Our monthly newsletter features a Climate Matters article, detailing a specific aspect of Washington’s weather and climate. These articles are archived here and categorized by topic area and date.
What is the Chance of a White Christmas?
Many WA residents feel the same as Bing Crosby, our native son crooner who incidentally was born in Tacoma and raised in Spokane, and dream of a white Christmas. Others are not so keen on the idea, with memories of the treacherous streets and roads across most of Washington State during the holiday season of 2008.
Read moreThe Timing of Seasonal Closures of Mountain Passes in WA State
Storms are beginning to roll into the Pacific Northwest more or less on cue with the usual start to the wet season. But when is it liable to cool down enough for snow in the high country and hence winter recreation?
Read moreBack-to-Back La Niña and the Weather of the PNW
There are increasing indications that La Niña conditions will be present in the tropical Pacific during the upcoming winter. As most of the readers of this newsletter are aware, this is right on the heels of a La Niña event during the previous winter and spring of 2010-11.
Read moreOn the Recent Cool Temperatures in WA State
It is widely appreciated that relatively cool weather has plagued, or blessed, depending on your point of view, Washington State since the end of February 2011 as illustrated in the temperature time series for Seattle and Spokane (Figure 1).
Read moreNOAA’s New Climate Normals
The standard climate normal, or the 30-year average of weather conditions, is changing. Most anomalies and comparisons to normal conditions have been discussed using the average conditions between 1971 and 2000, but NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) has unveiled the “new normals” on July 1.
Read moreThe Spring Transition in the Winds Along the WA Coast and its Effects on the Coastal Ocean
There is a seasonal cycle in the prevailing winds along the coast of Washington state. Winter winds are generally from the southwest, with considerable variability due to the passage of storms, and summer winds are generally from the northwest, with intermittent periods of southerlies.
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What is Spring?
As summarized in this newsletter, it was a remarkably cool and wet April for Washington state in 2011. All the grumbling about the lousy weather, in particular the common lament that it seemed like winter was never going to end, begs an interesting question.
Read moreAssessing One’s Carbon Footprint
The issue of global warming may seem remote to many residents of the Pacific Northwest, especially as winter weather has returned with a vengeance at the time of this writing. Nevertheless, global warming and climate change are real, and will have serious repercussions for the environment and human society.
Read moreOn 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).
Read morePollution 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.
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