Excessive Heat — Tacoma Area, Washington

2009-07-27 to 2009-07-30 · Tacoma Area, Washington

Direct deaths

Event narrative

This was the warmest July on record at Seattle-Tacoma airport. On Wednesday (July 29) in Seattle, the high temperature reached 103 degrees (SeaTac Airport), a new all-time high. A heat related death occurred when a man in his 50s died in Tacoma.

Wider weather episode

Strong high pressure aloft led to a major heat event for western Washington. The average temperature for July 2009 at Seattle-Tacoma airport was 69.5 degrees, the warmest July on record, and tying record for the warmest July on record in Seattle. During the heat wave, many other record and all-time record high temperatures were broken, including 103 degrees at Seattle-Tacoma airport, 104 at Olympia and 96 at Bellingham.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 187204. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.