Sunny weather shatters area’s gloomy reputation

Nice weather in May and June? What did we do to deserve this?

The thermometer at Skagit Regional Airport west of Burlington approached 80 degrees Wednesday— the hottest in a string of dry and sunny days that belie the area’s reputation as gloomy even in June.

“I wouldn’t say we don’t deserve it,” National Weather Service Meteorologist Dennis D’Amico said. “I would say we’re due for a nice start to a June.”

Last year, the first 10 days of June were the coldest on record at the Weather Service’s official station at Sea-Tac International Airport, D’Amico said.

One year later, and it hasn’t rained at Sea-Tac for 15 straight days. By 5 p.m. Wednesday, Sea-Tac had reached a high temperature of 89 degrees, which if verified would be a record for June 3.

Staff at the Sedro-Woolley wastewater treatment plant, which records daily precipitation, said it hasn’t rained there since May 27 — and then only a scant .04 inches.

Last year, the county’s seed and potato crops were delayed by the cold spring weather. Some potato fields were so wet they never got planted, said Don McMoran, an instructor at the Washington State University Skagit County Extension.

This year, farmers may face the opposite problem, McMoran said.

“There’s still adequate moisture out in the fields,” McMoran said. “But some of the farmers are getting a little nervous and getting their irrigation equipment warmed up.”

While 80 degrees isn’t all that hot compared to much of the rest of the United States, it’s much warmer than normal for Western Washington and can catch residents off guard, D’Amico said.

The Weather Service issued a heat advisory for Wednesday and today for parts of Snohomish, King, Pierce and Kitsap counties.

“The most susceptible are the elderly and the young,” D’Amico said. “It’s a reminder to check up on people, to think twice about leaving your pet in a car.”

Skagit County is a little cooler and is not included in the Weather Service advisory. But the local chapter of the Red Cross distributed a warning for local residents. The Red Cross encourages people to drink plenty of water, avoid strenuous activity and stay indoors as much as possible.

The state Department of Health provides a list of ways to avoid heat-related illness at http://www.doh.wa.gov/phepr/handbook/heat.htm.

By Friday, for better or worse, the region’s warm spell will be over.  Cool, moist marine air will bring clouds by Thursday night and a chance of showers Friday morning. Friday’s forecast calls for a high in western Skagit County of 69 degrees, about 15 degrees cooler than Wednesday and today.

Temperatures will remain more seasonable, which is to say much cooler, into next week.

• Ralph Schwartz can be reached at 360-416-2138 or .