Earlier this week, I was hiking up Candy Mountain with my wife. As we were headed up the slope, I noticed a lot of dust being lifted off a construction site on Kennedy Road. There had been occasional gusts, so at first I thought this was just a strong one, but a within a few […]
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 […]
Here’s a list of all the records we broke since February 1
This post has been updated with data through March 15. With snow still on the ground following our exceptional last month and a half, I thought it would be fun to list the records we broke or got close to breaking. These records are for the Tri-Cities and are considered unofficial. I’ve listed the old […]
Will we break March’s snowfall record?
March is a beautiful month. Highs in the 50s, lows in the 30s. Warm enough to be able to go outside without more than a sweater but definitely not close to the heat we experience in the summer. That is, except for this year. So far this month, we have broken four daily record lows […]
It won’t be Snowmageddon, but we will have snow
Thursday afternoon, the National Weather Service in Pendleton posted Winter Storm Watches for their entire warning area. For the Tri-Cities and Hermiston, the statement calls for 3-6 inches of snow falling Friday Night through Saturday Night. Right now, they’re expecting 3-5 inches in Walla Walla and Pendleton for Friday Night through Sunday Morning. This is […]
We need to close the Pacific Northwest Radar Gaps
Doppler radar is one of my favorite tools for viewing weather data. Its amazing to me that using radio waves, we can see light rain and snow, tornadoes, and fine details in hurricanes. Not only can we see where these are, but we can also estimate wind speeds, freezing levels, and hail sizes – all […]
Excessive Heat Watch issued for Wednesday and Thursday
Well, I’ll start this update off with an apology. In my last update, I wrote about a major pattern change that would essentially mark the end of our 100-degree days for the season. In fact, I’ll even directly quote myself: “This shouldn’t even lead you to believe that we won’t hit 90 again at some […]
Major pattern change incoming
If you’re cursing the heat and feeling like it’s been warmer than usual, you’re not wrong. We haven’t set any records this July for the Tri-Cities, but our average high for this month has been 95.3, nearly four degrees above the “average average” (hope that’s not too confusing) of 91.4. I had a brief reprieve […]