Weather With Cliff Mass

People in the Pacific Northwest have been experiencing a bit of a roller coaster ride weather-wise lately, with temperatures spiking up and down in a manner that KNKX weather expert Cliff Mass says is quite typical for late May. The ride will go uphill this weekend to a predicted high of about 80 degrees on Sunday, just in time for Mother’s Day. “The weekend is going to be wonderful,” Mass says. The clouds will dissipate later in the afternoon Friday, he says, as temperatures climb to the upper

Here are some upsides to cloudy weather: Cloud cover creates a soft light that's great for photographers. It’s harder to get a sun burn. And clouds can be really fun to look at. Many of us may need a few reminders that clouds aren't so bad as we enter what could become an extended period in which low clouds and cooler temps dominate in the greater Puget Sound area.

Folks around the Puget Sound region enjoyed a toasty week with temperatures in the 70s starting Tuesday. They even hit the low- to mid-80s in many places in western Washington. But the classic northwest “sandals-and-socks” people are now wearing their socks again.

After nearly three weeks of wet weather that was making it look like this month might shape up to be one of the rainiest Aprils on record, sunshine is on its way to the Pacific Northwest. KNKX weather expert Cliff Mass says there’s one last rainy stretch to get through late Friday, but after that, real spring warmth and strong sun is on the way.

If you were hoping April showers would hold off this weekend, don’t hold your breath. Be ready for more of the cool, wet weather that has been persisting in the Pacific Northwest in recent weeks.

‘April showers bring May flowers,’ or so the saying goes. Like Groundhog Day or dozens of sayings you can find cataloged in a Farmer’s Almanac , it’s part of the weather-related folklore that’s been passed down for generations. They hold some truth. But most meteorologists prefer more scientific observations. For long-term forecasting, the ENSO - or " El Niño Southern Oscillation " - provides some of the most reliable guidance on what kind of weather to expect in winter.

A predominantly cloudy period has dominated in the greater Puget Sound region this past week, with intermittent showers and mostly mild temperatures. That pattern is expected to continue into next week, says KNKX weather expert Cliff Mass – with one exception.

When you think of spring, visions of daffodils and cherry blossoms under warm, sunny skies may come to mind. Turns out the more typical aspects of this season, meteorologically speaking, come from the unstable atmosphere, which produces lots of wet and showery, cool weather.

The vernal equinox marks the official start of spring. That starts Tuesday. But for most folks in the Pacific Northwest, it feels like spring has already arrived.

Time to get out the short sleeves and sunscreen. Warm winds from the south and east are going to push the mercury to nearly summer-like levels in western Washington this weekend, says KNKX weather expert Cliff Mass.

The record cold, wet and snowy weather of late February has subsided. Residents of western Washington can look forward to a classic Northwest weekend, with mild temperatures, partly cloudy skies and just a chance of rain. “It’s going to be a fairly dry weekend,” said KNKX weather expert Cliff Mass, a professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Washington.

Don’t put away your hat and gloves. It’s going to stay cold for the next week or so and there will be snow on Friday. That much is certain, says KNKX weather expert Cliff Mass. The rest of the weekend forecast is tricky.

Bundle up and get ready for possible lowland snow in places. KNKX weather expert Cliff Mass says cool air moving in to western Washington will push temperatures below freezing in many lowland areas this weekend, with a chance of snow most likely on Sunday.

Unusually heavy rain and flooding are in the weekend forecast, with the worst hitting Sunday as an atypical atmospheric river sets up from due west and aims its warm plume at western Washington. KNKX weather expert Cliff Mass says that phenomenon means the rain total by the end of this weekend could be 5-10 inches over the lower slopes of the central Cascade Mountains.

Batten down the hatches and keep your rain gear handy. A Pacific cyclone is headed toward Vancouver Island, British Columbia. While the highest winds will likely hit north of the Canadian border, KNKX weather expert Cliff Mass says people in western Washington will notice it too, especially toward the coast.