News | Washington State Climate Office

Feb 3, 2011 | Climate Matters, Severe Weather

On 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).

Jan 27, 2011 | Climate Events

Mid-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.

Jan 5, 2011 | Air Quality and Wildfire, Climate Matters

Pollution 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.

Nov 12, 2010 | Climate Matters, Forecasts

On the Weather Forecasts made by the Old Farmer’s Almanac

One way to annoy many meteorologists is to suggest that the weather forecasts from the Old Farmer’s Almanac (OFA) are more skillful than those from the National Weather Service. I certainly share this peeve, and so on a lark some years ago, I decided to determine for myself whether the OFA forecasts for the Pacific Northwest had merit.

Oct 26, 2010 | Climate Events

Lowland Snow and ENSO Relationship

The relationship between the phase of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and WA climate is well documented, as has been discussed frequently in our monthly newsletters (most specific: October 2010). In general, La Niña conditions tilt the odds towards a wetter than normal WA fall and a colder than normal WA winter.

Oct 5, 2010 | Climate Matters, El Niño/La Niña and Global Climate Oscillations

La Niña and the Weather of WA State

The weather of the Pacific Northwest during the coming months, or otherwise known as the cool season, is impacted by the atmosphere-ocean system of the tropical Pacific. This region is currently experiencing what is termed La Nina, and this condition is expected to persist into 2011.

Sep 3, 2010 | Climate Matters, Climate Review

2009 State of the Climate Report Released in BAMS

The State of the Climate Report is a yearly supplement to the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society (BAMS) that summarizes the global and regional climate for each calendar year. The 2009 report was released in July (Arndt et al., 2010).

Aug 9, 2010 | Climate Matters, Severe Weather

Thunderstorms 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.

Jul 2, 2010 | Climate Matters, Marine

The Cool and Damp Weather of May-June 2010: Winners and Losers

Many sunlight-deprived residents of Washington State are complaining about the recent weather. Those that live on the west side of the Cascade Mountains are accustomed to cloudy and wet winters, and a slow warming as the days get longer during the spring.

May 15, 2010 | Climate Events

A Review of Winter 2009-2010

The winter of 09-10 was anticipated to be warmer and drier than normal in the Pacific Northwest due to the expected development of a moderate El Niño. Did that actually happen?