As we enter the warm portion of the year, differences between Portland and Seattle temperatures are again becoming evident. Seattle has a far more maritime climate than Portland and thus is considerably cooler during the summer. In fact, the Willamette Valley as a whole has a far more continental climate than the Puget Sound...
Extraordinary Skill for Extended Weather Forecasts
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How far into the future are weather forecasts skillful? By that I mean: how far into the future can we forecast specific weather features--perhaps the intensity and position of a low pressure center or the position of a front or whether they will be rain during the early morning hours. Such forecasts contrast with climate prediction,...
Strong Thunderstorm Hits Portland
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For the second day in a row, convection and thunderstorms developed over the Cascades and rolled into the western lowlands...in this case hitting southwest Washington, Portland, and the northern Willamette Valley. Mark Albright, past WA state climatologist, reported that an observer in downtown Vancouver just W of I-5 ...
Falling Trees, Thunder, Strong Winds and a Problem Forecast
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This morning I didn't plan on biking home in strong winds, rumbling thunder, light rain and a blocked bike trail....but it happened. During the second half of the afternoon thunderstorms developed over and to the west of the Cascade crest and then moved over the Puget Sound lowlands. Strong outflow from the thunderstorms produced gusts...
Understanding Ellensburg's Wind
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As we move into the late May and June regime of low clouds (a.k.a. June gloom), experienced west side residents know that crossing the Cascades--east of Cle Elum and down into Ellensburg-- can bring welcome sun. A fancy resort, Suncadia, has been built for sun-starved travelers in Cle Elum, and even more sun can be found if you descend I-90 to...
Snowpack, Spring Floods, and Why the Northwest is Better than California
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Yes, the weather has turned cool and wet again, with snow falling in the higher passes and upper mountain slopes. Paradise at Mt. Rainier received ten inches yesterday (see pic). But we have a really good snow pack and lots of water for this summer. Here is the latest snow pack in terms of percentage of normal. Most of...
Solar Eclipse from Space
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Let me show you something that is pretty amazing.It was cloudy over most of the Northwest and thus we were unable to see the annular solar eclipse from the ground...disappointing! But if you can't see it from the ground, why not enjoy the view from space?Can you see the eclipse from one of the National Weather Service (NWS) weather satellites? ...
