Hot, hazy conditions to be swept out of northwestern US into early week

Significant relief from the hot and smoky conditions plaguing the northwestern United States will sweep across the region into next week.

Daytime temperatures will drop 15 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit from their peak this week to their lowest point on Sunday.

Non-air conditioned dwellings will become more comfortable for living and sleeping. Individuals that have been forced to limit time outside due to poor air quality may be able to resume outdoor activities.

Seattle had its warmest first ten days of August in recorded history with an average high temperature of 88.1.

On Friday, Aug. 11, Spokane International Airport set a record of 15 consecutive days in the 90s, breaking the old record of 14 days first set in 1894.

The coolest air in over a month will spill inland over Washington and Oregon through Sunday.

"A strong push of cooler, more seasonable air is projected to arrive from the Pacific Ocean through Sunday, which will begin to sweep away the stagnant air," AccuWeather Meteorologist Evan Duffey said.

Temperatures will drop 5 to 10 degrees below normal in the wake of the cool push.

On Sunday, the high in Seattle is projected to be in the lower 70s when a daytime temperature of 77 is more typical. Portland, Oregon, will struggle to get out of the lower to middle 70s after spending multiple days in the upper 90s and 100s earlier in the month.

Even the typical hot spots over the interior, such as Pendleton, Oregon; Spokane, Washington; and Boise, Idaho, will get a break from the excessive heat.

Some rain will fall across Washington and northern Oregon and inland areas along the leading edge of cooler air.

For some locations, this will be the first rainfall in weeks.

Any rainfall will tend to fizzle as it spreads farther inland toward the northern Rockies, where the threat for dry thunderstorms and lightning-induced wildfires will continue to remain high.

The cooler air will continue to press inland early this week, reaching Billings, Montana, on Monday.

Smoke and haze will start to disperse after clouding the Pacific Northwest sky for over a week. Winds blowing in off the ocean will help to whisk the smoke away.

The conclusion of the heat wave will not mean an end to the wildfire danger.

The winds that will help to disperse the smoke and haze will also threaten to fan ongoing wildfires, according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Ryan Adamson.

Fire crews could face erratic wildfire behavior and containment lines could be breached. Residents and visitors should avoid outdoor burning to prevent the ignition of new blazes.

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