Weather in Washington

[the dufferz]

Everybody thinks that it always rains in Washington, and that the whole state is trees.

Washington is divided into two sections. The cascade mountain range blocks the weather systems from moving across the state. This leaves the area of western washington wet in the fall through the spring. Central and Eastern Washington are drier and have four defined seasons. The terrain in Eastern Washington is fairly flat and farmland is the norm.

[T.S.]

Originally Posted by the dufferz

Everybody thinks that it always rains in Washington, and that the whole state is trees.

Washington is divided into two sections. The cascade mountain range blocks the weather systems from moving across the state. This leaves the area of western washington wet in the fall through the spring. Central and Eastern Washington are drier and have four defined seasons. The terrain in Eastern Washington is fairly flat and farmland is the norm.

Good information. I have never been to Washington, but it does sound and look like it might be a nice state to live in. I will have to visit someday.

[NHYRNUT]

And Elk are plentiful still right.

[the dufferz]

Originally Posted by T.S.

Good information. I have never been to Washington, but it does sound and look like it might be a nice state to live in. I will have to visit someday.

Tourism for the state of washington is pretty big business, which is wierd because we have a reputation of so much rain. But heck, is you like nature with big city and historic stuff, this is a nice place to visit.... in the summertime! The best kept secret about Washington is that the summers here are dang nice!

What state are you from?

[the dufferz]

Originally Posted by NHYRNUT

And Elk are plentiful still right.

in Eastern washington there are elk, and elk hunting is a pretty big sport. Not near as much in Western washington where hunting big foot is a spectator sport

[T.S.]

Originally Posted by the dufferz

Tourism for the state of washington is pretty big business, which is wierd because we have a reputation of so much rain. But heck, is you like nature with big city and historic stuff, this is a nice place to visit.... in the summertime! The best kept secret about Washington is that the summers here are dang nice!

What state are you from?

Minnesota originally, North Carolina since this past summer, somewhere else in the near future.

[Plato]

Seems like the winters have gotten colder and wetter, and the summers hotter and drier last couple of years, wouldn't you say?

[the dufferz]

Originally Posted by Plato

Seems like the winters have gotten colder and wetter, and the summers hotter and drier last couple of years, wouldn't you say?

Well, the summers seem dryer, but not all that hotter. On second thought, I should say that the high temps as normal as has been, but the number of days that are warmer seem more.

The winters have not changed much... except for this year where we have been nailed by bad weather, most has been rain (15" in November). When I was a kid, we seem to have heavy snow every 7 years or so, but that had not been true for the last 20 years or so. I would say then, that this winter is the type I grew up with back in the 60's.

[swamp07]

Originally Posted by the dufferz

Well, the summers seem dryer, but not all that hotter. On second thought, I should say that the high temps as normal as has been, but the number of days that are warmer seem more....The winters have not changed much... except for this year where we have been nailed by bad weather, most has been rain (15" in November). When I was a kid, we seem to have heavy snow every 7 years or so, but that had not been true for the last 20 years or so. I would say then, that this winter is the type I grew up with back in the 60's.

yes, this winter is a strange one. I could use some of that heat we got with the 100F + days this summer. My friend in Spokane builds 'annualized solar gain homes' a good idea. (heating the ground around home during summer)

After 5 days of below freezing and with the current 30 mph wind @ 16F, the house is starting to get chilly. (46 in the mud room, 51 in daylight basement)

The clear days are very welcome, but it is supposed to rain tomorrow (that will be interesting with frozen ground). We are up against the cascades, but still on west side. Have had 37" RAIN since Nov 1, and ~ 12" snow. Unseasonably cold. A great year for the wood pellet industry to create a shortage... (ENRON #2) . A local supplier is rationing 5 bags per day, the other suppliers get it in, and unload direct from truck to customers, then they are w/o for the next week. Fortunatley I have a very good woodstove also, but it is working double duty today.


One of the issues I don't like is the rapid and humid changes. It went from freezing to 60F overnight a week ago, and my heavy shop tools took a beating (condensation). I spent a couple days oiling and getting the rust off the mill and lathes. I had heaters going but they could not keep up with the dew. Now we're back in the 'cold zone'. I will have to sell all my shop tools before moving to a dry climate. They came with me from Colo 'rust-free' but all have an oxide look about them now (26 yrs later). Building houses in the rain hasn't helped much...

[the dufferz]

Originally Posted by swamp07

yes, this winter is a strange one. I could use some of that heat we got with the 100F + days this summer. My friend in Spokane builds 'annualized solar gain homes' a good idea. (heating the ground around home during summer)

After 5 days of below freezing and with the current 30 mph wind @ 16F, the house is starting to get chilly. (46 in the mud room, 51 in daylight basement)

...

