News | Washington State Climate Office

Jan 15, 2009 | Climate Events

Monitoring Precipitation near the Howard Hanson Dam 2009

The heavy rainfall in January 2009 damaged the Howard Hanson Dam (located on the Green River in King County). The water was stored in the dam at a record high elevation of 1189 feet resulting in two depressions in the right abutment of the dam.

Jan 12, 2009 | Climate Events

January Flooding

The extreme flooding that occurred in Washington in early January had two main contributors: heavy precipitation that fell on Jan 6th and 7th and warm temperatures that melted snow still on the ground in some places from the December storms.

Dec 31, 2008 | Climate Events

December Cold and Snow

If there are two words to sum up the month of December, they would be cold and snowy. Storm after storm hit the state, and with the temperatures being so frigid, record amounts of snowfall resulted.

Feb 1, 2008 | Climate Events

2007-’08 Historical Winter Snow in the Cascades and Eastern Washington

WSDOT photo of a snow covered RXtreme truck that is used to help push large trucks stuck in the snow. According to WSDOT, as of January 31, 2008 Snoqualmie Pass received five feet of snow in the last five days.

Dec 8, 2007 | Climate Events

December 1-3, 2007 intense rainfall leads to record flooding around western Washington

Western Washington radar estimated total storm precipitation for the period 05 UTC December 1, 2007 through 06 UTC December 4, 2007.
December 1st marked the first in a series of 3 storms to move over the Pacific Northwest from December 1-3, 2007.

Nov 22, 2006 | Climate Events

2006 Record November Rainfall

500mb geopotential height anomalies the last 30-days showing the anomalous trough over the Gulf of Alaska that has been producing the rainy weather.
After one of the driest summers in state history, record setting rainfall fell throughout western Washington.

Sep 7, 2006 | Climate Events

Washington state parched by one of the driest summers ever

Western Washington’s reputation as a soggy bastion for the web-footed is taking a beating this year, thanks to an unrelenting dry spell. And typically arid Eastern Washington is even more parched than usual.

Jun 17, 2006 | Climate Events

Washington 2006 Top 10 Weather & Climate Events

For additional information and pictures of each of these events, download the slide show (4.4mb PDF file) that was presented at the 2007 Northwest Weather Workshop.
10. November Windstorms (Spokane)
According to the Spokane NWS office, November was the windiest November since 1990.