The 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 moreThree Flavors of Drought in the PNW
With the topic of drought the focus of numerous local and national news stories of late – whether it’s the current Pacific Northwest (PNW) drought, the devastating multiyear California drought, or the torrential, drought-ending rains in Oklahoma and Texas – it is a good time to review a paper published in 2010 by current and former OWSC staff on different “flavors” of drought in the PNW.
Read moreTop Weather and Climate Events of 2014
With over a month of the New Year already behind us, we would like to review 2014 from a weather and climate perspective. Globally, 2014 ranked as the warmest year on record, but how did it stack up for Washington State?
Read moreReview of 2013: Climatic Averages and the Top 6 Weather and Climate Events
With 2013 now in the books, we would like to review the year from a weather and climate perspective. First, the Washington State average temperature and precipitation during 2013 are presented, along with a comparison of this year to other years.
Read more1934 – The Warmest Year in WA State History
The devastating Dust Bowl drought of the 1930s is one of the most notable weather/climate events in US history. This drought was not restricted to the Great Plains, but instead at times extended across much of the country.
Read moreReview of 2012: Climatic Averages and the Top 7 Weather Events
With 2012 now completed, we would like to review the year from a weather and climate perspective. First, the climatic averages of 2012 will be presented, along with how this past year compares to other years.
Read moreWA 2012 Water Year Summary
A water year in the Pacific Northwest begins on October 1 and ends on September 30, and is labeled by the year it ends in. According to the American Meteorological Society’s Glossary of Meteorology, “It commences with the start of the season of soil moisture recharge, includes the season of maximum runoff […] and concludes with the completion of the season of maximum evapotranspiration”.
Read moreNOAA’s New Climate Normals
The standard climate normal, or the 30-year average of weather conditions, is changing. Most anomalies and comparisons to normal conditions have been discussed using the average conditions between 1971 and 2000, but NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) has unveiled the “new normals” on July 1.
Read more2009 State of the Climate Report Released in BAMS
The State of the Climate Report is a yearly supplement to the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society (BAMS) that summarizes the global and regional climate for each calendar year. The 2009 report was released in July (Arndt et al., 2010).
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