What I hear now is that we are supposed to be over the cold and snow in western washington, and the rest of the winter to be warm.

Oh, snow is predicted for tomorrow, so never mind.

[jabm67]

Actually, I'd refine what the_dufferz said. Eastern WA is ringed by mountains on three sides (west, north, and east). The Columbia basin is relatively flat, but that's only a bit more than half of the area east of the Cascades. The mountainous areas have trees; the non-mountainous areas don't, in a general way.

[MyAzi]

Originally Posted by the dufferz

What I hear now is that we are supposed to be over the cold and snow in western washington, and the rest of the winter to be warm.

Oh, snow is predicted for tomorrow, so never mind.

don't you have any pull?? MAKE IT STOP!!!!!

it just keeps snowing and snowing and now it is getting COLD!!!

[swamp07]

just stopped here, only a few inches (1pm, Tues)
Wind back to 10 mph, temp is 16F (wood stove having to fight to keep up with heat loss)
drifts limited to 2', but the wind swept areas are clear

[the dufferz]

well, here we go again! 2" in Bothell, kinda odd for this time of year, sorta. I have to keep reminding myself it is February.... for 2 more hours at least.

[Wyoming53]

Originally Posted by the dufferz

well, here we go again! 2" in Bothell, kinda odd for this time of year, sorta. I have to keep reminding myself it is February.... for 2 more hours at least.

I worked one year in Portland. But I stayed out in Skamania Washington in an RV park right below Beacon Rock. Was a beautiful area. When i first got there I thought it was raining all the time. But I learned what a dry rain was that everybody was always talking about. Although it was raining or misting, it wasn't enough to get you wet getting to the vehicle to drive to town. Took lots of pictures up there.

[WendyBG]

Originally Posted by NHYRNUT

And Elk are plentiful still right.

I can't vouch for the rest of WA, but the elk walk right past our town of Sequim. In fact, they walk to the field where I walk our dogs. The field is very large, and abuts on a farmer's field, where the elk (unwelcomely) graze on crops.

Since elk are wild animals, we don't try to get too close. However, without realizing it, the dogs and I walked within 100 feet of 3 bulls, each with large racks. They quietly drifted, behind some trees. They were magnificent. We quietly retreated.

The Sequim elk herd is not tame, and they are potentially dangerous, like all wild animals. However, they are so used to humans and dogs, that they aren't fazed, at all. Hunting them would be like hunting a herd of cows.

The mayor and town council of Sequim are real estate developers. Since the elk aren't compatible with development, they are trying to get rid of the elk. The mayor suggested that they be shot, and the meat given to the food bank. I think this is a <unladylike term> idea.

Wendy

[WendyBG]

Originally Posted by the dufferz

Washington is divided into two sections. The cascade mountain range blocks the weather systems from moving across the state.

Like the Cascades, the Olympic Mountains also cast a rain shadow. The small Olympic Rain Shadow (which includes the towns of Port Townsend, Sequim, and Port Angeles) combines the driness of eastern WA, with the moderate temperatures of western WA.

Wendy

[MyAzi]

Originally Posted by the dufferz

in Eastern washington there are elk, and elk hunting is a pretty big sport. Not near as much in Western washington where hunting big foot is a spectator sport

Originally Posted by the dufferz

well, here we go again! 2" in Bothell, kinda odd for this time of year, sorta. I have to keep reminding myself it is February.... for 2 more hours at least.

Sorry Duff... Plenty of elk in the North Bend/Snoqualmmie area.

And MAKE IT STOP!!! NO MORE SNOW!!!! We didn't get much but I know what is coming down now will be icy in the morning and living on this hill makes it difficult to move around!!!

[washington native]

since this kinda has become an elk thread, there are many, many elk south of centralia and through woodland ... from the coast to the cascades.

[the dufferz]

Lets combine the two topics.

I hear that elk like snow and rain.

[Jenbar]

I saw a herd of Elk walking, kind of on the side of the road, but it was further back on some hills, while driving through Colorado - to Texas. It was am amazing site!!

First time, outside of a zoo.

[washington native]

herds of up to 75 roam my folks' place just south of centralia during the early fall.

[jabm67]

The University of Washington has a new site for weather prediction, ProbCast. It seems to include several different weather model forecasts and merge them all together to get both a better forecast and a sense of the uncertainty in that forecast.

Looks like it's limited in geographic area to between 43 and 49.5 N latitude and west of 115.7 longitude (that's all of WA, SW edge of BC, most of the west edge of ID, and the north half of OR). I haven't finished experimenting with it. The "About ProbCast" information is interesting.

The UW's older weather data page is here. Pretty sure I've posted that link before, but it's good to have it where folks can find it.