Weather With Cliff Mass

Drummer Ian McKain-Pitts and saxophonist Aidan Moore from Bellarmine Preparatory School in Tacoma will virtually join Abe Beeson on Evening Jazz tonight at 8 p.m. (Oct. 1) as guest DJs. Listen to the show and read their Q&A.

The first week of August is generally the hottest time of the year in Washington. This year, people in the Puget Sound region already have experienced some record temperatures, with highs topping 90 degrees for the first time in 2020 on Monday. Olympia reached an eye-popping 98 degrees. Seattle made it to 94. But a cooling trend that will continue through Monday has started, says KNKX weather expert Cliff Mass.

It’s that most wonderful time of the year in the Pacific Northwest, when we get to enjoy clear skies, warm yet comfortable temperatures and 9 PM sunsets. Summers here are the payoff for our long, dark winters. And this week, the "perfect weather" many of us like to gloat about has finally arrived. This summer, these conditions are coinciding with the appearance of a rare comet called Neowise. KNKX weather expert Cliff Mass is among the astronomy enthusiasts who ventured out at 3 AM to see it.

People in the Pacific Northwest sometimes jokingly call the sixth month here "Juneuary," because of the persistently gloomy weather we often face in June. Now an abundance of offshore flow — marine air coming in off the cool Pacific Ocean — has KNKX weather expert Cliff Mass calling July "Julember."

July 4 is upon us. Normally, that means our air quality takes a big hit. It's an issue that KNKX weather expert Cliff Mass often talks about. Mass has studied the impact of fireworks on our air quality. This year, things will be a little different. With all the major community fireworks displays canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.