News | Washington State Climate Office

Aerial photo of the Sauk Skagit confluence.

Jan 13, 2026 | Climate Matters, Climate Review, Drought and Soil Conditions, Flooding and Streamflow, January 2026 Newsletter, Rain and Snow

December 8-11, 2025 Heavy Rainfall and Flooding: Historical Context and a Note on Snow Drought

Event recap
Major flooding impacted western Washington and the eastern Cascades last month. Impacts included numerous washouts and landslides on roadways including a weeks-long shutdown of US-2 and lane closures on I-90.

Nov 7, 2025 | Climate Matters, Climate Review, Drought and Soil Conditions, November 2025 Newsletter, Rain and Snow, Temperature

Climate Matters: Water Year 2025 in Review

Water year 2025 is complete, and it’s time to take a look back and see how WA stacked up historically. The 2025 water year includes the 12 months from October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025, as opposed to the usual calendar year.

Jul 8, 2025 | Climate Matters, Climate Review, Extreme Heat, July 2025 Newsletter

A New Paper Synthesizing Studies on the June 2021 Pacific Northwest Heat Wave Now Available

The June issue of the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society (BAMS) featured a new paper synthesizing over 70 articles on the record-breaking June 2021 Pacific Northwest (PNW) heat wave. I am a co-author on the article, collaborating with experts at Oregon State University and Portland State University.

A landscape photo of Mt. Spokane State Park with a pink horizon and forested, dark ridges in the mid- and foreground.

Jun 6, 2025 | Climate Matters, Climate Review, Climate Variability, June 2025 Newsletter, Trends

Climatology of the Northeastern Washington Climate Division (#9)

In this edition of Climate Matters, we return to our Climate Division series in which we describe the local climate features in each of Washington’s 10 climate divisions, as defined by NOAA.

Apr 4, 2025 | April 2025 Newsletter, Climate Matters, Climate Review, Climate Variability, Drought and Soil Conditions

The Fifth Pacific Northwest Water Year 2024 Impacts Assessment

The fifth Pacific Northwest (PNW) Water Year Impacts Assessment, released in March, chronicles the water year, its impacts, and how people responded across Washington, Oregon, and Idaho during the 2024 water year (October 1, 2023-September 30, 2024).

Nov 13, 2024 | Climate Matters, Climate Review

Water Year in Review!

We recently held our annual Water Year 2024 Recap & 2025 Outlook Meeting. As a refresher, we often look at our climate through the lens of the “water year”, which goes from October 1st through September 30th, as opposed to the usual calendar year.

May 2, 2024 | Climate Matters, Climate Review, Drought and Soil Conditions

Fourth PNW Water Year Impacts Assessment Released

The fourth Pacific Northwest (PNW) Water Year Impacts Assessment, released in March, is a collaborative effort between water managers and scientists at the Office of the Washington State Climatologist, the Climate Impacts Group, Oregon Climate Service, Idaho Department of Water Resources, and the NOAA National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS).

Mar 9, 2023 | Climate Matters, Climate Review, Drought and Soil Conditions

PNW Water Year 2022 Impacts Assessment

The Pacific Northwest (PNW) Water Year 2022 Impacts Assessment is now available! Funded by the NOAA National Integrated Drought Information System, and produced through a collaboration of regional entities, this assessment summarizes the water year conditions and related impacts and responses by different sectors.

Apr 8, 2022 | Climate Matters, Climate Review, Rain and Snow, Temperature

Climate Classification of Washington State

Any Washingtonian can tell you that different areas of the state experience vastly different climates. But what terms can we use to describe those climates? Where are the boundaries between one climate and another?

Mar 8, 2022 | Climate Matters, Climate Review, Drought and Soil Conditions

PNW 2021 Water Year Impacts Assessment Released

The second annual Pacific Northwest (PNW) 2021 Water Year Impacts Assessment was released a few weeks ago. This was a regional collaboration involving researchers and state and federal practitioners, sponsored by the NOAA National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS), and led by OWSC.