The Pacific Northwest does not get hurricanes but does get hurricane-force winds with strong north Pacific storms that manage to brush the coast or track inland. Yet for those with relatives and friends who live in hurricane-prone areas along the east and gulf coasts, or if you plan to visit these regions, this outlook can be quite important in early readiness.

The outlook focused on yet another high-activity tropical cyclone season in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico regions that began in the mid-1990s. There are 17 to 25 named storms anticipated, eight to 13 of which are expected to become hurricanes, and four to seven strengthening to major hurricanes — Category 3 or higher.

From soggy to sunny: This week’s Washington weather roller coaster

The hurricane wind scale ranges from a Category 1 with sustained winds of 74 to 95 mph, a Category 3 of 111 to 129 mph, to the top Category — a 5 with sustained winds of 157 mph or higher. To give perspective, the granddaddy of all non-tropical wind storms to strike the lower 48 in American history, the 1962 Columbus Day Storm, had winds of up to 150 mph along the Oregon and Washington coasts, and in excess of 100 mph in the western interior valleys from Eugene, Oregon, to Vancouver, BC.

The primary reason for the anticipated high number of tropical cyclones is the record warmth of sea surface temperatures from the African coast to the Gulf of Mexico and the eastern seaboard. Those sea surface temperatures are already well into the 80s.

Tropical cyclones feed off warm waters of 80 degrees or warmer, and can rapidly intensify with these record warm waters. An example last October in the eastern Pacific was hurricane Otis which intensified from a tropical storm to a Category 5 hurricane in less than 24 hours before making landfall in Mexico.

More weather: Does Washington get tornadoes? Here’s what you need to know

Another key reason for the expected high number of tropical cyclones is that El Niño has ended. El Niño tends to tear apart Atlantic tropical cyclones. With the El Niño weather pattern removed, these tropical cyclones have more room to strengthen, hence the more active hurricane outlook for this season.

It is important to prepare in advance for any tropical cyclones. Not only do they produce strong damaging winds, but also heavy rain amounts and flooding, and even tornadoes. But most important is wind-driven storm surge. Since the 1960s, more than half of all tropical cyclone fatalities have involved storm surge flooding. There are a number of storm surge examples, but one significant recent event was Hurricane Katrina which struck Louisiana and Mississippi, resulting in over 1,300 fatalities.

So if you have friends and relatives in these hurricane-prone regions, they need to prepare for what may be a very active hurricane season. If you plan to visit these same areas this summer or early fall, know in advance of any potential incoming storms and prepare ahead of time. Waiting until the storm approaches may be too late.

Ted Buehner is the KIRO Newsradio meteorologist. You can read more of Ted’s stories here and follow him on X.

The cool and somewhat soggy holiday weekend is expected to give way to breaks in the cloud cover revealing some sunshine on Memorial Day. Highs will warm to around average for late May – in the mid-60s to lower 70s.

The wet weather is not over yet though. Another Pacific frontal system just offshore is posed to swing onshore Tuesday for another round of much-needed rainfall. Highs will again be cooler than average Tuesday, climbing only into the mid-50s to lower 60s.

Buehner: Will it rain (like always) during Memorial Day Weekend?

Lower pressure aloft with its cooler unstable air mass is forecast to move ashore behind the frontal system Tuesday night and Wednesday for a mix of showers, sunbreaks and the threat of an afternoon thunderstorm. Highs again will only reach into the mid-50s to lower 60s. Low temperatures will dip into the 40s. For those spending time in the mountains Wednesday, the snow level will temporarily fall to near 4000 feet.

The rainfall is vital. This month so far as well April has been below average for precipitation. The rain in the past week has helped narrow that deficit, though many places in Western Washington remain one to three inches below normal for the year. Forecast total rain amounts Tuesday and Wednesday in Western Washington will range from about a half inch to just over an inch, while in the mountains, up to two inches of rain is anticipated.

Some relief from the recent period of rain is anticipated for the rest of the week. Higher pressure aloft is expected to build over the region on Thursday and Friday for increasing sunshine. Highs are forecast to warm into the 60s with some of the usual warmer spots cracking the 70-degree mark on Friday.

