Currently in Seattle — September 25, 2023: Rain, gusts, thunderstorm

The weather, currently.

Rain, showers, and thunderstorms are Monday’s major beats.

The morning commute will be soggy, with proper rain until 11 and tapering off to showers midday. Wind gusts may kick up as high as 23 mph, especially around the afternoon commute. (A bummer of a commute if you’re on a bike.) Temps will top out at 61, so brace yourself with hot beverages and cozy layers. In the evening, listen for one of Seattle’s rare thunderstorms.

If the rain is bumming you out, maybe it helps to know that we’ve been in a drought, and every drop is actually good news for our local watersheds.

— Loren Drummond

What you need to know, currently.

Fall is here, and so far the trees are not disappointing this year.

My new favorite fall leaf-peeping guide is Explore Fall, which daily auto-generates a 7-day forecasted fall-colors map on almost a neighborhood scale based on weather, soil moisture, sunlight, and citizen science observations for the entire lower 48 states (sorry, no Canada yet).

Here in Minnesota, I tested out the algorithm on a few hikes this weekend and the leaves were stellar. It’s that time of year where the leaves seem to change almost hour-by-hour, so if you have a chance to get out there, don’t miss it.

— Eric Holthaus

What you can do, currently.

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One of my favorite organizations, Mutual Aid Disaster Relief, serves as a hub of mutual aid efforts focused on climate action in emergencies — like hurricane season. Find mutual aid network near you and join, or donate to support existing networks: