At long last, it's summer--just in time for September. Still, this week we went outside and stayed there, even when the clouds rolled in, reveling in late-blooming blackberries and the sights of a City alive with sunshine. more ›

An amazing thing happened this week: summer finally began. And our photographer friends got the shots to prove it. Of course, there were a few cloudy moments, too--but we didn't let them keep us down. more ›

Photo by sea kay from the Seattlest Flickr pool. more ›

The week's weather forecast: it's not as bad as last week's. more ›

We went to the Seattle International Beer Festival. We took pictures. Kind of like an average Saturday with your friends, only less incriminating. more ›

There are a host of faux pas that one can make when it comes to wine. Drinking wine too warm (or too cold). Storing bottles in too warm of a place. Keeping bottles in your car (don't do this). Confusing your Cabernet Sauvignon from your Sauvignon Blanc. But there is perhaps none worse than putting ice cubes in wine. Right? Perhaps. more ›

Solstice Hooping by Grundlepuck from the Seattlest Flickr pool. more ›

Lately a strange phenomenon has been taking place, in which a big, bright ball of light has begun to peek through the clouds. I believe they used to call it, the SUN, and the time of year when it comes out was called “Summer”. Ok, jokes aside, summer is coming soon, though it hardly seems like it given the cool, overcast days that have been prevailing this spring. In the spirit of looking forward to a positive future, I wanted to take a look at some of the summer seasonals that are being introduced for your cook out and beach going enjoyment. more ›

From Everest first taking the stage, through the various moments of audio and comedic bliss throughout the long weekend, to the last chords strummed by Metric's James Shaw, we were incredibly thankful for all that Bumbershoot--this city's oldest music festival--has to offer. As we recollect, we invite you to spend some time clicking through this photo gallery made up of shots from the Seattlest Flickr Pool. more ›

Steve Pool is promising eighty degrees by Saturday, but we know better than to hang our hopes on the emptiness that is a Seattle weather person’s five-day forecast. Just go outside, shit is cold. If summer is going to spring back into form like a sunny Lazarus, we won’t complain--but right now it’s taking more faith than us heathens can afford. Coming off maybe the wettest Bumbershoot in memory, this feels like an appropriate time to reflect on the summer in the past tense. more ›

Ye Olde Probcast has the weather predictions for Wednesday, and the forecast is a 90-degree day (as hot as 95, as cool as 85). We're glad summer ain't over yet, but we're also glad we'll be in an air-conditioned office for most of tomorrow. more ›

Make no mistake about it. Last Wednesday was an epic event. The thermometer was just so many numbers. But no one who has lived here, in recorded history, had ever been through anything like it. more ›

How dry we are! Only 0.24 of an inch of precipitation recorded at SeaTac for all of June and July, says KING 5's Jeff Renner via Twitter. Old record? 0.48 of an inch. We're told we may see some of the wet stuff by Thursday or Friday, but in the meantime, keep moisturizing. more ›

Over the past six days, King County Animal Care and Control received 35 reports of dogs locked in very hot cars, during what's been Seattle's most dramatically hot week ever (!). Thankfully, no fatalities occurred from pooches being left to suffer and pant their way through 130-degree temperatures. more ›

The real gem is KIRO2 (ch. 117 on Comcast, ch. 7-2 over digital antennae). The “Deuce” as we call it runs off-net syndication, meaning they recycle old TV shows. Off-net syn is the engine of broadcast commerce, but it’s sadly lacking in character or style. How much “Seinfeld” do you really want to watch? more ›

You don't have to be as intrepid, for refreshing water can be had from any altitude or elevation round these parts...even from 0 feet above sea level. Take off early; we'll write you a note. more ›

Back where we come from, there's places known as "cooling centers". These are public buildings that are air-conditioned in the event of a deadly heatwave such as the one in which we currently find ourselves embroiled. We remember our afternoon cartoons being interrupted by ticker-style warnings about the heat and the elderly and cooling centers for those without A/C in the home. Libraries were the foremost among the list of these cooling centers. more ›

Mayday, mayday--the flora and vegetation in Olympic Sculpture Park is flatlining! The recent scorching temps and lack of water has caused the grass and flowers in the park's east and west meadows to turn a lovely shade of dead. more ›

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Under normal conditions, we have nothing but scorn for spoiled, complain-happy Seattleites who start griping when the temperature climbs above 75F, but on this day--THE HOTTEST DAY EVAARRRRRR--by all means, be our guest. more ›

Stare at the above photo and repeat to yourself, "The city needs more snow plows." more ›

The Pink Door has large black canvas shades to keep the sun out of your eyes, but said shades don't keep the heat out. All evening we were patting our temple with our cloth napkin like a 19th-century lawyer. more ›

There is no question this week is going to be a hot one, as temperatures reach into the high 90s and perhaps even 100 degrees. As many people crank up the power and seek an air conditioned refuge away from the heat, Seattle City Light--here's their energy-saving tips to beat the heat--warns that their old equipment may fail as temperatures climb. Customers need to be prepared for potential outages. Grrreat. more ›

• As of 9 a.m. this morning, Sea-Tac's cell phone waiting lot has re-opened. The new lot is twice the size, with nearly 100 spaces and can be found just north of the old lot on Air Cargo Road.
• My Ballard reported that around 3 a.m. this morning, a car collided smackdab into a utility pole at Market Street near Third Avenue, leaving the 27-year-old driver trapped inside. Rescue crews were able to cut the driver free, who was then sent to Harborview with non-life threatening injuries.

If you didn't stock up on fans, porches, and Mint Juleps this past weekend to brave the heat, you may want to rethink that decision. This week (and perhaps even longer) Seattle will be experiencing one helluva summer heat wave--to the point where an excessive heat warning has been issued for our area until Thursday, July 30. more ›

Since GreenStage has sent us three--count them, THREE--emails in as many hours, we bow to their online onslaught and report to you that their 21st annual Shakespeare in the Park series starts this Friday. On the docket through August 15th are The Comedy of Errors and King John. Both plays make the rounds to eleven locations in the Seattle area, and all performances are free of charge (though donations are gladly accepted, natch). Performance calendar here. This weekend also marks the Seattle Outdoor Theater Festival in Volunteer Park, featuring Shakespeare and more from several local companies. more ›

• For the fans who missed out on the Michael Jackson memorial, tonight at 8:00, a music video medley and tribute will be shown celebrating the King of Pop at the Northwest Film Forum. Online tickets are sold out, but there should be still a few available at the door.
• Photos have surfaced from the Fisher Building fire and power outage that knocked out KOMO, Bing Travel, and even Allrecipes.com right before the big holiday weekend. We can only imagine the panicked and pissed off home cooks without their Fourth of July recipes.

Seattle weather guru Cliff Mass has some unsettling news: May 20 to June 30 was the driest such period in the 116-year history of Seattle weather-record-keeping. Seattle got a mere .18 inches of rain--not enough to chase a whiskey--deblitermashing the previous record by a full .1 inch! Suck it, 1934. more ›

If the recession is raining on your summer vacation plans, why not enter to win a free trip to the Washington coast, care of Seattlest and our good friends at Vacations by the Sea? This week we’re giving away a trip (worth about $900!) to wine, climb, and dine in beautiful Westport, Washington, smack-dab in what locals call the "Banana Belt." more ›

If the recession is raining on your summer vacation plans, why not enter to win a free trip to the Washington coast, care of Seattlest and our good friends at Vacations by the Sea? This week we’re giving away a trip (worth about $900!) to wine, climb, and dine in beautiful Westport, Washington, smack-dab in what locals call the "Banana Belt." more ›