Anticipating weather for Sounders, Mariners games

For those going to the Seattle Sounders soccer game against Real Salt Lake at Lumen Field on Wednesday evening, there is the possibility of lingering showers with temperatures in the 50s during the match.

Also this weekend: What’s open and closed on Memorial Day

The Seattle Mariners return home for a 4-game series against the Houston Astros Monday through Thursday. The stadium roof will likely be open Monday evening but closed Tuesday and Wednesday. First pitch temperatures Monday evening should be in the lower 60s, while the two games are expected to be in the cool 50s. For the final game of the series Thursday afternoon, the roof should be open with sunshine and temperatures in the 60s.

Then the Los Angeles Angels visit the Mariners Friday through the weekend. First pitch temperatures should again be in the lower to mid-60s Friday.

After rather cool and moist spring weather, warmer sunshine is anticipated before the end of the week to finish the month. At least the rainfall has diminished the pollen count.

Ted Buehner is the KIRO Newsradio meteorologist. You can read more of Ted’s stories here and follow him on X.

Does it always rain during Memorial Day Weekend?

We all tend to remember those soggy camping trips or when our outdoor activities took on extra water. So I looked at all the Memorial Day Weekends this century going back to 2001.

In the last 22 Memorial Day weekends, there have been 10 entirely dry holiday weekends and 13 that had at least some rain in the Puget Sound area. The wettest year? That was 2010 when it rained all three days with many places getting close to a total of a half inch of rain that holiday weekend.

In contrast, the 2017 Memorial Day weekend had temperatures climb well into the 80s under plenty of sunshine. Last year had a mix of clouds and sun with temperatures mainly in the 60s. The average high temperature during the last weekend of May is in the mid and upper 60s.

More weather: Washington weather will feel like a yo-yo this week before the holiday weekend

With the influence of the Pacific Ocean, Western Washington tends to be temperate in late May. The typical Memorial Day weekend often has morning clouds fading into clear skies in the afternoon. Those morning clouds just might squeeze out a little bit of rain. Half of those 22 years this century had such a weather pattern.

What does this Memorial Day weekend weather look like?

Since close to 85% of us are going away for the weekend and will travel more than 50 miles, let’s break it down to popular destinations.

The overall weather pattern offers another area of lower pressure aloft moving southeast from the Gulf of Alaska to bring scattered light showers to Western Washington Friday before tapering off Saturday as the parent system moves further inland. Higher pressure is then expected to slowly build over the region Sunday and Monday, bringing generally drier and warmer weather.

For the Puget Sound region, those light showers will likely begin Friday afternoon and come to an end Saturday. Highs on both days will generally be in the lower 60s. Sunday will offer an increasing amount of sunshine and, by Monday, highs will climb to approximately 70 degrees.

Heading north toward the Canadian border or any of the islands? Spotty light showers will develop Friday afternoon, but may linger into Sunday. Highs are expected to be in the 55- to 60-degree range before warming well into the 60s with more sunshine Monday.

For those traveling south toward Portland, much the same is expected with scattered showers developing later Friday and tapering off Saturday. Highs on both days will be around 60. Sunday should have morning clouds with the sun breaking out by afternoon and highs ranging from 60 to 65. Monday will have plenty of sunshine with highs cracking 70 degrees.

Heading to the coast? Those showers will develop earlier on Friday and also taper off Saturday, though the north coast and Olympics may have lingering showers into Sunday. Highs will be cool, ranging from 55 to 60 degrees. More sunshine is in store Monday with highs climbing well into the 60s.

Mount St. Helens anniversary: Buehner’s personal chronicle of the catastrophe as a forecaster

If plans take you into the Cascades, that area should be the wettest in the region. Showers will develop Friday afternoon and decrease Saturday into Sunday. Up to a quarter of an inch of rain is expected in places. Snow levels beginning Friday will be around 5,500 feet, dropping to 4,500 feet Sunday before bouncing back up to 7,000 feet Monday.

