What Climate Change means to our Crucial Snowpack
Originally published in The Seattle Times on March 23, 2018
“Low mountain snowpack raises water-supply fears in Washington” was a Seattle Times headline on January 6, 2015. Just one year later, another headline proclaimed, “Snow pack in good shape, likely well into spring”.
Wettest Month in State History – December 1933
In three previous newsletters we’ve reviewed the warmest (July 1985), coldest (January 1950), and driest (July 1960) months over the last 100 years for WA State. Here we complete the series with a look back at the wettest month in WA State history dating back to when modern records began in the 1890s: December 1933.
Read moreAre Springs Becoming Rainier in Washington State?
It has been a wet spring in Washington state. The second half of May 2017 has actually been dry but that does not really make up for the drenching from March through mid-May.
Read moreTrends in Lowland Snow in Washington State
Most readers of this newsletter are probably aware of the warming of winter temperatures in Washington state. In specific terms, from near the end of World War II to the present, average winter (November through February) temperatures have increased by about 2 degrees F.
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 moreExtreme Precipitation Events in Washington State during the month of May
One year ago (May 2014), this newsletter included a piece on the historical record of extreme short-term precipitation events in Washington state, with a focus on whether there were any noticeable trends in the frequency and intensity of these event.
Read moreMarch Snowfall in the Lowlands of Washington State
The subject of this piece may be cruelly ironic, given the lack of much cold weather and snow during this winter. On the other hand, perhaps some of the material here will represent a sort of comfort somewhat akin to that sought by fans of the Chicago Cubs.
Read morePrecipitation along the West Coast: California versus Washington
California is desperate for water. Precipitation totals in the Golden State have generally been sub-par since the late 1990s, with last winter being especially extreme (the third driest in the record extending back to 1896).
Read moreThe Precipitation Winners and Losers in Major League Baseball
Seattle’s rainy reputation is difficult to combat, especially among those that have never lived in the Pacific Northwest. The dry Washington summers are often overlooked. In that context, OWSC was pleased to have recently heard a “rumor” that during the regular baseball season, Seattle is one of the driest cities of those that have a Major League Baseball team.
Read moreExtreme Precipitation Events in Washington State
There has been a slight upward trend in mean precipitation for Washington state over the last century or so, but this change is marginal from the standpoint of statistical significance. Readers are encouraged to explore this for themselves using an application on the OWSC website: www.climate.washington.edu/trendanalysis.
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