National Weather Service

Did Summer Arrive Early?

The spring dry period record for SeaTac Airport of 29 days set in 1982 from May 28^th through June 25was tied this year. We tied the record of 29 days when no measurable rain fell between May 19^th and June 17^th. In fact we came within minutes of breaking the record, on June 18^th measurable rain fell in the last 6 minutes of the day. Now some may note that they had a shower or thunderstorm during this dry spell with the spotty convection we’ve had in and near the mountains. Yet our last widespread rainfall in western Washington was on May 19^th. And our temperatures have been above normal during the period. So did summer begin early?

Summer is our warmest and driest time of the year and is usually tranquil. Yet, hazardous weather can strike such as our recent mountain thunderstorms and even the Jun 5^th marine ‘push’ with strong winds we had. Let’s review these summer time hazards.

Thunderstorms produce lightning and can produce strong damaging winds, large hail, heavy amounts of rainfall leading to flash or small stream flooding, funnel clouds and tornadoes. Recall your safety rules. If thunderstorms are forecast, keep an eye to the sky. If a thunderstorm approaches, seek shelter now. Avoid using electrical appliances, the phone or any plumbing fixtures during the storm. Side flashes from nearby lightning strikes can get into your home or business wiring and plumbing. If caught outdoors, find a low spot away from trees or other tall structures that lightning tends to strike.

When safe conditions permit, report the thunderstorm related events found on your spotter criteria sheet. The week of June 21-27 is National Lightning Safety Awareness Week. See all the fun and interesting details at http://www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov/

Some thunderstorm events occur when a “marine push” begins. A marine push is a surge of cooler Pacific Ocean marine air accompanied by blustery winds that dramatically cool western Washington down in the wake of a hot weather period. The event on the evening of Jun 5^th was a classic example with winds blowing in the 20 to 35 mph range and temperatures dropping about 15 degrees in a matter of minutes.

Extended periods of hot weather are rather rare in our area. The interior of western Washington averages only 3 or 4 days a year in the 90s. However, when we do get hot spells, residents are not used to it. Our hot spell on Jun 3^rd and 4^th was a good example with many interior locations reaching into the 90s.

It may be hard to believe, but heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths across our nation by far, and that includes Washington state. Statistics show that just in the Seattle area alone, the city has averaged four hot weather related deaths per summer since the mid 1970s, and had as many as 60 deaths during the warm summer of 1992.

Most heat-related deaths are not direct heat-related illnesses like heat stress or heat stroke, but rather more indirect health issues, such as heart attack, stroke and respiratory illnesses. The most heat-related vulnerable include the elderly and the very young.

During these hot weather periods, be sure to drink plenty of water, avoid strenuous activities during the heat of the day, and find cooler locations like shade or an air conditioned building for a period of relief from the heat. Avoid leaving young children or pets in a vehicle. Even with the windows down, temperatures climb to over 105 in just 10 minutes. For more information, please visit the Weather Safety link on our web site.

Monitor weather forecasts this summer by visiting our web site at www.weather.gov/seattle or by listening to a NOAA Weather Radio network station. If significant summer weather is forecast like we have already had this year, you’ll be prepared for it and ready to report any significant weather.

But please note – eSpotter does NOT replace the spotter phone line. If you see critical weather like a tornado, waterspout, funnel cloud or flash flooding, call us immediately! Time can be important in helping save lives and property!

With summer off to an apparent early start and the rest of the usual dry summer season to go, our area wildfire season will be here soon. We have already had a number of ‘roadside’ grass fires and 53 small wildfires during this extended spring dry season.

The wet early spring helped generate a healthy crop of grasses and shrubs. July into September is our driest time of the year. With the warm dry weather, grasses and scrubs cure, meaning these fine fuels are ready to accept fire.

So what does the outlook for this summer and early fall look like? The outlook from the NWS Climate Prediction Center through September is for increased odds of above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation.

As a weather spotter, what does all this mean to you? From your spotter report criteria, be aware of days following an extended period of warm dry weather when thunderstorms are in the forecast, particularly those with little or no rainfall expected. If you see frequent lightning (at least 4 or more cloud to ground strikes in a minute), contact our office with that report. If you see smoke from an apparent wildfire start, call 911 and let fire response know. This is particularly important if the smoke is near an area of homes and businesses that could turn into an urban interface wildfire if not stopped right away.

