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. Thanks to the marine air and diverse geography, the state rarely experiences severe weather patterns like the damaging hurricanes or tornadoes Jim Cantore covers. You won’t see Washington on The Weather Channel much. The river’s hydroelectric dams provide renewable, low-cost energy to businesses throughout Washington. The Columbia Gorge, with its spectacularly eroded walls that rise up 3,000 feet (76.2 m) from the Columbia River, adds to the natural beauty of this part of the state. The rich volcanic soil and dry weather creates an ecosystem that is ideal for agriculture and food manufacturing – more than 300 crops are grown in Eastern Washington. In terms of geography, Central Washington is almost plains-like, giving way to rolling hills as you travel east. 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). Summers are much hotter and winters are much colder compared to the western half of the state. In Spokane, which marks the eastern edge of the state, rainfall averages 15 to 30 inches (38 to 76 cm) a year. In the center part of the state, the climate is a blend of coastal and continental weather and rainfall is approximately 7 to 9 inches (18 to 23 cm) annually. Annual rainfall is far less than in Western Washington. 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 mountains can get up to 200 inches (508 cm) of snowfall a year, creating a paradise for winter sports enthusiasts. The Cascades capture most of the rain that would otherwise fall in Eastern Washington. Just as the Pacific Ocean and Olympic Mountains influence Western Washington, the Cascade Range affects the weather and climate in the eastern part of the state. Rainier, one of the tallest peaks in the continental United States, commands the view to the south. The region is surrounded on all sides by mountains: the Olympic range to the west, Cascade range to the east, Mt. Few homes have air-conditioning.įrom most vantage points in the greater Seattle area, you can readily see evidence of the geologic upheaval that forged Washington’s magnificent features over thousands of years. July and August are the driest months in Western Washington January and February the wettest. 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. Annual rainfall in the greater Seattle area is about 37 inches (94 cm). Snow is rare, but winter temperatures can easily dip into the 20s and 30s (-6° to -1° C) at night. Summer days rarely rise above 79° (26° C) and winter days are seldom below 45° (8° C) during the day. The weather is relatively mild in Western Washington. The result is a landscape that is ever changing and often breathtaking. This same glacial activity also created the many islands that dot the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound. This includes the three lakes that dictate the geography of the greater Seattle metropolitan area: Lakes Union, Washington and Sammamish. Western Washington is hilly and even mountainous in places with lots of rivers and lakes. Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, Vancouver and Bellingham are all located on the west side of the state.Īs the glaciers retreated during the last ice age, they carved their memories into the land. Western Washington is the most densely populated approximately 60% of the state’s population lives west of the mountains. The Cascade Mountain Range divides the state into two parts – Western Washington and Eastern Washington.
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