Weather reports on whatever I decide to report on.
The National Drought Mitigation Center updates their Drought Monitor every Thursday, outlining the geographic details of drought conditions throughout North America. In today’s update, the extreme drought category was expanded to include much of Eastern Washington from the Tri-Cities northeast toward the Spokane area. Previously, only small sections near Prosser and Waitsburg were seeing extreme […]
The Tri-Cities Airport observed its first 100 degree reading Wednesday afternoon thanks to this early June heatwave, leading to a new record. The preliminary high temperature was 104°, beating the old record of 103° set in 1986. A heat advisory remains in effect for the Columbia Basin until 20:00 Thursday with upper 90s likely for […]
This Spring will go down as the third driest on record for the Tri-Cities as dry conditions continue to plague much of the American West. A total of 0.31 inches of rain was observed during the months of March, April, and May (meteorological spring). Tri-Cities Driest Springs Rank Year Precipitation 1 1964 0.06″ 2 1900 […]
Early Monday morning, the National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for the Columbia Basin. That advisory will still start at 11:00 Tuesday but now extends to 20:00 Thursday. It includes the Tri-Cities, Yakima, Walla Walla, Hermiston, and surrounding areas. FORECAST This heatwave comes just in time for the start of meteorological summer, which begins […]
When discussing weather, there is a lot of comparison to “average” or “normal” conditions in a given place. These represent an expected temperature, precipitation, or other value averaged over a 30-year period for stations around the world. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), parent agency of the National Weather Service (NWS), calculates these averages […]
The lowlands of the Inland Northwest should lose much of their snow this week as high temperatures slowly rise into the 40s. While some flooding may occur in small streams and low lying areas, larger rivers like the Umatilla, Walla Walla, and Yakima are forecast to remain below flood stage. The snow certainly is deep, […]
Light rain showers fell on parts of the Columbia Basin Monday evening. These brought an insignificant amount of rain, with the Tri-Cities Airport only recording a trace (meaning it wasn’t enough to measure). What made it stand out, however, was the amount of dust it left behind. Dust mixing in with rain happens from time […]
The first atmospheric river event of the season is taking aim for the Pacific Northwest, bringing widespread rain to the region beginning on the coast Tuesday night and spreading inland to moisten the ground in the Tri-Cities Wednesday night. It will be backed by a cold front spawned by a low pressure system that will […]
The heat wave that is gripping the Columbia Basin will draw to a close over the next day or so. The upper-level ridge of high pressure influencing the pattern over the Inland Northwest will start moving to the east, allowing a trough located offshore to migrate closer to the Pacific Northwest. With the approach of […]
A ridge of high pressure will build over the next couple days, bringing a steady climb to high temperatures across the Columbia Basin for the remainder of the week. Current indications are that highs will reach their peak Sunday with highs at or above 105°. The warmest locations will be in the lower elevations, such […]