In addition, here are some steps you can take to help prevent wildfires and keep your home safe.

- Use your vehicle’s ashtray to extinguish cigarettes instead of tossing it out the window. (Also avoid a healthy fine if caught!)

- Avoid taking your vehicle into grassy areas since your hot exhaust system can ignite grass.

- If you live in wooded areas, be firewise and remove dead yard materials from within 30 feet of your home, trim tree limbs up off the ground to above your head, and remove wood piles next to the house. Please visit www.firewise.org for more tips to help your home not become a wildfire victim.

Here is a link to the Office of the Washington State Climatologist, where you can find Weather reviews for each month.

September is planned to be Weather Radio Awareness Month in Washington State. The awareness month campaign is a partnership between Washington State Emergency Management and the National Weather Service (NWS). The campaign goal is to raise awareness of NOAA Weather Radio and have weather radio receivers become as common as smoke detectors in homes, businesses, schools, and other places where people gather.

NOAA Weather Radio is an all-hazards warning system. Emergency Alert System (EAS) messages from national, state, county and local authorities are automatically relayed onto NOAA Weather Radio.

The state of Washington and many local jurisdictions have embraced NOAA Weather Radio as their key all-hazards alert and warning system. With 22 stations broadcasting in the state, over 96% of the state’s residents can hear a local NOAA Weather Radio station. In addition, Weather Radio is a key element in the state EAS plan and all TV and radio broadcasters monitor their local weather radio station.

Have you got a weather radio receiver? If not or you are looking for that special gift for someone, many weather radio manufacturers and vendors will offer receivers at reduced prices during September. Look for the September campaign link on our web site late this summer. It will include information about consumer incentives.

Congratulations western Washington CoCoRaHS observers. June 1^st marked the one year anniversary that Washington State joined the Community Collaborative Rain Hail and Snow (CoCoRaHS) network. Since then, the network continues to expand with hundreds of new volunteer weather observers across the region, including many SKYWARN spotters. We are now up to around 600 registered observers across the state which is a great start! So far there are 44 states included in the CoCoRaHS program with over 12,000 observers nationwide.

CoCoRaHS is a unique, non-profit, community-based, high density network of individual and family volunteers of all ages and backgrounds, who take daily measurements of rain, hail and snow in their backyards. CoCoRaHS data is used to study precipitation variability across our geographically diverse area. Data is tabulated and plotted on country, state and county maps. In addition, heavy rainfall or snowfall and hail reports are sent directly to National Weather Service meteorologists. These timely reports are crucial during hazardous weather events.

If you haven’t done so already, please check out www.cocorahs.org for more information about the CoCoRaHS program. There’s no limit to the number of observers…so join today!

Moving? - If you have moved or are planning to move soon, please let us know your new address. We often get a number of spotter mailings returned with changed or unable to forward post office messages. If you have moved to another western Washington county, we will need to change your spotter number to that county. If you move beyond our area, we can forward your information to the corresponding NWS office. Please contact our database manager at jay.neher@noaa.gov . Thank you in advance!

Spotter Training Update - We conducted spotter training this spring at Mt Rainier National Park. Close to twenty people attended. More spotter training sessions are being planned for this fall. Targeted areas at this time include Clallam, Grays Harbor, Lewis, Snohomish, Mason, San Juan, and King counties.

Look for spotter training announcements either in your mailbox or via our web site here. More training will be held again in the fall too.

‘Spotter Tips’ On-Line - We have updated our ‘spotter tips’ publication. It is available for you to obtain via our web site at www.weather.gov/seattle. From our ‘spotters’ front page link, look for the link to ‘spotter tips’ for an easy to print out .pdf file. The tip sheet offers questions to answer and tips while reporting specific weather elements. You will find the tip sheet to be quite helpful while preparing and reporting your spotter reports.

Pacific NW Weather Scramble Date Set - The date for this annual golf outing has been set for Sat Aug 15, again at Ft Lewis Golf Course just off Interstate-5 at exit 116 south of Tacoma. The event is a fun networking opportunity for those in the weather community, including weather spotters. Entries will be available soon. If interested in an entry, contact Ted Buehner at ted.buehner@noaa.gov