On Saturday, cities throughout western Washington experienced temperatures soaring into the 70s, with some areas even reaching the 80-degree mark.
In western Washington, the heat on Saturday shattered records, arriving just before spring officially begins.
The National Weather Service reported that Washington set new daily temperature records at all its climate monitoring sites on March 15.
At the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, the mercury hit 74 degrees, surpassing the old record of 72 degrees. In Seattle, the temperature reached 71 degrees, edging past the previous record of 70 degrees.
Quillayute experienced a high of 80 degrees, demolishing the old record of 64 degrees. Similarly, near the coast, Hoquiam saw temperatures of 73 degrees, topping the old record of 65 degrees.
In Olympia, the thermometer reached 74 degrees, moving past the old record of 70 degrees.
Further north, Bellingham saw a high of 68 degrees, overtaking the previous record of 63 degrees.
Meteorologist Leah Pezzetti warns residents that despite the warmer air, the waters of Puget Sound and nearby coastal areas remain cold, with temperatures ranging from 40 to 52 degrees in rivers and about 46 degrees in Lake Washington or Puget Sound.
Pezzetti advises that due to the risk of hypothermia, anyone considering a swim should keep it short and wear a life jacket.
She also notes that the sunny weather increases snowmelt, raising the risk of avalanches. The Northwest Avalanche Center has marked western Washington with a moderate avalanche risk as of Saturday.
The arrival of spring is set for Tuesday, March 19.
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