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Northwest Heat Dome Breaks, But the Cooldown Could Disrupt Weekend Plans

Christy Bowen

1 hour ago
A NOAA satellite image shows cloud cover and storm activity swirling across the North Pacific and into the Pacific Northwest as a sharp weather pattern change brings cooler air, showers, and renewed rain chances to the region after days of heat.
A NOAA satellite image captures a storm system pushing toward the Pacific Northwest, where forecasters expect cooler temperatures, rain showers, and a noticeable break from the recent heat. (NOAA)

Enjoy the heat and dry conditions while they last. Forecasters are warning that significantly cooler temperatures and rain are headed to the Pacific Northwest by the end of the week. Here is what you need to know about the major shift in the weather pattern on the way for this corner of the U.S.

Temperatures Forecast to Tumble by End of the Week in the Northwest

The Pacific Northwest has been baking under a heat dome anchored over the region since Monday. The heat is forecast to peak on Tuesday before beginning its descent on Thursday. Temperatures will reach the upper 80s and the low 90s up and down the Interstate 5 corridor stretching from Seattle to Portland. You can expect temperatures to bounce around 5 to 15 degrees above the average for the end of June. Both of these cities typically see readings in the 70s this time of the year.

A Climate Central temperature anomaly map shows much of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona running above normal on June 23, 2026, while cooler-than-average air spreads across parts of the Plains and Upper Midwest.
Much of the western U.S. was running hotter than normal on June 23, 2026, with the Pacific Northwest and interior West seeing some of the strongest temperature departures before a late-week pattern change. Climate Central

The heat wave will be short-lived, as the latest forecast models signal that a major change is in store for the back half of the week. A dip in the jet stream will allow cooler air to escape from Canada and come down over the border on Thursday and Friday. High temperatures on Friday will plummet 20 to 25 degrees from where they were on Tuesday and Wednesday for much of the Northwest.

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