Climate Matters | Washington State Climate Office

Feb 9, 2017 | Climate Matters, Forecasts

Skill of Seasonal Weather Forecasts from NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center

The last section of our newsletter features reproductions of monthly and seasonal weather forecasts for WA from NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center (CPC). How good actually are these forecasts?
We analyzed an archive of past CPC temperature and precipitation seasonal forecasts, and corresponding observations, for the years of 1995-2015 in Washington State.

Jan 5, 2017 | Climate Change Report, Climate Matters

Climate Change and Our Natural Resources: A Report from the Treaty Tribes in Western Washington

A group of twenty member tribes of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission (NWIFC) recently released a report detailing how climate change is apt to impact the ocean, freshwater and terrestrial systems of western Washington.

Dec 8, 2016 | Climate Matters, Rain and Snow, Trends

Trends in Lowland Snow in Washington State

Most readers of this newsletter are probably aware of the warming of winter temperatures in Washington state. In specific terms, from near the end of World War II to the present, average winter (November through February) temperatures have increased by about 2 degrees F.

Nov 3, 2016 | Air Quality and Wildfire, Climate Events, Climate Matters

Winter Air Pollution in Washington State

Here we revisit a topic discussed in a previous edition of this newsletter (January 2011), and that is particulate pollution during the winter in Washington state. There is some good news, but it remains a public health hazard at times in many parts of the state.

Oct 5, 2016 | Climate Matters, El Niño/La Niña and Global Climate Oscillations, Forecasts

Winter Preview: What can we expect?

Now that our nights are getting longer and that familiar fall chill is in the air, folks are beginning to wonder what to expect for the upcoming 2016-17 winter. The El Niño of winter 2015-16 has been long gone, and neutral ENSO (El Niño-Southern Oscillation) conditions took its place this past summer.

Sep 6, 2016 | Climate Events, Climate Matters, Climate Review, Seasonal

1954 – The Year Without a Summer

The summer of 2016 in WA state has had kind of a dual personality. From the middle of June into August, near to slightly below normal temperatures mostly prevailed during the part of the year that is typically the warmest.

Aug 3, 2016 | Climate Matters, Clouds and Fog, Seasonal

Summer Weather in WA: Is it cooler because it is cloudier or cloudier because it is cooler?

With exceptions such as a warm spell near the end of July, WA state has experienced relatively cool and cloudy weather since the first week of June 2016, at least as compared with the same period during the last 3 summers.

Jul 8, 2016 | Climate Events, Climate Matters, Climate Review, Extreme Heat, Rain and Snow

July 1960- Washington State’s Driest Month

An unofficial nickname for Washington is the “Evergreen State”; the term is included on our vehicle license plates. But we actually enjoy a Mediterranean climate with wet winters and dry summers, and much of the state is more brown than green during the summer.

Jun 14, 2016 | Climate Matters, Seasonal, Trends

Long-term Trends in Spring Temperatures and Recent Conditions

If you’ve been a resident of WA State for only the last two years, you may be under the impression that summer comes early around here. The springs of 2015 and 2016 have been abnormally warm and dry for a majority of the state, lending a hand to this misimpression.

May 5, 2016 | Climate Matters, El Niño/La Niña and Global Climate Oscillations

The Pacific Decadal Oscillation: How much longer will it remain in the positive state?

There is a close association between the short-term climate variability of the Pacific Northwest and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). The PDO is fundamentally a mode or pattern of North Pacific sea surface temperature variability; Figure 1 shows the monthly PDO index since about 1970.