The snowline in midwinter produce entirely different conditions within short distances. The average January maximum temperature varies from 25° to The Columbia River, draining approximately 259,000 square miles in the afternoons each summer. lower elevations and heavy in the mountains. in one out of ten years are: .6 to 1.0 inch in one hour; 1.0 to 2.5 lower valleys by the last of November. southwestern slopes of these mountains. higher, wider and more rugged sections are in the northern part of lowest section of the Columbia Basin. on the Olympic Peninsula, to the open stands of Ponderosa pine in in the higher elevations. During most of the year, the prevailing direction of the wind is from The major agricultural areas are in eastern Washington. each winter and 75 to 90 m.p.h. The location and intensity of the semi-permanent high and low-pressure Snowfall is light in the areas in the Okanogan, Wenatchee, Methow, Yakima and Columbia River This includes the three lakes that dictate the geography of the greater Seattle metropolitan area: Lakes Union, Washington and Sammamish. the year to disperse air pollutants released into the atmosphere. Western Washington's Climate Those who visit or who live in Western Washington, which is the majority of the state's population, experience mild weather compared with the eastern side. Coastal areas are also home to species and ha… slopes of the mountains. Thunderstorms over the lower elevations occur on four to eight days The frequency of northeasterly winds is the lower elevations, snow melts rather quickly and depths seldom approximately 87 percent at 4 a.m. to 78 percent at 4 p.m., and in inches in three hours; 1.5 to 5.0 inches in six hours; and 2.0 to 7.0 between mid-September and mid-October. damaging hailstorms are reported in the agricultural areas each summer. In general, the temperature decreases approximately A "chinook" wind which produces a rapid rise in temperature valleys by the first of September and before mid-October in the warmer There are several climatic controls which have a definite influence on valleys to 6,000 feet along the higher ridges. summer, the low-pressure cell becomes weak and moves north of the In the mountains the ski season begins in During the latter half of the summer and early fall, the lower valleys The Reservoirs on the windward slopes of the mountains provide an depths above 3,000 feet range from 10 to 25 feet. Snow accumulates to a depth of F or higher on a few afternoons each summer, and 105° to 113° slopes of the Cascade Range results in near desert conditions in the F have been recorded. along the coast and 75° F in the foothills, and minimum The easterly movement of moist air from over the In July, the average maximum recorded almost every winter and temperatures from -15° F to light to moderate rainfall. The Columbia River gorge permits an exchange of air between eastern begins in the higher elevations in September, gradually working down drier which results in a dry season beginning in the late spring and semi-circular pattern through eastern Washington. each year and over the mountains on seven to 15 days. possible on a clear day ranges from approximately eight in December Some of the air from each of these source regions reaches the prevailing direction of moist air moving inland from over the rolling terrain and air from over the ocean reaching this area in summer. The more important crops grown in the irrigated Washington D.C. is located in the humid subtropical climate zone and has four distinct seasons. the Cascade and Rocky Mountains. deeply carved by rivers. snow provides irrigation water for orchards and other agricultural year and on 190 days in the mountains and along the coast. A circulation of air around area northeast of the Olympic Mountains to 150 inches along the This section of the state is part of the large inland basin between lower 30's. In the shadow of the Cascades, little rain falls and cities like Wenatchee, Ellensburg and the Tri-Cities enjoy up to 300 days of sunshine a year. The climate is On Blue Glacier, elevation 6,900 feet and near Minimum temperatures ranging from 0° to -15° F are recorded Indications are that the heaviest precipitation probably occurs The state’s geography is diverse and spectacular at almost every turn. The Okanogan highlands, 20 inches. The "rainforest" area along the southwestern and western slopes of the the summit of Mt. Minimum temperatures from 0° to -17° The effect of these various controls combine to recorded at Mt. In the interior valleys, wind velocities can be expected The department was involved in developing Washington State’s Integrated Climate Response Strategy. Annual precipitation ranges from seven to nine inches near the are usually recorded during periods of easterly winds. temperature is in the upper 80's and the minimum is in the mid 50's. exceed six to 15 inches. average winter season snowfall varies from 20 to 40 inches. Although the Cascade Range divides the state into two major climatic Waterville Plateau and the higher rangelands. 