Early April 2025 Climate Outlook
As of March 31st, a La Niña advisory is still in place according to the Climate Prediction Center (CPC). Nevertheless, La Niña conditions have continued to weaken, and we are expecting to enter a neutral ENSO phase during April.
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The Fifth Pacific Northwest Water Year 2024 Impacts Assessment
The fifth Pacific Northwest (PNW) Water Year Impacts Assessment, released in March, chronicles the water year, its impacts, and how people responded across Washington, Oregon, and Idaho during the 2024 water year (October 1, 2023-September 30, 2024).
Read moreMarch 2025 Notable Weather Events
March came in like a lamb with fairly settled weather, near-normal temperatures, and generally light precipitation across the state. Wetter systems arrived beginning in the second week of the month and brought steady, beneficial precipitation across much of the state.
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March 2025 Snowpack and Drought Summary
March was an eventful month for snowpack due to a steady and large increase in snowpack in the middle of the month followed by significant melt-out due to the March 25-26th warm spell.
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Pacific Northwest 2024 Water Year Impacts Assessment Released
Extreme Heat, Snowpack Variability, and Drought Response Highlighted in Annual Report
The fifth Pacific Northwest Water Year Impacts Assessment, released today, presents a detailed examination of seasonal climate conditions across Washington, Oregon, and Idaho for the 2024 water year (October 1, 2023–September 30, 2024).
Late March 2025 Climate Outlook
What’s Next for the Pacific Northwest?
El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO): Weak La Niña conditions are expected to transition to neutral conditions in the next month.
La Niña conditions continue to weaken driven in large part by warming sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Tropical Pacific.
Has it seemed cold and snowy during February in recent years?
Some folks have been remarking on how often it has been cold and sometimes snowy in February during the past decade or so. In part this can probably be attributed to the just-completed February of 2025, which has been the snowiest month of the winter for much of the state, especially at lower elevations on both sides of the Cascade Mountains.
Read moreFebruary 2025 Climate Outlook
What’s Next for the Pacific Northwest?
El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO): Our weak La Niña persists this February.
La Niña conditions are still present according to the Climate Prediction Center (CPC). Sea surface temperatures (SSTs) are running -0.6°C below normal in the Niño 3.4 region, which is an important indicator region for determining ENSO phases.
Detecting La Niña in a Changing Climate
Global oceans have been very warm since 2023
It is no secret that global Sea Surface Temperatures (SSTs) have been steadily increasing for decades (Fig. 1) due to climate change. Notably, conditions since 2023 have been considerably warmer (highlighted in yellow on Fig.
Washington State Climate Office Launches New Website, Advancing Strategic Goals
The Washington State Climate Office (WASCO) has officially launched a new website and introduced an updated visual identity, marking a significant step forward in the Office’s ongoing evolution. This milestone comes nearly a year after the release of WASCO’s strategic plan and demonstrates a continued commitment to expanding climate services, strengthening science communication and community engagement, and supporting informed decision-making in the pursuit of state-wide and regional climate resilience using historical climate data and seasonal forecasts.
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