Climate Matters | Washington State Climate Office

Feb 7, 2026 | Climate Matters, February 2026 Newsletter, Flooding and Streamflow

Just how big were the December 2025 floods?

This month we’d like to take a break from the news about the snow drought and look back at flooding that happened in December. Many agencies, utilities, and other managers are taking stock of the flooding now that it’s behind us.

Aerial photo of the Sauk Skagit confluence.

Jan 13, 2026 | Climate Matters, Climate Review, Drought and Soil Conditions, Flooding and Streamflow, January 2026 Newsletter, Rain and Snow

December 8-11, 2025 Heavy Rainfall and Flooding: Historical Context and a Note on Snow Drought

Event recap
Major flooding impacted western Washington and the eastern Cascades last month. Impacts included numerous washouts and landslides on roadways including a weeks-long shutdown of US-2 and lane closures on I-90.

A photograph of a CoCoRaHS rain gauge. The gauge is attached to a 4-6 foot wood pole located in an open field. Dark storm clouds are brewing in the background.

Dec 6, 2025 | Climate Matters, December 2025 Newsletter, Drought and Soil Conditions, Rain and Snow

Climate Matters: The CoCoRaHS Rain Gauge Network and a Tale of Two Hydrologic Extremes

On November 14-15, 2021, 4.67” of rain fell at Bellingham International Airport, setting a new record for that location. This storm brought with it the most devastating flood that Whatcom County has seen in decades.

Nov 7, 2025 | Climate Matters, Climate Review, Drought and Soil Conditions, November 2025 Newsletter, Rain and Snow, Temperature

Climate Matters: Water Year 2025 in Review

Water year 2025 is complete, and it’s time to take a look back and see how WA stacked up historically. The 2025 water year includes the 12 months from October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025, as opposed to the usual calendar year.

Oct 7, 2025 | Climate Matters, Climate Variability, El Niño/La Niña and Global Climate Oscillations, October 2025 Newsletter

Climate Matters: Haven’t there been a lot of La Niña winters lately?

Many regular readers of this column are aware of the effects of La Niña, and variations in the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) in general, on the overall weather of the Pacific Northwest during the cool season.

Sep 8, 2025 | Climate Matters, Rain and Snow, Seasonal, September 2025 Newsletter, Trends

Are Washington Summers Changing? A long-term look at Washington Precipitation Trends

If you have lived in Washington for long enough, you are probably well aware that our dry and sunny summers end predictably around October or early November when fall rains and cloud cover move in.

Aug 11, 2025 | August 2025 Newsletter, Climate Matters, Climate Variability, Extreme Heat, Temperature, Trends

Our Afternoon Heat Comes Later

Editor’s note (08/13/2025 4:30pm): Time of day was previously shown in standard time on the graphs below, in error. The graphs and text are now updated to Pacific Daylight Time.
One of the things I really appreciate about living here is how late it stays light out.

Jul 8, 2025 | Climate Matters, Climate Review, Extreme Heat, July 2025 Newsletter

A New Paper Synthesizing Studies on the June 2021 Pacific Northwest Heat Wave Now Available

The June issue of the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society (BAMS) featured a new paper synthesizing over 70 articles on the record-breaking June 2021 Pacific Northwest (PNW) heat wave. I am a co-author on the article, collaborating with experts at Oregon State University and Portland State University.

A landscape photo of Mt. Spokane State Park with a pink horizon and forested, dark ridges in the mid- and foreground.

Jun 6, 2025 | Climate Matters, Climate Review, Climate Variability, June 2025 Newsletter, Trends

Climatology of the Northeastern Washington Climate Division (#9)

In this edition of Climate Matters, we return to our Climate Division series in which we describe the local climate features in each of Washington’s 10 climate divisions, as defined by NOAA.

May 5, 2025 | Climate Matters, May 2025 Newsletter, Seasonal, Trends

Trends in the Timing of Spring Across Washington

There are a truly dizzying number of ways to measure the start of spring: Is it when lilacs start blooming and grapevines begin to leaf out? Or is it that first warm day of the season when local parks fill up?