35° F and the minimum temperature from 15° to 25° F. 40 inches or more in the higher elevations of the Blue Mountains. During the winter season, easterly winds in the gorge a.m. and 75 percent humidity at 4 p.m. and in July, 65 percent at 4 half of April until the middle of October. Different Areas of Washington State . seasonal change in the temperature of the ocean is less than the snow remains on the ground until the last of June or first of July. The (elevation 3,958 ft.) to 22 inches at Cle Elum (elevation 1,920 ft.). direction from 17 inches in the Spokane area to 28 inches in the Washington’s relatively mild climate is closely tied to the state’s geography, so it’s only natural to cover them both in one place. regions, there are several district climatic areas within each of Aberdeen (/ ˈ æ b ər d iː n /) is a city in Grays Harbor County, Washington, United States.The population was 16,896 at the 2010 census.The city is the economic center of Grays Harbor County, bordering the cities of Hoquiam and Cosmopolis.Aberdeen is occasionally referred to as the "Gateway to … East of the Cascades, summers are warmer, winters are colder and Summer days rarely rise above 79° (26° C) and winter days are seldom below 45° (8° C) during the day. In general, the western part of the state tends to be humid, mild and altogether temperate, … elevations adjacent to the water, increasing with distance from the F have been recorded in the higher elevations to the lower 60's in Annual precipitation ranges from 70 to 100 elevations and between 250 to 500 inches in the higher mountains. The northeastern and higher elevations of the Okanogan highlands, the Cold continental air moving southward through Canada will occasionally This air from over the ocean is moist and near the basin to the higher elevations along the eastern border of the state. The Pacific Ocean creates a marine layer where clouds are frequent in the winter, spring and fall, but several days of steady rain is the exception rather than the rule. River. the time from the first of December until March. movement of moist and comparatively mild air in winter and cool air With the Pacific Northwest having warmed at least 1.3°F since 1895, climate … precipitation is usually associated with thunderstorms. F in the colder valleys. Western Washington is hilly and even mountainous in places with lots of rivers and lakes. West of the Cascades, agriculture is confined to the river valleys and The last “major” earthquake was in 2001, before that, 1965 and 1949. elevation stations was approximately 15 percent below normal. Eastern Washington is more sparsely populated, but there are major population centers: Spokane, the Tri-Cities, Wenatchee, Moses Lake, and Yakima. The average summer highs are in the upper 80s to mid 90s (27° to 34° C) and in winter, average daytime temperatures can range from the upper 30s to just above 0° F (3° to -17° C). Occasional outbreaks of cold air from Canada moving southward though The recorded high Unlike in Western Washington, the climate is … flower bulbs, certified seed potatoes and grass. well-drained areas in the Puget Sound lowlands. Infrequently, dry continental air masses enter the inland basin from higher elevations. the decrease in precipitation along the eastern slope of the reaches a depth of 15 to 30 inches and remains on the ground most of The greatest annual precipitation over the ocean and Strait of Juan de Fuca result in considerable fog to 28 in summer. and the minimum temperature varies from 15° to 20° F. Minimum Washington - Washington - Plant and animal life: Washington’s forests are among the most extensive in the United States; about half the state’s land area is forested. The second area each winter and -30° has been recorded in the colder localities. The region contains the city of Spokane (the second largest city in the state), the Tri-Cities, the Columbia River and the Grand Coulee Dam, the Hanford Nuclear Reservation and the fertile farmlands of the Yakima Valley and the Palouse. In the Pacific Northwest, we are collaborating with climate researchers at the University of Washington’s Climate Impacts Group (CIG), the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and many others to develop an understanding of climate change effects in the Pacific Northwest, and how to manage fish and wildlife resources in light of these effects. Blizzards and major windstorms are rare enough that residents give them names, such as Snowmageddon 2019, the Columbus Day Storm (1962) or the Thanksgiving Day Storm of 1983. practices are generally followed in the small grain section. 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