Western U.S. in for Wild Ride of Varied Weather

Despite the official start of the astronomical summer on deck for next week, it is going to feel like anything but summer across much of the Northwest. A blast of cool air is going to grip the region in the coming days while hotter temperatures to the south will translate to an elevated wildfire risk. Here is what you need to know about the wacky weather pattern for the western U.S.

Mixed Bag of Weather for the Western Half of the U.S.

The western half of the country is going to see a varied mix of weather in the coming days. A duo of storm systems is forecast to push across the Northwest early in the week, ushering in cooler temperatures and wetter conditions. Winds will whip up to the south of the line of storms, raising the risk of wildfires in the hot Desert Southwest. Meanwhile, it will be severe storms wreaking havoc across the Rockies and out into the High Plains.

It has been a relatively calm first half of the month of June for most of the Northwest. Last weekend saw unseasonably warm temperatures and dry weather for major cities Seattle and Portland. That pattern is coming to an abrupt end over the Father's Day weekend with storms firing up and delivering a number of inclement impacts.

What will be most noticeable in the Northwest will be the meaningful drop in the mercury. Winter storm watches are now in effect for parts of the higher terrain of Montana, a rarity of the middle of June.