The first half of October brought mostly sunny skies and warm temperatures to the Pacific Northwest as a persistent ridge of high pressure sat overhead, forcing the storm track into Southeast Alaska. The Tri-Cities have recorded ten days with highs at or above 80° so far this month, tying the record set in 1945. Temperatures […]
Construction at Salt Lake Airport may be producing erroneously high temperatures at weather station
Like many places in the Western United States during summer of 2022, Salt Lake City has been tying old records and setting new ones. Earlier this summer, Salt Lake City International Airport recorded a high of 107°F tying the old all-time record. All six of the first six days of September recorded highs at or […]
Late season heat advisory for the Lower Columbia and Yakima Valley
A building ridge of high pressure this week is forecast to bring a late-season heatwave to the Pacific Northwest. This has prompted the National Weather Service in Pendleton to issue a heat advisory from 11:00 to 20:00 Wednesday for the Lower Columbia Basin and Yakima Valley. This includes the Tri-Cities, Yakima, and Hermiston, but excludes […]
Geology of the Satus Pass area, Washington
Satus Pass is a small mountain pass on the east side of the Cascades. Traversed by US 97, the pass lies between Goldendale to the south and Toppenish to the north. The ridge the pass cuts through forms the southern boundary of the Yakama Nation in this part of the region. To the south, land […]
Tri-Cities no longer experiencing drought or abnormally dry conditions
For the first time since November 2019, the Tri-Cities is no longer listed as having drought or abnormally dry conditions according to the National Drought Mitigation Center, which maintains the U.S. Drought Monitor. The scale this center uses starts with abnormally dry (D0) then proceeds from moderate drought (D1) to exceptional drought (D4). At the […]
Marginal (level 1/5) risk of severe weather for the Tri-Cities area on Wednesday
Monsoon moisture is surging into the Inland Northwest Tuesday evening as an upper level low spins off the coast of Oregon. On Monday, I reported that Wednesday was likely to see thunderstorm activity pushed eastward into Idaho and Utah because of how close the low was expected to be to the Washington coast. Updated models […]
Low chance of thunderstorms for the Tri-Cities area Tuesday
Over the next couple of days, the Columbia Basin is forecast to see highs in the 100s, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a heat advisory for the region. It is in effect from 12:00 Monday to 23:00 Tuesday. This heatwave is much smaller and shorter in comparison to the one at the end […]
First winter storm warning of Fall 2022 issued by Alaska meteorologists
Fall is my favorite season, and one of the signs of the season’s approach is the first winter storm warning of the year in the country. Not shockingly, this almost always occurs in Alaska and 2022 is no different. An upper level low pressure system is moving from the Russian Far East into Alaska, bringing […]
Short heatwave for the Columbia Basin, but temps won’t be as hot as the end of July
Well below average temperatures were observed throughout the Inland Northwest Friday as an upper level trough makes its way through British Columbia. The Tri-Cities recorded a high of 84° on Friday. The average for this time of year is in the mid 90s. Temperatures warm some Saturday, but will only be near average. The bulk […]
List of new Tri-Cities temperature records from the July 2022 heatwave
The heatwave that gripped the Pacific Northwest since the last week of July is finally drawing to a close, leaving behind several new temperature records. This event came during what is climatologically the hottest time of the year for the Tri-Cities meaning that the bar was already pretty high for temperature records. This heatwave extended […]