Thunderstorms in WA during the Summers of 1990-2019
Summers have been gradually getting warmer and more humid in WA state, with plenty of variability, but has that been accompanied by a tendency for more thunderstorms? We don’t get many thunderstorms compared to elsewhere in the US, especially east of the Continental Divide.
Read moreCold Season Thunderstorms in WA State
A previous newsletter (Aug 2010) included a piece on why thunderstorms are rare in WA State when compared to other parts of the country. Thunderstorms are revisited here, with a focus on their occurrence during the cold season.
Read moreWA State Tornadoes during Spring
The most significant tornado outbreak in Washington State history occurred on 5 April 1972. Clark County was hit particularly hard, with an early afternoon tornado of F3 intensity causing 6 fatalities and injuries to 300 others.
Read moreEarly Fall Storms in the PNW and their Connection to Western North Pacific Typhoons
This month marks the 50th anniversary of the Columbus Day storm, by many measures the strongest extratropical storm to hit the lower 48 states in the past century. The Columbus Day storm formed out of the remnants of Typhoon Freda.
Read moreOn the Interannual Variability of the Costliest Weather Events in WA State
WA gets its fair share of nasty weather, and these weather events can cause millions of dollars in damages. The types of events that have the biggest impacts, however, vary markedly from year to year (and do not always make headlines).
Read moreThunderstorms in WA State
Thunderstorms occur in the state of Washington relatively infrequently (Figure 1). There are about 20,000 lightning flashes per year on average (1996-2008), according to the National Lightning Detection Network. This sounds like a lot, but in terms of the frequency of flashes per unit area, Washington State actually ranks dead last compared to the rest of the continental United States.
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