Another hot and hazy day. Extreme heat poised for Sunday.

Today : Friday will be another hazy and hot day, for most. Highs will still be about 5-10 degrees above average. It’ll be in the mid-70s to low-80s in the mountains, with mid to upper-90s for the Kittitas/Yakima valleys and Blue Foothills. The Lower Columbia Basin will likely be in the low-100s. Haze and smoke will mainly impact Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, Morrow, and Umatilla counties. The worst air quality today will likely be in either Umatilla or Morrow counties, given all the recent fire starts down that way. We’ll also have the chance for more fire starts, as fire fuel energy (compared to historical values) will be in the 97th - 99th percentile. In essence, fires could start and spread quickly. Winds will be fairly light for most spots, although northwesterly gusts could reach 25 MPH in the Kittitas Valley.

Tonight : Our mild weather continues tonight, but hopefully that comes along with some slightly better air quality. Westerly winds will push most of the haze/smoke into the foothills of the Blues, and into the Blue Mountains proper. The strongest winds will continue to be in the Kittitas valley, gusting up to 25 MPH. Now back to the mild lows–it’ll be in the mid-50s in the Cascades, with low-60s for the Blues, Kittitas/Yakima valleys, and the Lower Columbia Basin. The foothills of the Blues could hang on to the upper-60s.

Extended : With upper-level winds shifting on Saturday, that’ll make smoke/haze more widespread in our region. Otherwise, highs will hold pretty steady compared to Friday. However, we turn much hotter by Sunday! Highs will peak around 15-20 degrees above average (near 110 degrees in the Tri-Cities). We’ll be back down to 10 degrees above average by Monday, and then just plain ‘ol average highs are in store for Tuesday and beyond!

NWS Pendleton has issued an Excessive Heat Warning for the Kittitas Valley, Yakima Valley, Blue Foothills, and Blue Mountains. This runs from 11 AM Saturday - 10 PM Monday.

NWS Pendleton has issued a Heat Advisory for the eastern slopes of the Cascades in Kittitas and Yakima counties. This runs from 11 AM Saturday - 8 PM Monday.

We’re also tracking the fire start potential with a small lightning chance for Monday. The Blue Mountains will likely be the most under the gun for this round. However, even without lightning, fire fuels will be very energized and ready to be burned. Fire fuel energy, compared to historical values, will be in the 97th - 99th percentiles through at least Tuesday.

NWS Pendleton has issued a Fire Weather Watch for the central Blue Mountains in Morrow and Umatilla counties. This runs from 11 AM Saturday - 11 PM Sunday.

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