SEATTLE — Hot days are becoming more common in the Seattle area, according to data from the National Weather Service (NWS).
The NWS tracks the number of days that hit 90°F or above in ten-year periods. Between 2016-2025, there have been 67 of these days so far. Between 2006-2015, there were 49 of them. Between 1996-2005, there were 16.
This period has seen the highest number of days above 90°F out of all periods provided by the NWS (going back to 1946).
“It does feel like, just looking at the data from afar, that we have had our temperatures get warmer each year,” KIRO 7 Pinpoint Meteorologist Nick Allard said.
Allard said we’re also seeing more swings in our temperatures: less middle ground, more instability.
“We’re getting a lot of upper 80s and 90s, and then a lot of significantly cooler days,” Allard said.
As temperatures rise, Allard said we’re likely to see more extremes in our weather too.
“Whether that’s more active weather, whether that’s more cold snaps, whether that’s more heat waves coming through,” he said.
ClimateCheck, a company that provides climate risk assessment for real estate properties, predicts the number of hottest days in Seattle will continue to increase as a result of climate change.
The group is made up of scientists at universities across the country, including at the University of Washington.
Seattle typically saw about seven days above 84.9ºF in a year around 1990, according to ClimateCheck. By 2050, that number is expected to rise to about 28 days per year, the group said.
The group also predicts the share of precipitation during the biggest downpours in Seattle will also increase. The annual precipitation in Seattle, WA is projected to grow too to about 38 inches in 2050, up from 35.4 inches, according to Climate Check.
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