Seattle's summer lovers should absorb the sun on Thursday.
After temperatures rose to low in the 1980s, forecasters expected cloudy skies and a “slow cooling trend” to begin Thursday night, starting with some possible light showers in the Cascade Mountains and the sound areas of the Puget Sound Area. Temperatures are expected to be about 5 degrees higher than average by Tuesday.
While cooler, wet weather can dampen some people’s mood, less heat and some light rain may help reduce fire risk in the area, said Jacob Deflitch, a meteorologist at the National Meteorological Service.
“We certainly do need it. We've been on the drier side last month, we're at the peak of the wildfire season, so any rainfall will reduce those fire weather issues,” Deflitch said. “But I like summer too, so I understand.”
The Meteorological Bureau issued a red flag warning between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. Thursday warning that some possible thunderstorms and lightning of the Eastern Cascade, as well as hot, dry and windy weather, could start fires or cause new and existing fires to spread quickly. The agency said temperatures could rise 90 degrees there and gusts of wind could reach 50 mph.
Much of western Western Australia faces the general risk of thunder and lightning today. There may be some showers and thunderstorms in Cascade and the foothills late this afternoon. If you plan to be outdoors, keep weather knowledge immediately and have a safe shelter nearby (if thunder sounds).#wawx pic.twitter.com/jhwraua6ki
— Seattle NWS (@NWSSeattle) July 31, 2025
Thursday's weather could also worsen firefighters fighting firefighters on the northern side of the Olympic National Forest Lake.
Warm and dry weather allowed the sick fire to spread significantly to the canopy on Wednesday's steep hillsides. According to the National Park Service, the fire first appeared on July 6, spreading across nearly 2,000 acres, less than 10%.
The Mason County Sheriff’s Office tells anyone living or camping near the Dry Creek Trail, including stair campgrounds and areas north of Lake Kushman to leave immediately due to fire hazards, using a Level 3 evacuation order. The agency also issued Level 1 orders to people south of Dry Creek, warning them to prepare for possible evacuation.
On the Olympic Peninsula, the smoky, hazy conditions caused by the Bear Bay fire may continue to be obvious, but air quality is not expected to deteriorate significantly on Thursday, Deflitch said.
Flood watches were sent out across Cascade County Thursday due to possible thunderstorms, and wildfires made the soil unstable and prone to collapse. These include Bolt Creek Burn Scars along the US 2, charred 10,000 acres near Baring and Skykomish in 2022.
The watch also covers the northern level burn scars, Improvisation and pepper zones near Souriwaugh Mountain; in the Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest at Suiattle River and Boulder and Toketie Lakes; and in the goat rocky wilderness in Lewis County.