Climate

Winter 2023

Weather Watch: Reflecting on a Year of Extremes with Nathan Santo Domingo

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 …

Winter 2021

The great recession

From satellite observation to boots on the ground, Northwest climate patterns and declining snowpack are laid bare. » More ...

Winter 2019

Winds of change

Understanding the capricious changes to our planet's winds keeps WSU and other atmospheric researchers' heads in the clouds. » More ...

Fall 2011

Above & Beyond

In the spring of 1792, George Vancouver praised “the delightful serenity of the weather.” A few years later, William Clark complained of a dour winter that was “cloudy, dark and disagreeable.” How right they both were. Weather patterns determined by mountains and ocean grant the Pacific Northwest a temperate climate that also has a dark and unpredictable side. » More ...