This past Sunday’s warm temperature in Seattle wasn’t just unseasonal—it was record-breaking.
If you found yourself peeling off your sweater or even turning on your AC yesterday, you probably wondered if it was the hottest October day Seattle has ever seen. Although it wasn’t quite the hottest October day on record (more on that in a moment), it did smash the record high for the date of October 16.
The margin by which the record was broken was quite a wide one. The previous record high temperature for October 16 was 72 degrees, back in 2018. That means that Sunday’s recorded temperature of 86 degrees broke the record by a considerable 16 degrees.
Parts of Seattle are now in the mid-80s. On October 16.
Absolutely unbelievable. pic.twitter.com/zuWIRuoFRN
— Seattle Weather Blog (@KSeattleWeather) October 16, 2022
Sunday was actually the second-hottest October day ever recorded in Seattle. The hottest October day in almost 130 years of records was on October 1, 1987—and at 89 degrees, it was only one degree hotter than Sunday’s temperature.
Sunday also had the honor of being the latest in October that we’ve recorded such a high temperature in Seattle. In previous records the temperatures didn’t reach the 80s after the first two weeks of October.
Headlines:
Fall arriving Friday. Rainy and windy.
Smoke improved but will not go away until Friday.
Much cooler today, but high temps still above normal through Thursday.
Rain Friday thru Sunday could be more than the amount of rain we have gotten in the last 3 1/2 months. #wawx pic.twitter.com/NRqFMk8G5U— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) October 17, 2022
In addition to the unseasonal warmth, Seattle has seen continuous fluctuations in air quality this October due to wildfire smoke. According to the National Weather Service, Seattle can look forward to the smoke clearing out this Friday. Cooler temperatures and rain Friday through Sunday will make it feel much more like fall in Seattle—and hopefully disperse the wildfire smoke for good.