Puget Sound Weather: Milder Days Return Before A Late Week Warmup

SEATTLE —The first full week of July is on track to offer a pair of cooler, cloudier days before the summer sunshine returns for another warm weekend. The post-holiday forecast looks familiar for Tuesday, with morning clouds giving way to sunshine and afternoon temperatures in the 80s. But a noticeable change will be in the air Wednesday and Thursday, thanks to a stronger marine layer, more cloud cover, and afternoon highs down by about 10 degrees.

Unfortunately, the milder weather looks unlikely to bring rain to the lowlands, with just a few drizzles expected along the coast. The mid-week pattern may also bring a chance for thunderstorms in the Cascades, heightening fire concerns even further after weeks without rain.

For the interior, the workweek weather forecast looks calm, with highs ranging from the high 60s to mid-70s around Seattle and Tacoma after Tuesday. The cooler conditions are only forecast to stick around for a couple of days, with abundant sunshine and temperatures back in the 80s by Friday and lasting through next weekend, forecasters said.

Even with breaks in the sunshine, another week without rain means increased fire dangers will persist in the lowlands, which already saw a few brush fires over the long weekend.

"Finer fuels like grasses, brush, and shrubs throughout Western Washington have certainly cured or have very low moisture content," forecasters wrote Monday. "This continues to promote a prime environment for roadside and brush fires and as such, drivers are highly encouraged to check and secure anything that may be dangling from any trailers or undercarriages, as these may create sparks."