Editor’s note (08/13/2025 4:30pm): Time of day was previously shown in standard time on the graphs below, in error. The graphs and text are now updated to Pacific Daylight Time. One of the things I really appreciate about living here is how late it stays light out. I moved to Seattle from San Diego in 2008 (I know, another Californian), and that shift in latitude made a huge difference in the length of the day.| Washington State Climate Office
ENSO-neutral conditions are likely to continue through October according to the Climate Prediction Center (CPC). Neutral conditions make it more difficult to predict upcoming fall conditions. There are roughly equal chances of either La Niña or neutral ENSO conditions for the upcoming winter, with much lower chances of El Niño conditions. The 1-Month August outlook indicates low predictability for precipitation with equal chances of above, below, or near-normal precipitation, shown by t...| Washington State Climate Office
July was the fourth consecutive month with below normal precipitation statewide in Washington. Statewide, July 2025 was the 22nd driest month since 1895 with an average of only 0.27” of precipitation. Large portions of the state received less than 30% of normal precipitation including nearly all of western Washington and the central and southern Columbia Basin, as seen in the dark brown shading on the map above.| Washington State Climate Office
Streamflow continues to run well below normal in July 2025. The majority of basins are experiencing below normal (orange) or much below normal (red) streamflow. A few basins in northern Washington are experiencing record low flow. A 28-day graph of statewide runoff paints a similar picture of persistent and worsening hydrological drought this year. Statewide runoff has been below the 10th percentile since mid-May 2025.| Washington State Climate Office
July brought frequent warm spells across the state. In western Washington, July 16 brought the hottest temperatures of the season so far for most. On this day, SeaTac reached a high temperature of 94°F, and Seattle Sand Point WFO reached 95°F, breaking the previous daily record at Sand Point of 89°F set on July 16, 2018. Quillayute also set a daily high temperature record on July 15 with a high temperature of 90 °F.| Washington State Climate Office
The Puget Sound Climate Preparedness Collaborative is hosting a Planning for Heat in the Puget Sound Region webinar on August 12 from 2-3:30 pm PST. Karin Bumbaco, WASCO’s Deputy State Climatologist, will be presenting on the new June 2021 heat wave synthesis paper, along with presenters from the Washington State Department of Health, Pierce County Aging and Disability Resources, and King County.| Washington State Climate Office
Mid July Climate Outlook| Washington State Climate Office
The June issue of the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society (BAMS) featured a new paper synthesizing over 70 articles on the record-breaking June 2021 Pacific Northwest (PNW) heat wave. I am a co-author on the article, collaborating with experts at Oregon State University and Portland State University. I summarize some of the main takeaways in this piece, and encourage you to check out the article for more details.| Washington State Climate Office
Warm and very dry conditions in June 2025 contributed to worsening drought conditions and declining streamflow statewide. June streamflow has dropped below normal as indicated on the monthly streamflow percentile map, courtesy of the USGS Water Watch. Almost all basins have below normal flow, and many across western Washington and the Cascades are now in the “much below normal” category. This means 10% or fewer years have seen lower streamflow during June in these basins.| Washington State Climate Office
ENSO-neutral conditions are still very likely to continue through the summer and early fall according to the Climate Prediction Center (CPC). Neutral conditions typically do not play a large role in determining our average summer weather, so the outlooks discussed below are determined mostly from seasonal forecast models. The 1-month July outlook from the CPC points toward little relief in sight.| Washington State Climate Office
June 2025 Climate Summary| Washington State Climate Office
In this edition of Climate Matters, we return to our Climate Division series in which we describe the local climate features in each of Washington’s 10 climate divisions, as defined by NOAA. In this installment, we will detail the climate of Washington Climate Division 9, ‘Northeast.’ To read about the other climate divisions in the state, please visit Washington’s Climate page. | climate.uw.edu
May 2025 Climate Summary| Washington State Climate Office