Charlie Phillips

Back in June, most extended forecasts were calling for near or slightly cooler-than-average temperatures for the Pacific Northwest with near or slightly below-average precipitation. It was a reasonable forecast; […]

October is a month of changes. Leaves turn from green to red, the weather turns from sunny to stormy, and the Mariners – at least for the last 21 years – hang up their cleats until the following spring.

But not […]

5:30 pm

This weather event has played out as expected so far, with gusty, very dry easterly winds over parts of Western Washington and Western Oregon and rapid growth on existing fires. Smoke has also spread […]

A critical fire weather event is now underway for SW Washington and Western Oregon. Satellite imagery shows two large smoke plumes emanating from the Double Creek Fire in Central Oregon and the Goat Rocks Fire in […]

Summer 2022 is one that Pacific Northwest seasonal forecasters would like to have back. On the heels of a very wet and cool spring, and with La Nina conditions persisting in the Tropical Pacific, forecasters […]

6:30 pm EDT

Most wildfire starts during Pacific Northwest summers occur on just a couple of days, when large dry lightning outbreaks impact the region. The most extreme dry lightning outbreaks can cause […]

7am Sunday

As you’ve probably heard by now, the Pacific Northwest will experience a significant, prolonged heat wave this week. Excessive Heat Watches are currently in effect for the Willamette Valley, N […]

11 pm Saturday

After the coldest spring on record for portions of the Pacific Northwest, true summertime warmth has finally arrived! Seattle reached 77 Friday and 86 today, and Portland hit 84 Friday and 93 […]

We are finally starting to see some summer-like weather over the Pacific Northwest. I went for a nice bike ride on Sunday down to West Point in Discovery Park, and the weather was absolutely perfect, with highs t […]

La Ninas typically feature cool and wet springs, and the 2021-2022 La Nina has had that in spades. According to Chief Fox12 Meteorologist Mark Nelsen, Portland just experienced its wettest April on record, the […]

Yes – the rumors are true. There is a chance of lowland snow tonight into Monday morning for Southwest Washington and Northwest Oregon. Some spots over Washington have already seen some snow showers this m […]

Most La Ninas and El Ninos peak in December or early January. In fact, El Nino was first called “El Nino de Navidad” (translated from Spanish to “the Christ Child”) by Peruvian fisherman in the 1600s due to its […]

Yesterday, I went for a stroll through through Azalea Way in the Washington Arboretum, a gravel path lined by cherries, azaleas, rhododendrons, and many other beautiful flowers, shrubs, and trees. Azalea Way has a […]

Meteorological spring begins on March 1st, and you can feel it in the air. After 1.25” of rain on 2/27 and an incredible 2.97” on 2/28, the weather since Tuesday 3/1 has been tranquil, with partly cloudy skies int […]

On Friday, my brother and I traveled up to Stevens Pass and had an amazing time skiing in the sunshine. Conditions were a little icy to begin, but after 11am or so, the south-facing slopes on the backside of the […]

In a blow to professional meteorologists, a recent poll of 2,000 Americans showed that 58% of U.S. adults believe that Punxsutawney Phil seeing his shadow is an accurate indicator of whether there will be winter, […]

Beginning around 1/14, a strong ridge of high pressure began to form over the Pacific Northwest, and although a few weak systems passing over it have brought a few sprinkles to Western Washington and Oregon at […]