Climate Matters | Washington State Climate Office

Jun 5, 2015 | Climate Matters, Climate Review, Drought and Soil Conditions

Three Flavors of Drought in the PNW

With the topic of drought the focus of numerous local and national news stories of late – whether it’s the current Pacific Northwest (PNW) drought, the devastating multiyear California drought, or the torrential, drought-ending rains in Oklahoma and Texas – it is a good time to review a paper published in 2010 by current and former OWSC staff on different “flavors” of drought in the PNW.

May 6, 2015 | Climate Matters, Rain and Snow

Extreme Precipitation Events in Washington State during the month of May

One year ago (May 2014), this newsletter included a piece on the historical record of extreme short-term precipitation events in Washington state, with a focus on whether there were any noticeable trends in the frequency and intensity of these event.

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 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 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.

Sep 4, 2014 | Climate Matters, Ecology

Growing Hops in Washington State

Due to the passage of I-502 by Washington state voters in November 2012, legal agricultural production has commenced for a notorious member of the family Cannabacaeae. This highlight is about another member of this family that WA state is known for and that is hops (Humulus lupulus).

Aug 5, 2014 | Climate Matters, El Niño/La Niña and Global Climate Oscillations

Skill in ENSO Model Prediction

We have previously discussed the skill of seasonal weather predictions for winter in this newsletter (March 2014 edition). One of the most important sources of information for these seasonal forecasts is the future state of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO).