.
High pressure will weaken at midweek, allowing clouds, showers and cooler, but more seasonable air to return to the region.
Earlier this month, a similar weather pattern broke numerous record highs across the same locations. Area residents may be wondering whether more frequent warm stretches are in store to end the month of April.
"Latest indications are that the record warmth into early next week will be slashed as rainstorms and more seasonable temperatures return late next week," AccuWeather Meteorologist Brett Rathbun explained.
The impending record-challenging warm spell may be the last the Northwest experiences this month.
"While highs could rise near 70 from Seattle to Portland between storms, temperatures will likely fall short of record levels," Rathbun added. "The weather pattern will not support the reoccurrence [of record-breaking warm spells] for the rest of the month."