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Washington State Climate Office

@wastateclimate.bsky.social
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Official Washington State Climate Office at the University of Washington account. Visit our website: climate.uw.edu

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Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
To learn more about the survey and to register for the upcoming Oregon-Washington Water Year 2026 recap and 2027 outlook meeting, visit: cig.uw.edu/2026/08/regi...
cig.uw.edu
Register Today for the Oregon-Washington Water Year 2026 Recap & 2027 Outlook Meeting | Climate Impacts Group
The 20th annual Oregon-Washington Water Year Meeting: 2026 Recap and 2027 Outlook will be held as two virtual morning meetings. There is no cost to attend but you are required to register. The goal of...
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Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
💧Happy First Day of Water Year 2027!💧 Now that Water Year 2026 is complete, we want to hear from you! Fill out the The Water Year 2026 Impacts Survey TODAY to help us better understand hydrologic impacts from October 1, 2025-September 30, 2026. 🔗 uwashington.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
Decorative image of diablo dam with the logos of the Climate Impacts Group, WASCO, NIDIS, OCS, and OCCRI.
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Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
#WAwx #WAClimate #ElNino
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Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Did you know one of the biggest impacts from El Niño can be an increased chance for coastal flooding? Read our September Newsletter for a summary of summer conditions, and outlook the fall, and our Climate Matters piece on implications of a very strong El Niño! climate.uw.edu/news/categor...
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Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Our August Newsletter is here! Read on for an update on recent drought conditions, a look at what our intensifying ENSO event may bring this winter, and a note on wildfire from the WA DNR Commissioner of Public Lands Dave Upthegrove. climate.uw.edu/news/categor...
U.S. Drought Monitor as of August 4th, 2026.
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Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
These conditions are expected for the June-August summer period.
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Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
A strong El Niño event would tilt the scales toward warmer and drier conditions this upcoming winter 2026-2027, but would have minimal impacts on the upcoming summer conditions.
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Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
The summer climate outlook is hot off the virtual presses. Drier 💧and warmer🌡️ than normal conditions are favored for summer. There is also growing confidence in the possibility of a strong El Niño event by this fall. Read more in our Late May Climate Outlook: climate.uw.edu/2026/05/27/l...
Summer outlook showing above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation are favored from June-August.
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Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
A strong El Niño event would tilt the scales toward warmer and drier conditions this upcoming winter 2026-2027, but would have minimal impacts on the upcoming summer conditions.
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Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
Our May Newsletter includes an update on early snowmelt conditions and a highlight on expectations for the Yakima Basin's summer water supply. climate.uw.edu/news/categor...
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Reposted by Washington State Climate Office
Washington State Department of Ecology @ecology.wa.gov · 08/04/2026
We just declared drought for the fourth year in a row. And this year, it’s statewide.
A map of Washington snowpack, showing many of the state's river basins below 50% of normal.
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Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
The April Newsletter is here! Read on for an update on April 1st snowpack conditions (TLDR: it isn't good), an outlook for upcoming spring conditions, and our Climate Matters piece detailing the impacts of last year's drought. climate.uw.edu/news/categor...
climate.uw.edu
News | Washington State Climate Office
A transition to neutral ENSO conditions is likely this spring, then a transition to El Niño conditions is likely (>75% chance) by fall 2026. ENSO has very little influence on summer conditions in our region.
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Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
Learn more about how seasonal conditions evolved into drought last summer: Reminder: This assessments details last year's drought conditions and does not necessarily reflect this year's conditions.
The image is an infographic titled "Water Year 2025 Timeline," featuring a timeline of weather conditions and climate impacts in the Pacific Northwest. At the top left, a purple mountain illustration signifies "Whiplash Winter Conditions," with bullet points describing December's wet conditions boosting snowpack, a dry January hindering snowpack development, and wet February and March causing flooding in Oregon. The timeline is divided into three sections: October-March, April-June, and July-September.