Many will be heading into Eastern Washington for more desirable sunshine and warmer temperatures. After Saturday, that will be the case. But on the first day of the three-day holiday weekend, the east side will have scattered showers and highs only in the 60s. By Sunday, the sun will return with a mix of clouds and highs rising to 65-75 degrees. On the holiday, more sunshine is anticipated with highs climbing into the 70s.

Wherever you go this holiday weekend, whether a staycation or elsewhere, have a wonderful and safe Memorial Day Weekend. And on Memorial Day, remember those who paid the ultimate price for our country.

Ted Buehner is the KIRO Newsradio meteorologist. You can read more of Ted’s stories here and follow him on X.

More than 85% of all travel will involve a car. Another 8% is expected to be through the air, according to the AAA. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) is anticipating a busy holiday weekend period and asked travelers to prepare in advance. The numbers of passengers are expected to be at pre-pandemic levels with up to 170,000 travelers moving through the terminal this Friday, the busiest day. Security lines will be long. To save time, they suggest using Spot Saver to help move more quickly through security.

More on Spot Saver: SeaTac Airport unveils program to help cut TSA security lines

On the road, gas prices in Washington are close to where they were last year at this time, down approximately six cents a gallon from a month ago, but higher in surrounding states. The average price of a gallon of regular gas across the nation is around $3.60, about five cents higher than a year ago. In the western U.S. though, the price of gas remains higher than the national average. Washington is currently at about $4.60 per gallon. California sits at $5.19 per gallon, Oregon is at $4.37, Idaho sits around $3.81 and British Columbia is at about $5.10 per gallon (converted from liters to gallons based on the average price in the province reported via GasBuddy and from Canadian dollars to U.S. dollars).

Here are some holiday travel tips heading into the weekend.

Weather

Memorial Day Weekend has the stigma that it always rains. So far this century, there have been 10 years with no rain at all including last year, and seven more years where it rained but just one day during the three-day weekend. This year looks to have a good chance at another single wet day through the holiday weekend.

In Western Washington, the weekend will have a mix of clouds and sun. The only real threat of any light showers is on Saturday with highs around 60. The rest of the holiday weekend looks to have an increasing amount of sunshine with highs by Monday climbing to near 70 degrees. Lows throughout the weekend will be in the 40s.

Weather east of the Cascades will also offer a threat of showers and even a chance of a thunderstorm Saturday with highs ranging from 55 to 65. Sunday and Monday are expected to dry out and warm up with highs by Monday rising into the mid-60s to mid-70s. Lows will generally be in the 40s.

If heading into the Cascades or Olympics for the weekend, expect the best chance for showers to be on Saturday with conditions drying out Sunday and Monday. The snow level on Saturday is anticipated to be around 4,000 feet.

On the road

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) strongly suggests traveling during non-peak times during the holiday weekend.

If you are planning to head north toward the Canadian border, drive east of the Cascades, head south toward Portland, or take a ferry going west, Friday from about midday through about sunset is the busiest and slowest drive time period. WSDOT suggests hitting the road before 10 a.m. on getaway Friday. On Saturday in all directions, another peak in traffic volumes is late morning through mid-afternoon.

More on Seattle-Tacoma International Airport: Why was Sea-Tac Airport so busy Sunday? Will it get worse?

Returning from the holiday weekend will also be a chore. The peak times start late in the morning on Monday, Memorial Day and continue through to about sundown. Again, WSDOT suggests leaving Sunday, early Monday morning or wait until later Monday night, or even on Tuesday.

For the details of expected peak travel times heading north, south or east, as well as the return from your destination, WSDOT has a Memorial Day Weekend Travel Times page online.

The Washington State Ferries simply said to expect long terminal wait times on Friday heading west, and again on both Sunday and Monday for sailings going east.

Wherever you go this holiday weekend, drive safely and pack your patience. Your nerves will feel better by leaving way early or way late to avoid those peak travel periods. And on Memorial Day itself, remember and honor those who paid the ultimate price for our country and freedom.

Ted Buehner is the KIRO Newsradio meteorologist. You can read more of Ted’s stories here and follow him on X.

You can read more of Micki Gamez’s stories here. Follow Micki on X, or email her here.

