On the Recent Cool Temperatures in WA State
It is widely appreciated that relatively cool weather has plagued, or blessed, depending on your point of view, Washington State since the end of February 2011 as illustrated in the temperature time series for Seattle and Spokane (Figure 1).
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 moreThe Spring Transition in the Winds Along the WA Coast and its Effects on the Coastal Ocean
There is a seasonal cycle in the prevailing winds along the coast of Washington state. Winter winds are generally from the southwest, with considerable variability due to the passage of storms, and summer winds are generally from the northwest, with intermittent periods of southerlies.
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What is Spring?
As summarized in this newsletter, it was a remarkably cool and wet April for Washington state in 2011. All the grumbling about the lousy weather, in particular the common lament that it seemed like winter was never going to end, begs an interesting question.
Read moreA Wet Spring
You’re not imagining it – spring has been gloomier than normal this year around WA. Not only has it been relatively cool across the state, but most locations have been wetter than normal as well.
Read moreA Review of Winter 2010-2011
During the autumn of 2010, there was considerable media interest in anticipation of the forthcoming winter being cold and wet in WA as a result of the relatively strong La Niña in the equatorial Pacific Ocean.
Read moreAssessing One’s Carbon Footprint
The issue of global warming may seem remote to many residents of the Pacific Northwest, especially as winter weather has returned with a vengeance at the time of this writing. Nevertheless, global warming and climate change are real, and will have serious repercussions for the environment and human society.
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 moreMid-Winter La Niña Update
The La Niña winter is now halfway over, and with the recent mild temperatures experienced around the state this January, it is a good time to evaluate how this winter is shaping up.
Read morePollution due to Wood Smoke and the Weather of WA State
Air quality is often good in the Pacific Northwest due to the prevailing west to east winds off the North Pacific. There are exceptions to this situation, of course, during which residents of Washington are exposed to hazardous levels of air pollution.
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