A Review of Winter 2016-2017
Many residents of Washington state are probably looking forward to some warmer and drier weather after this past winter. In a nutshell, it was cold and wet. It may have seemed especially chilly because our past few winters have been warmer than normal.
Read moreWinter Air Pollution in Washington State
Here we revisit a topic discussed in a previous edition of this newsletter (January 2011), and that is particulate pollution during the winter in Washington state. There is some good news, but it remains a public health hazard at times in many parts of the state.
Read more1954 – The Year Without a Summer
The summer of 2016 in WA state has had kind of a dual personality. From the middle of June into August, near to slightly below normal temperatures mostly prevailed during the part of the year that is typically the warmest.
Read moreJuly 1960- Washington State’s Driest Month
An unofficial nickname for Washington is the “Evergreen State”; the term is included on our vehicle license plates. But we actually enjoy a Mediterranean climate with wet winters and dry summers, and much of the state is more brown than green during the summer.
Read moreA Review of Winter 2015-2016
In the fall of 2015, impacts remained from a statewide drought that began as a snowpack deficit in the winter of 2014-15 and was made worse by a record warm and dry spring.
Read moreHigh Mortality of Cassin’s Auklets in the Pacific NW during the Winter of 2014-15
The waters off the coast of the Pacific Northwest have been unusually warm during the last couple of years, and this has had widespread and major impacts on the marine ecosystem.
Read moreSummer in Review: Increased Number of Hot Days
2015 has so far been much warmer than normal for Washington State, with January through August ranking as the warmest on record. The summer (defined as June through August) was also warm and set records as the warmest summer for the state, with temperatures 4.5°F above the 30-yr (1981-2010) normal when averaged statewide (Fig.
Read moreThe Yacolt Burn of 1902
This summer has included the largest fire (the Okanogan Complex) in WA state history and the most acres burned since at least 2002. The vast majority of wildfires in WA occur east of the Cascade Range crest but that is not the only part of state that can face a serious threat.
Read moreThe Warm Month of July 1985 for Washington State
This month represents the 30th anniversary of the hottest month on record for WA state – July 1985 – in the last 100 years. In recognition of the relatively warm temperatures that have prevailed in this neck of the woods during the last couple of years or so as well as the record warm June 2015 temperatures, it seems appropriate to review the weather of July 1985.
Read moreA Review of Winter 2014-2015
The summer and fall 2014 predictions for the winter of 2014-15 were favoring warm and dry conditions for WA State based mostly on the expectation of moderate El Niño development. The El Niño was late to develop, so how did the winter play out?
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