Yet this sunshine will be short-lived. A weather system tracking southeast from the Gulf of Alaska will bring rain Tuesday and knock high temperatures down about 10 degrees as it’s only in the 50s. Showers are then expected to linger into Wednesday.

By Thursday, the temporary high pressure aloft should allow the sun to pop out again with highs warming into the 60s again. Skies should have enough clearing to see the full moon, called the Flower Moon, both Wednesday and Thursday nights.

Does Washington get tornadoes? What you need to know

Washington weather: Looking toward Memorial Day weekend

Heading into Memorial Day weekend, another weather system from the Gulf of Alaska is anticipated to roll through Western Washington Friday and Saturday for a renewed threat of showers and cooler temperatures. Highs both days should nudge into the lower 60s.

But not all is lost for the holiday weekend. Higher pressure is expected to build into the Pacific Northwest Sunday and Monday, bringing back some sunshine and drier conditions. Highs for the rest of the weekend should rebound back into the 60s.

The latest seasonal weather outlook was recently released by the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center. This refreshed outlook still points to overall warmer and drier than average conditions through June as well as into September.

Mount St. Helens eruption anniversary: Ted Buehner’s personal chronicle of the catastrophe as a forecaster

Much of Washington remains in drought conditions. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is currently just over four inches below average for the year. Olympia is about an inch and a quarter below average. The mountain snowpack usually peaks in early April and this year, finished 60 to 80% of normal.

The dry conditions have raised concerns about water supply and the wildfire threat this summer. Water managers are keeping an eye on supplies for agriculture, hydro power generation, enough water in rivers for fish, and municipal water resources.

Wildfire managers are concerned about an early start to the wildfire season and one that may extend into early fall. In fact, several wildfires in Western Washington were extinguished several weeks ago, reflecting the current dry surroundings.

This drier than normal situation points to a community wide effort to help conserve water and avoid wildfire starts through this summer.

Ted Buehner is the KIRO Newsradio meteorologist. You can read more of Ted’s stories here and follow him on X.

I was a young forecaster with the National Weather Service (NWS) Seattle Forecast Office working the aviation forecast desk. Back then, we were a state forecast office, so I was responsible for forecasts across the state at air terminals like Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), Boeing Field, Spokane, Yakima, Wenatchee, Paine Field and Bellingham as well as air route forecasts between many of these locations.

At my desk in the far left corner was a red phone. The phone was a hotline between the FAA flight service station at Boeing Field and us. I was told it had never rung. Yet shortly after 8:30 a.m. that morning, that red phone rang.

More weather in the Pacific Northwest: Does Washington get tornadoes? Here’s what you need to know:

I picked it up. “Seattle Weather!?” The flight service staffer said he had a pilot on the radio that needed help and he was going to patch me through. I was suddenly talking with that pilot.

The pilot was flying a sight-seeing tour group of five out of Chehalis in a twin-engine Cessna around Mount St. Helens. Right away, I could tell something big had happened. The pilot told me he was on the south side of the mountain when Mount St. Helens blew. The force twisted his plane vertically with the wings pointed up and down. He was being pelted with rocks and it felt like they got hit by the heat of a monstrous pizza oven.

He had already spun the aircraft south toward Portland and regained control. He wanted to know where the ash plume was going and how to get back to Chehalis. In the meantime, I could hear the five frantic passengers in the background. Let’s just say their language was R-rated.

The latest plume trajectory forecast based upon the winds aloft was released earlier in the morning to support all the groups involved in the volcano’s preparedness. Those groups included the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), emergency management organizations including Cowlitz and Skamania counties, the state of Washington and more. Since the volcano’s tummy began rumbling in March, these groups worked together to prepare plans to respond in case of an eruption. Those plans were fully executed that morning.

I informed the pilot that the plume was heading east-northeast and that he could turn toward Kelso and follow Interstate 5 (I-5) north to Chehalis with no impact. He thanked me for the guidance and I hung up the red phone.

My lead forecaster, Paul Goree, looked at me with a knowing gaze of what that red phone call conversation involved. I assured him, it was the anticipated eruption of Mount St. Helens.

More from Ted Buehner: Will last weekend’s ‘summer weather’ stretch through the week?

