News | Washington State Climate Office

Apr 23, 2015 | Climate Events

A Review of Winter 2014-2015

The summer and fall 2014 predictions for the winter of 2014-15 were favoring warm and dry conditions for WA State based mostly on the expectation of moderate El Niño development. The El Niño was late to develop, so how did the winter play out?

Apr 15, 2015 | Climate Events

Washington State Drought 2015

Narrative updated 5/15/15
Reports updated weekly through Sept 24, 2015
A record warm rainy season (October through March) in WA State has caused the majority of our precipitation to fall as rain rather than snow in the mountains.

Mar 4, 2015 | Climate Matters, Rain and Snow

March 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.

Feb 15, 2015 | Climate Events

Climatic Averages and the Top 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?

Feb 4, 2015 | Climate Matters, Climate Review

Top 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?

Jan 15, 2015 | Climate Events

Heavy Rain on January 4-5

Very heavy rain fell in western WA State on 4-5 January 2015. The 24-hour precipitation totals for the Pacific Northwest from 4 am (12 UTC) Sunday 4 Jan through 4 am Monday 5 Jan from NOAA are shown in Figure 1.

Jan 6, 2015 | Climate Matters, Clouds and Fog

Clouds in Washington State in Winter

Judy Garland was quoted to have said, “Behind every cloud is another cloud”. The residents of Washington state can appreciate that statement during winter. A map of the mean number of cloudy days in January for the US is shown in Figure 1, and indeed the Pacific Northwest is the cloudiest part of the country, with only a few regions around the Great Lakes reaching the values observed across Washington, Oregon and much of Idaho.

Dec 3, 2014 | Climate Matters, Rain and Snow

Precipitation 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).

Nov 5, 2014 | Climate Matters, Seasonal, Severe Weather

Cold 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.

Oct 6, 2014 | Climate Matters, El Niño/La Niña and Global Climate Oscillations, Forecasts

Winter Preview: What Can We Expect?

As many of our readers are likely well aware, there is a high likelihood (between 60 and 65% chance) of a weak El Niño developing during the fall and winter. Sea-surface temperature anomalies are above normal throughout the equatorial Pacific Ocean at the time of this writing (more information in the Climate Outlook below), but the predicted El Niño has been slow to start.