Seattle weather: Sunny skies, low tides on the way

Another opportunity to catch a glimpse of Puget Sound sea stars and anemones is on its way this week, with skies clearing and tides retreating to what will be the lowest levels during daylight hours for the rest of the summer.

Low tide will fall just below minus-3 feet Sunday morning, and pull farther back Monday. On Tuesday, the tide will bottom out at minus-3.9 feet, uncovering the largest swath of beach around 11:20 a.m. in Seattle, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

If you want to go out on the beach during low tide, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are going to be your days," said Dana Felton, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Seattle.

It's not the lowest that tides have gotten this year, Felton said, referencing the record levels in June that brought tides at nearly minus-4.3 feet, the lowest the city's shores had seen in four years.

In the Pacific Northwest, the lowest tides happen during the day in late spring and summer, making for good midday tide-pooling. In the winter, they usually roll out at night.

Beach exploring likely will be even more pleasant this week because of sunny skies and warmer temperatures expected Monday through Wednesday, Felton said.

Sunday is expected to start off slightly cloudy, but it should clear up by the afternoon and hit highs in the low- to mid-70s, he said. The region will continue to warm through the start of the week, lingering in the high 70s to low 80s.

Average July temperatures so far have been running a degree cooler than normal, although last month was the seventh-warmest June in 82 years, Felton noted. But the next few weeks should heat up, including a possible "sustained run" in the 80s later this month, he said.

"We've been above normal temperature-wise for 13 straight years," Felton said. "So we're settling into the summer pattern.

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This story was originally published July 11, 2026 at 4:55 PM.