The NWS response role involved several pieces. First, Goree issued a flash flood warning and the Emergency Broadcast System (EBS back then) was activated. I had several tasks to do. Initially, I contacted the Air Route Traffic Control Center in Auburn to inform them of the eruption and where the plume was headed. Their job was to shut down the airspace in the path of the ash plume and divert all aircraft away from any ash. The eruption threw ash as high as 80,000 feet into the atmosphere.

I next updated all the Eastern Washington-coded air terminal forecasts. But there was a problem; there was no code for volcanic ash. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) had not established an aviation forecast code for volcanic ash. I gave Goree a few options and we chose “dust.” That element was the closest available to ash. Since then, the ICAO has created a volcanic ash code.

After that, I updated all the air route forecasts that involved the volcanic ash plume. In all, that hour on a mild sunny Sunday morning was one that blew by fast. Most people have big highlights in their careers and for me; this was my first.

Fifty-seven people around the volcano perished that morning. A lahar roared down the Toutle River, and tons of debris settled into the Cowlitz River and dumped into the Columbia River. Ash was transported around the world and in Eastern Washington; skies darkened so that street lights turned on, and up to five inches of ash piled up. It was a historic day.

Ted Buehner is the KIRO Newsradio meteorologist. You can read more of Ted’s stories here and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Will the show continue this week?

Forecasters have suggested mixed news for those who are interested: Those in Washington may get a chance to see them Monday night, but it looks less likely going forward.

Examining Monday first, the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration‘s (NOAA) Space Weather Prediction Center posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, Sunday night that, “During periods of geomagnetic storm conditions, aurora will potentially be viewable at the middle (and higher) latitudes.”

Geomagnetic storming to persist tonight… pic.twitter.com/FdIRFiiXGP

— NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (@NWSSWPC) May 13, 2024

The best visibility happens away from light pollution and on clear nights. To see how polluted your area is, visit ClearDarkSky’s light pollution map.

Looking ahead to Tuesday, the prediction center stated the aurora could be visible from some spots between New York and Idaho, and not Washington.

A G2 Watch is in effect for May 14… pic.twitter.com/DU4Bo3advf

— NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (@NWSSWPC) May 13, 2024

In its coverage, however, USA Today added a word caution that forecasting space weather is difficult as researchers have to rely on observations of the sun, which is 93 million miles away from Earth to make their predictions.

What has caused the northern lights phenomenon?

The phenomenon comes after NOAA issued a rare severe geomagnetic storm warning when a solar outburst reached Earth on Friday. Geomagnetic storms, which can trigger the picturesque light displays we have been privy to, range from G1, which NOAA considers “minor” to G5, which are “extreme.”

NOAA explained Saturday that G3 (strong) and G4 (severe) conditions persisted through much of Saturday and a G4 watch is on for Sunday as well. The agency previously stated it hadn’t seen a solar storm like this since 2005. The strength of the storms has decreased significantly since last week, causing the likelihood to see the northern lights to fall significantly.

The spectacular event occurred because of a series of strong coronal mass ejections from the sun. Notably, NOAA stated on X, the source of the storm is a large complex sunspot cluster that is 17 times the diameter of Earth, or the size of 17 Earths.

As to why admirers looking up in the sky see different colors, the prediction center explained that it is defined by the altitude of the aurora. It linked to a PDF explaining more about the colors that can be seen here.

Red, Green, Blue? Why does the Aurora change colors? Chemistry! https://t.co/sAmnBfvL0q #SpaceWeather pic.twitter.com/ILpwHSJA1T

— NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (@NWSSWPC) May 13, 2024

Do these geomagnetic storms impact people on Earth?

NOAA states on its website that G5 storms can cause “widespread voltage control problems and protective system problems can occur. ” In addition, “some grid systems may experience complete collapse or blackouts. Transformers may experience damage.”

The federal agency also said there were preliminary reports of power grid irregularities, degradation of high-frequency communications and global positioning systems.

But the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said that no region had reported any significant impact from the storms. The U.S. Department of Energy said Saturday it is not aware of any impact from the storms on electric customers.

not aware of any impact from the storms on electric customers.

SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service said on its website Saturday that service had been degraded and its team was investigating. CEO Elon Musk wrote on the social platform X overnight that its satellites were “under a lot of pressure, but holding up so far.”

But it shouldn’t affect the people who live on Earth.

“For most people here on planet Earth, they won’t have to do anything,” said Rob Steenburgh, a scientist with NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center.

“That’s really the gift from space weather: the aurora,” Steenburgh added. He and his colleagues said the best views may come from phone cameras, which are better at capturing light than the naked eye.

This storm posed a risk for high-voltage transmission lines for power grids, not the electrical lines ordinarily found in people’s homes, NOAA space weather forecaster Shawn Dahl told reporters. Satellites also could be affected, which in turn could disrupt navigation and communication services here on Earth.

An extreme geomagnetic storm in 2003, for example, took out power in Sweden and damaged power transformers in South Africa.

Even when the storm is over, signals between GPS satellites and ground receivers could be scrambled or lost, according to NOAA. But there are so many navigation satellites that any outages should not last long, Steenburgh noted.

Send us your photos

If you capture some spring pictures or do get to see the northern lights, please share your photos with MyNorthwest on our Share With Us page.

Contributing: The Associated Press; Julia Dallas

Editors’ note: This story originally was published on Saturday, May 11, 2024. It has been updated and republished multiple times since then.

Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and email him here.

This week’s weather

A weak Pacific weather system is set to move ashore Monday for even cooler weather and considerable cloudiness. A Puget Sound Convergence Zone could develop Monday and produce a few showers in parts of Snohomish and North King counties, extending into the Cascades. Highs Monday will cool into the 60s, rather close to the average maximum temperature for mid-May.

More on Puget Sound Convergence Zone: Convergence Zone brings sunshine, showers, rainbows

This weak weather system is slated to continue further inland Tuesday with higher pressure rebuilding over the region. Tuesday should have areas of morning clouds that will give way to more sunshine and warmer temperatures in the afternoon. Highs Tuesday are expected to range from the mid-60s to the lower 70s.

Wednesday and Thursday look to be the warmest days of the week with plenty of sunshine and highs returning to the 70s across much of the region. By Friday, a weak weather system tracking east into Western Canada will likely bring some cloudiness and cooler temperatures back into Western Washington. Highs on Friday are expected to ease back into the mid-60s to lower 70s.

Low temperatures all week are forecast to be in the mid-40s to lower 50s range.

Open-roof Mariners games

The Seattle Mariners continue their home stand through Wednesday after taking two of three games against Oakland over the weekend. The Kansas City Royals will be in town to take on the Mariners with the stadium roof expected to be open for all three games. Monday evening’s game may be considered chilly with first-pitch temperatures to be in the mid-60s, cooling to the upper 50s by the final out. Tuesday evening’s temperatures should be a bit warmer, and the afternoon game on Wednesday ought to be warm and sunny.

More from Ted Buehner: Does Washington get tornadoes? Here’s what you need to know

Looking ahead at the coming weekend, the forecast appears to remain dry, though there will be a mix of clouds and some sunshine with seasonable high temperatures mainly from 65 to 70. If there is any threat of light showers, they will likely be confined to the Northern Cascades.

Ted Buehner is the KIRO Newsradio meteorologist. You can read more of Ted’s stories here and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter.

May historically has the most tornadoes of any month in the year across the U.S. By May 8, there have already been 129 preliminary reports in the month, according to the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center. That number of tornadoes was above the usual amount for May.

In April, 378 tornadoes were reported across the nation.

Buehner: Seattle’s first 80-degree days are fast approaching

Several listeners recently asked: does Washington get tornadoes? The answer is yes, yet fortunately not many. Washington averages between two and three tornadoes per year. Some years there were none reported. In 1997 though, a record 14 tornadoes occurred.

Most tornadoes in Washington are weak and last less than two minutes. Many are EF0 or EF1 in intensity with wind speeds under 110 mph. The Pacific Ocean helps moderate the air mass across the state, resulting in fewer thunderstorms and those storms tend to be of less intensity than their cousins east of the Rocky Mountains.