On the top right, the October-March section details April 1 snowpack levels as a percentage of normal for Washington (90%), Oregon (136%), and Idaho (108%). Below, the April-June section marks the period as the 4th driest and 10th warmest on record, with a raindrop and thermometer icon. Bullet points describe dry spring conditions leading to accelerated snowmelt and reduced streamflows. The July-September section reports regional drought expansion, with a colored map indicating drought declarations in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. The bottom notes continued drought with historically low streamflows.
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Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
@occri.bsky.social @larryoneill.bsky.social @nwcasc.bsky.social @cig-uw.bsky.social #PNWClimate #Drought2025 #drought #WAwx #ORwx #IDwx #Oregon #Idaho #Washington
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Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
‼️The 2025 PNW Water Year Impacts Assessment is here Last year, a warm and dry spring led to rapid snowmelt and low summer streamflows prompting drought emergencies in ID, OR, and WA. Explore regional impacts on water resources, agriculture, forests, and more. 🔗 www.drought.gov/documents/pa...
A photograph of pivot irrigation on dry, drown field near Wyatt, ID.
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Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
Read more about upcoming Spring conditions in our latest Climate Outlook. 🔗 climate.uw.edu/2026/03/20/l...
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Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
Beneficial mountain snow last week brought some of the largest gains in mountain snowpack of the season, but snowpack still remains well below normal. An ongoing widespread rain-on-snow melting event is now cutting into those gains. As of today, statewide SWE is 59% of normal. Source: NRCS
Graph of statewide SWE over the last water year showing large gains in snowpack over the last few weeks along with and early season melt event. Snowpack remains well below normal despite these late season gains. 

Source: https://nwcc-apps.sc.egov.usda.gov/awdb/basin-plots/POR/WTEQ/assocHUCwa3/state_of_washington.html
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Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
Read our latest newsletter for an update on climate conditions as of Wednesday, March 11: climate.uw.edu/news/categor... Since March 11, recent storms have brought beneficial mountain snowfall, but we still remain well below our normal snowpack for the season.
climate.uw.edu
News | Washington State Climate Office
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Reposted by Washington State Climate Office
Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center @nwcasc.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
🌿 In honor of World Seagrass Day, @uwnews.uw.edu s.uw.edu recently chatted with UW biology professor & Maria's NW CASC faculty advisor, Jennifer Ruesink, about what makes the seagrasses in WA unique ✨ Check out this great interview! bit.ly/3MBwMsQ
bit.ly
Q&A: For World Seagrass Day, UW professor explains the ‘prairies of the ocean’
Jennifer Ruesink, University of Washington professor of biology, studies the relationship between the environment and marine organisms, including eelgrass, the primary species of seagrass that resides...
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Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
Did you know we have a monthly newsletter that summarizes recent and upcoming weather and climate conditions across the state? ‼️ Sign-up to receive this newsletter in your inbox: climate.uw.edu/news/newslet... Read the February newsletter: climate.uw.edu/news/categor... #wawx #WAClimate
Image preview of the WASCO email newsletter featuring the January 2026 Climate summary and a photo of Mount Rainier.
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Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
La Niña likely ends in the next few weeks. 🗞️ A warm start to March is likely with wetter than normal conditions expected throughout the month. There are no clear signals for temperature or precipitation for the spring period (Mar-May). Read more: climate.uw.edu/2026/02/24/l... #wawx #WAClimate
6-10 Day outlook showing warmer than normal conditions in the beginning of March.
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Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
The 2015 snow drought was truly historic with much more widespread and severe deficits in most places than we are currently experiencing. Here is the April 1, 2015 SWE % of median map (left) and the current February 17, 2026 SWE % of normal map (right). [Note the color shading is a bit different].
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Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
This graph shows 2026 SWE (solid black line) and 2015 SWE (solid turquoise line) for WA+OR+ID. In the Pacific Northwest as a whole we are near 2015 levels, although we will likely continue to see some improvement in current SWE relative to 2015 over the next week or two.
Graph of SWE for the PNW showing 2026 SWE is near SWE levels during the 2015 snow drought.
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Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
The EarthLab Summer Internship Program is back! WASCO is looking for an intern to help us highlight successful climate adaptation case studies across Washington. 9 weeks of paid, hands-on work, mentorship + a community of peers across disciplines. 📅 Apply by 2/17! 👉 bit.ly/ELIntern26
Image announcing the 2026 Summer Internship Program. The photo reads "Apply your passion and skills towards finding equitable environmental solutions"
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Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
Roughly 44% of our median April 1 SWE comes after January 20. This number drops to only 34% by February 1. Given our dry forecast in the short-term, opportunities to makeup our snowpack deficit are shrinking quickly. We need an abnormally snowy end to winter to end up with normal snowpack.
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Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
Our snowiest months are typically December and January. Here's the average change in SWE by month, statewide: October: +0.3" Nov: +4.0" ❄️Dec: +7.5" ❄️Jan: +7.5" Feb: +5.6" Mar: +4.4" Source: nwcc-apps.sc.egov.usda.gov/awdb/basin-p...
nwcc-apps.sc.egov.usda.gov
AWS Plot
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Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
Most basins have below 50% of normal snowpack. We need a steady train of storms every few days to just keep our snowpack near normal in January, and recent dry weather has not been kind to our snowpack. Q: Can we make up this snowpack gap by spring? It is possible, but increasingly unlikely....
Current SWE across Washington sub-basins. Snowpack is largely near or below 50% of normal for this point in the winter.
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Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
Our January Newsletter is here!🗞️ In this month's newsletter we discuss record warm December temperatures 🌡️, a recap of the December floods 💧 and wet conditions, and an update on low snowpack conditions across much of the state ❄️ 🔗 climate.uw.edu/news/categor...
Map of above normal temperatures in December 2025. Source: Climate Toolbox

https://climatetoolbox.org/tool/Climate-MapperMap of wetter than normal conditions in December 2025. 

