The warmest day of the week was able to produce record highs in the Tri-Cities and Walla Walla on March 19. Additionally, Hermiston tied their existing record for that date. Low elevation spots on the Hanford Site, around the Tri-Cities, and in the Hermiston area were able to tap 80°F (27°C) with widespread 70s (21-26°C) […]
Warm and sunny pattern to break down, Pacific Northwest returning to cool rain
Tuesday is likely to be the warmest day of this weather pattern for the Columbia Basin with the Tri-Cities reaching into the upper-70s (26°C). Temperatures in some areas west of the Cascades peaked on Monday. Portland recorded a high of 77°F (25°C), a new record for March 18, while Seattle peaked a few days ago. […]
Tri-Cities record first 70°F high of 2024
Upper level ridging continues to dominate conditions throughout the Pacific Northwest. This has produced highs above 70°F (21°C) in many lowland locations over the weekend. Quillayute, near Forks on the Olympic Peninsula, even recorded a high of 80°F (27°C) on Saturday. The Tri-Cities joined the club on Sunday with a high of 73°F (23°C). March […]
Strong ridge to develop over the Northwest, sunny skies and warm temps forecast
Leftover moisture and cold air aloft will be enough for scattered showers and isolated t-storms throughout the Pacific Northwest on Tuesday. These storms will be more widespread along and west of the Cascades and some may produce small hail and/or graupel. The Columbia Gorge, Hermiston, and the Tri-Cities will be breezy Tuesday into Wednesday as […]
Third cold front in a row to pass through Pacific Northwest on Monday
The third system in a train that started late last week is forecast to reach the Pacific Northwest during the day Monday. High clouds from this are already reaching the Interstate 5 corridor as of 07:00. Rainfall totals through Tuesday reaching half an inch (10 mm) are forecast for Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver with higher […]
Columbia Basin dry for the weekend but showers return Monday
Some drizzle was observed in the Tri-Cities area Thursday and Friday as a low pressure system worked its way through the region. That low is on its way east to bring some snow to the Plains and Canadian Prairies (with sharp temperature drops in places like Winnipeg). The Columbia Basin will be in between regional […]
Tri-Cities Summer Weather Stats
Meteorological summer (June through August) is over and that means we have lots of fun new data to pour through! This summer ended up being a mixed bag. We didn’t experience as extreme of heat as usual, but our mean temperature was somewhat above average. Interestingly, we were below average for precipitation. Let’s start off […]
Does a snowy winter lead to an unusually hot summer?
For my statistics class at WSU Tri-Cities, I had to do a research project on a set of data. Having heard repeated statements and questions along the lines of “since it was so snowy this winter, that means it will be unusually hot this summer, right?” When I learned I had to do this project, […]
Drought improvement continues across Pacific Northwest
With all the snow we’ve received in the Pacific Northwest over the past several weeks, it’s crazy to think that there are still some parts of the region still experiencing drought conditions. Almost all of the drought is centered in the Oregon Cascades and the high deserts south of John Day (with a small amount […]
Tri-Cities breaks record for most consecutive days without reaching 60°
As temperatures warm toward the 50s, we’re inching closer to average and into Spring. With us just coming off a cold spell that produced the coldest temperatures ever recorded in March it’s hard to believe that this seemingly warm weather is still below average. In a more normal year, our high temperatures would be right around […]