Tornados are borne from thunderstorms. Thunderstorms in this region can occur any time of the year, but the number tends to peak in the spring and fall during the transition seasons between winter and summer. As a result, the threat of tornadoes can occur throughout the year but also tends to peak during the spring and fall seasons.

A tornado is a rapidly rotating column of air in contact with the ground. A funnel cloud does not touch the ground. A waterspout is a tornado over water like Puget Sound.

Despite the influence of the Pacific Ocean, Washington has had some stronger tornadoes when a more unstable air mass, like helium balloons that rise without any help, supports more intense thunderstorms.

The Dec 2018 Port Orchard EF2 tornado was generated from a thunderstorm and had wind speeds of between 110 and 135 mph.

More weather: Will we be able to see the northern lights again this weekend? It’s likely

Washington has suffered three EF3 tornados since 1950, two occurring on the same day — April 5^th, 1972. Vancouver was hit by one, striking a school, grocery store and bowling house, killing six people and injuring over 200. Washington actually led the nation in tornado deaths that year. Later that same day, another EF3 tornado touched down outside of Davenport west of Spokane.

The other EF3 tornado occurred in early Dec 1969, starting as a waterspout off Des Moines and tracked into the Green River valley. Fortunately, there were no injuries.

Like thunderstorms with lightning, get indoors if a thunderstorm approaches. Remember, tornados are borne from thunderstorms. For safety, get into an interior room without windows or a basement if available.

Ted Buehner is the KIRO Newsradio meteorologist. You can read more of Ted’s stories here and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter.

To see the aurora borealis, it’s best to go north — but meteorologists said if the solar flare storm is strong enough, areas south of Seattle could see it too.

“So if this is one of your hobbies this is the night to do it because it’s a big one,” KIRO 7 Meteorologist Nick Allard said.

According to forecasts from the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the aurora was estimated to happen overnight, from 10 p.m. Friday to 2 a.m. Saturday.

However, the best visibility happens away from light pollution and on clear nights. To see how light-polluted your area is, visit ClearDarkSky’s light pollution map.

The phenomenon comes after NOAA issued a rare severe geomagnetic storm warning when a solar outburst reached Earth on Friday afternoon, hours sooner than anticipated. The effects of the Northern Lights, were due to last through the weekend and possibly into next week.

Why were the northern lights so clear here?

The spectacular event occurred because of a series of strong coronal mass ejections from the sun. NOAA said it hasn’t seen a solar storm like this since 2005.

NOAA alerted operators of power plants and spacecraft in orbit, as well as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to take precautions.

“For most people here on planet Earth, they won’t have to do anything,” said Rob Steenburgh, a scientist with NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center.

The storm could produce northern lights as far south in the U.S. as Alabama and Northern California, NOAA said. But it was hard to predict and experts stressed it would not be the dramatic curtains of color normally associated with the northern lights, but more like splashes of greenish hues.

“That’s really the gift from space weather: the aurora,” Steenburgh said. He and his colleagues said the best aurora views may come from phone cameras, which are better at capturing light than the naked eye.

Snap a picture of the sky and “there might be actually a nice little treat there for you,” said Mike Bettwy, operations chief for the prediction center.

NOAA stated that while the geomagnetic storm may impact Earth’s infrastructure, it is also what triggers the magical aurora.

“This is an unusual and potentially historic event,” Clinton Wallace, the director of NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center, said via NOAA’s website.

If you capture some spring pictures or do get to see the northern lights, please share your photos with MyNorthwest on our Share With Us page.

But if the northern lights don’t inspire you, there are plenty of other activities happening in Seattle this weekend. You can check out a list of events here.

Contributing: The Associated Press; Sam Campbell and Ted Buehner, KIRO Newsradio

Julia Dallas is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read her stories here. Follow Julia on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and email her here.

After another Pacific frontal system moved through Western Washington on Sunday night — bringing scattered showers and cool temperatures alongside the occasional sun break — highs never reached above 60 degrees on Monday and Tuesday.