Source: Climate Toolbox

https://climatetoolbox.org/tool/Climate-Mapper
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Reposted by Washington State Climate Office
Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center @nwcasc.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
🔥 🌲 ⛰️ ❄️ 🦫 🌊 🦀 🐝 It's that time of year again! Grad students & postdocs doing #ClimateChange research @ BSU, OSU, PSU, UM, UW, WSU and WWU — You can now APPLY for NW CASC's 2026-27 Research Fellowship Program, supporting research+training in actionable sci! Deadline Mar 9 bit.ly/45RnoHC 1/4
Photo collage of NW CASC research fellows in the field.
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Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · 09/12/2025
Atmospheric rivers tend to be fairly warm, meaning precipitation tends to fall as rain, even in our mountains. As round two moves in today, we aren't likely to see much improvement in our mountain snowpack as unseasonably warm temperatures continue. Map from: 🔗 www.nrcs.usda.gov/resources/da...
Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) by basin as of midnight on the night of December 8. SWE is well below normal in the central and southern Cascades and the Olympics.
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Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · 09/12/2025
It was quite the rainy day across western Washington yesterday, but this event is not shaping up to be a big snow producer in the mountains. SWE at mountain stations from midnight on the 7th to midnight on the 8th (last night) shows little change. Data from 🔗 www.nrcs.usda.gov/resources/da...
The change in SWE at SNOTEL stations from midnight on December 7th to midnight on December 8th. Green and yellow values denote little change or even slight losses in SWE.
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Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · 01/12/2025
The deadline to fill out the PNW Water Year 2025 survey was extended to Friday, December 12th! ☀️🌧️ If you experienced impacts from abnormally dry or wet conditions anytime from 10/1/2024 – 9/30/2025, we'd love to hear from you! 🔗 Take the survey: uwashington.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
uwashington.qualtrics.com
2025 Water Year Impacts Survey
Water year 2024 has now ended and conditions were warmer than normal and drier than normal for a majority of the Northwest, on average. How was the Northwest (Washington, Oregon, or Idaho) impacted? ...
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Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · 24/11/2025
Map of September 2025 Temperature rankings by WA Climate Division. Record warm temperatures occurred across eastern Washington and Puget Sound.
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/monitoring/climate-at-a-glance/divisional/mapping
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Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · 24/11/2025
Now that NCEI data is flowing again, it is time to take a look at just how warm September 2025 was statewide: September was the warmest September in WA back to at least 1895! Temperatures were +5.2ºF above normal statewide for the month. Source: NCEI Climate at a Glance
Graph of statewide September average temperatures 1895-2025. There is a general warming trend over the time period of around 0.3ºF per decade and September 2025 was the warmest September on record by a decent margin. Source: NCEI https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/monitoring/climate-at-a-glance/statewide/time-series
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Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · 12/11/2025
The November Newsletter is here! Read on for a statewide recap of the 2025 Water Year, weather and climate conditions in October, and a look at the seasonal outlook for the next 3 months. climate.uw.edu/news/categor...
Photograph of pivot irrigation underway over a dry field with virga overhead. Virga is rainfall that evaporates before it reached the surface, leaving visible streaks or rain shafts in the air.
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Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · 27/10/2025
The longest streak at SeaTac is 586 days (1976-01-15 through 1977-08-22), and the 2nd longest is 582 days (1993-03-23 through 1994-10-25).
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Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · 27/10/2025
SeaTac Airport reported 1.04" of rainfall on Friday, October 24th ending SeaTac's impressive 546-day streak of daily total rainfall below 1.00". This was the third longest streak on record (records began at SeaTac in 1945).
Table of the longest streaks in SeaTac history.
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Reposted by Washington State Climate Office
Washington Mesonet @wamesonet.bsky.social · 24/10/2025
We completed #Mesonet site #59 last week in Poulsbo, WA! This is our sole location in Kitsap County. #wawx
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Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · 09/10/2025
Our October 2025 Newsletter is now live! September was likely the warmest September on record, and statewide drought continues. La Niña conditions are now in effect, and wetter than normal conditions are expected Oct.-Dec. Read about recent and upcoming conditions: climate.uw.edu/news/categor...
Scatter plot of September 2025 temperature and precipitation relative to all Septembers back to 1979. Source: https://climatetoolbox.org/tool/historical-climate-scatter
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Reposted by Washington State Climate Office
