~Summer Around the Pacific Northwest~
RED FLAG WARNINGS have been extended through early Sunday for parts of our forecast area * Click here for all the latest information.......
Exclusive Inland NW Summary Issued: Tuesday, August 25, 2026 @ 5:30am
WRITTEN BY: Climatologist Bob Lutz
(Summaries are issued as needed and will be updated more frequently during times of active weather)
SHORT-TERM FORECAST
Unseasonably hot temperatures will continue through midweek under a strong ridge of high pressure, with the only possible chance of precipitation coming in the form of isolated thunderstorms Tuesday night in the far southern zones. By Thursday, high pressure will give way to a rather significant pattern change as a weak area of low pressure moves into the Northwest out of the Gulf of Alaska. This will increase our winds and usher in some cooler weather. There will also be additional areas of cloud cover, but the chance of any appreciable shower activity remains very low going into the early portion of the upcoming weekend.
LONG-TERM FORECAST
The pattern change we will experience this week will continue in a big way through the weekend and into the first week of September. This will allow temperatures to remain at, or even below seasonal averages for a change. Storminess over the Gulf of Alaska will also try to make a run at the Northwest, which will give us periods of clouds and maybe, just maybe, an increasing chance of some shower activity by the middle of next week!
SPECIAL WINTER OUTLOOK COMMENTARY
The forecast of a "super El Nino" already has a few of our local meterologists pulling the trigger on predicting yet another dry winter, but I have to say that I strongly dissagree with making such a prediction this early on! I have been watching this equatorial Pacific phenomenon for over 40 years, and quite frankly, I have seen some El Nino winters come with much better precipitation than many of our recent La Niña events, which are "supposed" to be cold and wet. Prime examples are what happened last year AND the winter before. The basis of my disagreement is that there are many other weather phenomena that interconnect to form our weather patterns here in the Northwest. The Madden Julian Oscillation (MJO) and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) certainly have more of an effect on the outcome of our Northwest winters than the stand-alone monitoring of the water temperatures in the equatorial Pacific. Add in the unpredictability of the Arctic Oscillation (which can change course in just a matter of days) and you can clearly see why making a prediction this far out is a bit premature! So in summary, don't hang up those skis or sell the winter gear quite yet, as there is certainly much more to monitor in the weeks ahead!
General Short-Term Model Agreement: EXCELLENT
General Long-Term Model Agreement: GOOD
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