More record-breaking heat: August in April continues for the NW
SEATTLE -- It might have been a Monday, it might have been April -- but there was quite the crowd at the Madison Park beach in Seattle yesterday. It was just one of many places where people flocked to enjoy and/or escape the record-breaking heat. More than a full month before the floating diving docks and life guards arrive along the shores of Lake Washington, summer-like heat showed itself across Western Washington.
High temperatures for April 18th, 2016
Madison Park beach goers braved cold water temperatures to escape record April heat. (89 @ SeaTac on Monday). Photo: Tim Joyce / Q13 News
Monday's high temperature of 89 at SeaTac Int'l Airport not only destroyed the record high of 77 set back in 1962, it obliterated the warmest temperature ever recorded for the whole month of April. For four decades, the warmest Seattle had ever seen in April was 85 on the 30th of the month. Communities on the east side of Lake Washington, like Bellevue, saw the first temps of the year in the 90s! Bremerton also saw a 90 degree temperature too. Records fell for the second day in a row in many places: Vancouver, WA (89), Olympia (88), Bellingham (83), Forks (80) and Hoquiam (80). In Oregon: Medford (91), Downtown Portland (89), Hillsboro (88), Salem (88), McMinnville (88), Portland Int'l Airport (87), Troutdale (83), Hood River (82 tied), Astoria (74).
Madison Park on the warmest day ever April afternoon. Photo: Tim Joyce / Q13 News
More records will fall today. The numbers to beat today in the record books are all in the 70s across Western Washington and our forecast highs are in the 80s.
When SeaTac reaches 80 today, it will set another yet April record: the third consecutive day in the 80s. That's something that has never happened in the Emerald City since record keeping began in the 1890s. And if this spring heat wave is too much for you, take heart. We're cooling things off tomorrow around the region. We'll be back towards the normal of 60 by the weekend.