Washington State Department of Ecology @ecology.wa.gov · 07/10/2025
Happy October & Flood Awareness Month! Join us with @emd.wa.gov @oicwa.bsky.social & @wadnr.bsky.social this month to learn what flood tricks to look out for and some treats to help you be prepared. Check out our blog about flooding in WA & how to get flood risk maps: ecology.wa.gov/blog/october...
A flooded road with “road closed” sign at point where water is crossing the street.
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Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · 01/10/2025
Happy 2026 Water Year! Fill out the PNW Water Year 2025 Impacts Survey to let us know how WA, OR, and ID were impacted by abnormally dry or abnormally wet conditions during the 2025 water year (Oct 1, 2024 - Sep 30, 2025). Open through Nov 26, 2025. uwashington.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
Decorative banner image for the Annual PNW WY Impacts Survey.
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Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · 23/09/2025
EVENT RESCHEDULED: This event has been rescheduled to October 16th @ 1pm PT. If you are already registered for this event, your registration will carryover and you should have receive an updated calendar invite for the 16th. cig.uw.edu/news-and-eve...
cig.uw.edu
Our Climate Future Webinars | Climate Impacts Group
A CIG Webinar SeriesWe’re building a just and resilient world where people and nature thrive in a changing climate. This new webinar series will expand access to 30 years of research, data, and tools,...
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Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · 19/09/2025
Join us on Thurs, Sept. 25th @ 11am PT for a discussion of the resources available for understanding climate risk in the PNW! 🌊🌲🏔️ This is the latest installment of the Our Climate Future webinar series organized by @cig-uw.bsky.social . Register here: cig.uw.edu/news-and-eve...
cig.uw.edu
Our Climate Future Webinars | Climate Impacts Group
A CIG Webinar SeriesWe’re building a just and resilient world where people and nature thrive in a changing climate. This new webinar series will expand access to 30 years of research, data, and tools,...
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Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · 18/09/2025
Odds tilt toward favoring wetter than normal conditions across the state from October-December with greater uncertainty for temperatures. Sea surface temperatures in the Tropical Pacific continue to cool. La Niña conditions may develop in the next couple of months. climate.uw.edu/2025/09/18/l...
Climate Prediction Center October-December Temperature and Precipitation Outlook. Precipitation is most likely to be above normal for this period. Temperatures have equal chances of being below, above, or near-normal.
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Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · 10/09/2025
Read our full September Newsletter: climate.uw.edu/news/categor...
climate.uw.edu
News | Washington State Climate Office
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Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · 10/09/2025
Summer featured record heat and record dryness across large portions of the state. Read our August and Full Summer 2025 Climate Summary to learn more! climate.uw.edu/2025/09/08/a...
June-August 2025 precipitation and temperature percentile maps for Washington State, created using ClimateToolbox.org. Darkest brown and red shadings reflect record dry and warm conditions over this period, respectively.
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Reposted by Washington State Climate Office
Corey Garza @profcgarza.bsky.social · 26/08/2025
We are recruiting near peer mentors for the Valiant program. We seek one 4th year undergrad & one grad student to serve as mentors. Financial compensation provided. See the link below to learn more & apply. @uwsafs.bsky.social @uwenvironment.bsky.social uwashington.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
Logo for Valiant near-peer mentoring program featuring a scene of a mountain.
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Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · 21/08/2025
A La Niña Watch is in place. What might this mean for the upcoming fall and winter in Washington? Read our latest Climate Outlook to learn more: climate.uw.edu/2025/08/21/l... What can you expect over the next couple of weeks? More persistent summer heat continues statewide.☀️
climate.uw.edu
Late August Climate Outlook
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Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · 21/08/2025
🌡️Dangerous heat returns late this week and through the weekend. Then, summertime temperatures stick around in the PNW into early September. The Climate Prediction Center's short term outlooks show above normal temperatures are likely to continue through Sept 4.
CPC's 6-10 day outlook with above normal temperatures from August 27-31.CPC's 8-14 day outlook with above normal temperatures from August 29-September 4.
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Washington State Climate Office @wastateclimate.bsky.social · 21/08/2025
Do you live in Skagit or Island County? WSU Extension is offering a new Climate Stewards program with coursework and field trips on local climate topics. This fall session begins September 16th. Scholarships are available! Learn more and and register now: wsu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
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