Warmer, drier fall is forecast for South Sound

As South Sound comes out of a summer that broke records for hot and dry days, there’s an undeniable feeling of fall in the air.

So, what’s next, with the arrival of fall at 1:21 a.m. Wednesday (Sept. 23)?

More of the same.

It’s an El Niño year, which means above-normal temperatures, especially in the western two-thirds of the state. It will also be drier than average, according to the Office of Washington State Climatologist.

How warm and how dry, “we really can’t say,” said Jonny Burg, spokesman for the National Weather Service Office in Seattle.

Mild weather could be a boon to the lowlands, but it can be bad news for the mountains, both for recreation and water supply. The 2014-15 season featured a high rain/snow line, causing many Washington ski areas to barely get opened before Christmas for a shortened season that also ended early, according to bestsnow.net.

“With this El Niño, there’s a 95 percent chance it will continue through winter and start to decrease by spring,” Burg said. “What this can mean for snow pack — there may not be as much snow.”

That also means that South Sound’s 10 percent chance (on average) for a white Christmas is even lower, Burg said.

Not to be a complete Grinch, he added, “but that doesn’t mean that things can’t happen ... doesn’t mean that it won’t snow.”

For the immediate future, it looks like at least one more pleasant weekend. The forecast for Saturday and Sunday is partly to mostly sunny, with temperatures in the low 60s in the day and mid- to low-40s at night.

This story was originally published September 22, 2015 at 4:17 PM with the headline "Warmer, drier fall is forecast for South Sound."