December 2025 was a wild month for weather across Washington.
An atmospheric river dumped historic amounts of rainfall on northwest Washington in early December, leading to flooding, landslides, and power outages.
A few days later, a windstorm swept across eastern Washington. Gusts of 83 miles per hour were recorded in Pullman, accompanied by an unusual winter thunderstorm.
In this episode, Josh Ward and Jon Contezac discuss significant weather events of 2025. They are field meteorologists for Washington State University’s AgWeatherNet.
The past year was the third hottest on record for the planet. It was the fourth hottest on record for the … » More …
Palm Springs hit 124 degrees. Alaska had the wettest July on record. Washington DC tied its record for the most consecutive days with temperatures over 100. Hurricane Beryl became the earliest category five hurricane in history. And a Chicago derecho spawned 32 tornadoes in single day.
“All of that happened just in July, which is just astonishing,” says Josh Ward, field meteorologist for Washington State University’s AgWeatherNet.
Last year was another year for weather extremes in the United States, Ward notes. As of November 1, the nation experienced 24 weather and climate disasters … » More …
The Pacific Northwest is hotter than it used to be, and the growth in hot days will continue. Global temperatures are projected to warm by 3.6°F (2°C) over pre-industrial levels by the 2040s to the 2060s, according to recent research. That means more days over 95°F in Washington.
Click on the map below to see how Washington counties will be affected by more days of extreme heat in that projection.
2023 was a year of weather extremes, with damaging floods, fires, and storms unfolding across the globe.
The United States logged a historic number of billion-dollar weather disasters, while smoke from Canada’s wildfires choked parts of the country.
“It’s kind of odd to be talking about our neighbor just to the north, but they really did have such a big impact in North America and also globally,” says Nathan Santo Domingo, a field meteorologist with Washington State University’s AgWeatherNet.
Besides the highest ever reported number of acres burned, the Canadian wildfire season was unusual for its longevity. “Wildfire season got going … » More …
The Cook Agronomy Farm at Washington State University uses smart sensors to prepare for climate change effects on crops, help farmers be more precise and efficient, and study soil on agricultural lands.
Read more about automation and precision agriculture in “Smarter orchards.”
On the south end of Puget Sound, where I lived for a number of years, water surrounds Olympia: Black Lake, Budd Bay, Capitol Lake, inlets, rivers, and creeks. It’s part of the picturesque scenery that I enjoyed daily, until I saw a half-submerged SUV at an intersection. The storms of 2007 flooded some streets, not to mention covering I-5 just south in Centralia. Water had become an unexpected hazard.
We can expect even more heavy storms and major floods, especially in the Midwest and Northeast, as the climate changes. Floods that were once seen every 20 years are projected to happen as much as … » More …
Somewhere in the dryland wilds of eastern Washington, Michael Neff and his wife stop the car.
“I’ve always wanted to hike these dunes,” he says to her. “I could not believe the grasses that were stabilizing those dunes!” Neff says later. He refuses to identify where, exactly, the dunes in question are located. “It’s those little pockets of diversity that we need to identify and preserve,” he explains, almost—but not quite—apologetic.
Trained as a botanist and now a professor of molecular biology at Washington State University, Neff expands on why this is important: “If we’re going to be resilient in the face of climate … » More …
Last August, shifting sands on a well-trafficked beach along Oahu’s west coast revealed 400-year-old carvings left behind by Hawaiian indigenous people. The 17 petroglyphs etched into the sandstone on Waianae Coast, and the stories they tell, had never been recorded. Without the right conditions, they may have remained hidden for years or centuries.
Archaeological sites like the one in Hawai‘i, or ancient buried pyramids and tombs in Egypt, open up their secrets when the conditions are right, but sometimes even plainly visible ruins hold mysteries. Mesa Verde’s astounding Cliff Palace and other Pueblo sites provide insight into the continent’s past civilizations to … » More …
WSU meteorologist Nic Loyd is stuck on one word for last October’s Washington weather: Wet.
Make that two words: Abnormally wet. Sea-Tac measured over 10 inches of rainfall. Even dry Yakima saw almost 2-1/2 inches. But the undisputed epicenter of soggy conditions was Spokane which registered not only their rainiest October ever, but the highest precipitation for any month ever recorded: a whopping 6-1/4 inches. That’s remarkable when compared to an average October rainfall of just 1-1/4 inches. Especially given that their typical annual total is just over 16 inches.
Loyd says this was due to an unusually deep and persistent trough of low pressure … » More …
