Whatcom’s weather could soon feel truly like summer

Bellingham and Whatcom County could see their first temperatures above 80 degrees this year, just a few weeks after the mercury topped 70 for the first time in what’s been an unusually cloudy, cool and rainy spring.

A wind shift late this week looks to give Western Washington a warm and sunny weekend — the best days of this year for those who enjoy sunshine.

“This is a pretty quick turnaround from what we’ve been seeing,” said Jake DeFlitch, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Seattle.

Forecast highs are in the mid-60s for Bellingham on Wednesday and Thursday, June 22-23, warming to the mid-70s on Friday, June 24. Then winds will change to an easterly flow, drawing warm air across the Cascades. A high of 80 degrees is forecast for Bellingham on Saturday, June 25, with highs around 80 likely through Monday, June 27, according to current forecasts.