Olympia to bask in ‘sunny and 60’ for a few days. Here are nearby places to take it all in

Winter isn’t over yet, but Olympia is set to get a brief streak of sunny, relatively mild weather.

On the heels of a Pineapple Express that brought heavy rain, winds and power outages to the region, Olympia is expected to see sunny to partly sunny skies through Saturday, March 1. Temperatures are predicted to reach the low 60s on Thursday, Feb. 27 and Friday, Feb. 28.

“As we get into tomorrow, Friday, we’ll actually be looking at highs in the lower 60s,” Dustin Guy, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Seattle, told McClatchy in a phone call.

Warm weather expected in Olympia

Guy said that the relatively warm weather should last most of the weekend before temperatures start to return to normal on Sunday.

“We’re probably looking at least through Friday,” Guy said. “Even the weekend is still going to be relatively mild. By Saturday, we’ll still be talking upper 50s. We start to cool down a little bit by Sunday.”

That’s almost 10 degrees warmer than normal for this time of year, according to guy, although temperatures won’t quite reach Olympia’s record highs, which NWS says are in the upper 60s.

“Normal high temperatures for Olympia this time of year are right around 51 or 52, normal lows around 33 or so… So you’re looking at a good eight to nine degrees, even 10 degrees above normal,” Guy said.

Along with the warm temperatures, Guy said that the area should see relatively dry weather as well, before a chance of rain returns on Monday.

The abnormally mild weather is caused by a high pressure system over Washington, according to Guy.

“We do have a ridge of high pressure that’s built in over us,” Guy said. “So that storm system we had the last few days has finally exited the area, and we’ve got the ridge building over us, and it’s bringing us some milder temperatures.”

Additionally, Guy noted that while astronomical winter lasts into March, meteorological winter ends in February. Meteorological seasons are better aligned with weather patterns, while astronomical seasons are based on the earth’s position relative to the sun.

As a result, we should expect temperatures to start rising soon.

“One thing to keep in mind is we actually are near the end of what we call meteorological winter,” Guy said. “Meteorological spring actually begins on Saturday. So we’re starting to see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel, if you want to call it that.”

Parks in Olympia to enjoy the sun

With the incoming break in the weather coinciding with the last weekend of February, it’s the perfect time to get out and enjoy Olympia’s parks and trails. The City of Olympia has an online interactive map with photos, parking and transportation information, and details about parks. Here are a few recommendations from their list and beyond.

Isthmus Park: Situated on the north shore of Capitol Lake and connected to the walking and running loop that encircles the lake, it has highly accessible parking and is centrally located on the downtown corridor that leads to the west side.

Percival Landing: Ideal for families with young children and people of all ages who enjoy the Port of Olympia’s historic boardwalk, Percival Landing also includes a playground with water fountains and public restrooms, and accessible, free parking. Several restaurants and pubs are within easy walking distance, and it’s just across the street from The Olympia Center.

West Bay Park: Just north of downtown off of West Bay Drive, this waterfront park is a little oasis of calm and quiet that’s just a short distance off Harrison hill. At just over 17 acres, West Bay Park is a great place for a quiet beach stroll that’s easy to get to.

Grass Lake Nature Park: On the edge of Olympia’s western city limits is this gem of just over 195 acres. The intact wetland area is home to more than 100 bird species and has a natural surface trail loop that is approximately 1 mile and passes just south of Lake Louise.

Cooper Crest Park: This 13-plus-acre park just off Cooper Point Road has a forested trail that is approximately a quarter of a mile long. There is no parking, but there is a trail connection on the western boundary of the park from the Cooper Crest subdivision.

Burfoot Park: A classic spot for a peaceful escape in nature and near water, Burfoot Park’s 65 acres boasts 1,100 feet of saltwater beaches fronting Budd Inlet.

This story was originally published February 26, 2025 at 3:35 PM.