Mountain Snow Depth gets a New Display
OWSC is pleased to release a new web tool that displays the bi-monthly snow depth data from the Northwest Avalanche Center (NWAC). Partially supported by Tableau, this was a collaboration between NWAC and OWSC and was recently featured in a UW News piece.
Read moreDoes the Arctic Oscillation Relate to the Variability in the Weather of WA?
The term “polar vortex” has been in the news recently, prompting this piece on the connection of the Arctic Oscillation (AO) to the weather of WA. In early January 2021, some attention was given to the polar vortex and the relationship to the sudden stratospheric warming that occurred near the pole (AO+).
Read moreWhat is the Ideal Climate?
The Camelot Climate Index (https://ggweather.com/ camelot.htm), created by Jan Null (Certified Consulting Meteorologist, Golden Gate Weather Services) to score U.S. locations based on an “ideal” climate, was recently discussed on the American Association of State Climatologists (AASC) listserv.
Read moreSurface Radiative Heat Fluxes
Meteorologists and climatologists go to considerable effort to figure out from where air masses originate, because of course that has a great deal to do with the weather. A good example pertains to the upcoming winter’s weather.
Read moreA Tale of Two Sea Surface Temperatures
There is a strong indication that at least moderate, and possibly strong, La Niña conditions will be present during the upcoming winter of 2020-21. Many readers of this newsletter know of the implications for WA state, namely improved odds of seasonal mean weather on the wet and cool side and healthy snow totals in the mountains at the end of winter.
Read moreCooler Temperatures from the Smoke of September
The thick smoke that blanketed much of WA state during a stretch of days in September 2020 is apt to be long remembered. A visible satellite image from the morning of 12 September (Fig.
Read moreThe Diurnal Cycle in Summer Temperatures in Washington State
Summer visitors to WA state are sometimes struck by how cool it is during the late night and early morning hours, and how late in the day it stays warm. This can be especially the case during our hottest weather, when peak temperatures often occur at 5 to 6 PM local time.
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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 moreTop 10 Weather and Climate Events of 2019
In a reprise of previous lists of this sort, here we review the top weather and climate events in WA state for the year of 2019. To be sure, we are halfway through 2020, but hopefully these events are not yet into the dustbin of history and their mention here will bring back some memories, fond or otherwise.
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Springtime Stream Temperatures in Washington
We have used this space to discuss ocean temperatures a number of times in recent years. Here, we will again consider water temperatures, but in this case for Washington State rivers, with a focus on the spring season.
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