More weather updates: May weather to bring sunshine, boating season

By Wednesday though, higher pressure is forecast to begin building over the Pacific Northwest for clearing skies and a warm-up that will extend into the coming weekend. Highs mid-week are expected to nudge into the 60s, warming up to approximately 73 degrees on Thursday. By Friday and Saturday, some of the usual warmer spots in the region are likely to climb into the lower 80s.

The last time Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) warmed into the 80s was back on Sept. 15 last year. Olympia cracked the 80-degree mark last on Oct. 7. The first 80-degree day of the year usually occurs around mid-May. So this warm up will likely be about a week or so earlier than usual.

The sunshine and warmer temperatures starting midway this week and into this weekend will offer many opportunities to do things outdoors, particularly in the evenings. Tuesday marks the first sunset at 8:30 p.m. in Seattle.

Water remains dangerously cold

With Seattle’s first bit of “summer” weather arriving later this week, water holes around the Puget Sound will be filled with people wanting to jump in. But beware, the water is still dangerously cold.

“My biggest concern is that people see and feel the warm weather and they’re going to jump right into their paddleboard or their 15-foot boat, whatever that vessel is, and they’re not going to think about wearing their life jacket,” Rob Sendak, Boating & Winter Recreation Programs Manager at Washington State Parks, told KIRO Newsradio. “Wear that life jacket, regardless of what size or type of vessel that you’re on. When you’re around water, you never know when you’re going to need it so put that thing on.”

Last year, there were 23 recreational boating fatalities. Fifteen of the 23 deaths came from human-powered water devices — watercraft, kayaks, canoes, stand-up paddleboards.

“And guess what? Not surprisingly, 14 out of the 15 victims were not wearing life jackets,” Sendak said.

The water can easily be 30 degrees cooler than the temperature outside at any given moment, and Sendak stated you only need a half cup of water in your lungs to drown.

“Cold water shock is a real thing and you do not have very much time before organs in your body start to shut down,” Sendak said.

Upcoming baseball weather

On Wednesday evening, the Seattle Reign takes on Kansas City at Lumen Field with nearly cloudless skies and temperatures in the 50s during the match. The Seattle Mariners return home from their current road trip to meet the visiting American League West rivals, the Oakland A’s, on Friday. Yes, the same A’s that have won eight of its last 10 games. The stadium roof should be open for all three games through Mother’s Day weekend with sunshine at first pitch and warm temperatures.

More from Ted Buehner: Southern California has received more rain than Western Washington

Remember the sunshine and mild temperatures for Easter weekend at the end of March? Mother’s Day weekend is anticipated to also offer sunshine and the warmest temperatures of the year thus far. Sure hope moms will enjoy it!

Ted Buehner is the KIRO Newsradio meteorologist. You can read more of Ted’s stories here and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter.

A Pacific frontal system moving toward the coast is going to spread increasing higher cloudiness across Western Washington through the day today. High temperatures will be quite mild with the mercury rising well into the 60s and some of the usual warmer spots exceeding 70 degrees.

Rain, associated with the incoming weather system, will arrive tonight. Behind it is an upper-level low-pressure system that fortunately is forecast to track toward Oregon. Yet the upper low will still circulate showers and a much cooler air mass into Western Washington through the weekend. Highs will be much cooler, rising only into the 50s.

Weekend revelry roundup: Star Wars, Cinco De Mayo, boat races and more!

Early next week, another Pacific frontal system is expected to move onshore for much-needed rainfall on Monday. Most of Western Washington is between two and four inches of rain below average for the year, and this pair of weather systems will help make a dent in that precipitation deficit.

For those who want to see the meteor shower associated with Halley’s Comet, as Earth’s rotation around the sun passes through the comet’s path this weekend, cloud cover will make viewing this annual phenomenon quite difficult.

An unseasonably cool unsettled air mass is anticipated to follow Monday’s weather system, generating showers and the possibility of a thunderstorm. Highs again will only be in the 50s.

Want more spring sunshine? Warmer temperatures and sunshine are forecast to return later next week as higher pressure aloft builds over the Pacific Northwest. By Thursday of next week, there should be plenty of sunshine with highs once again climbing well into the 60s.

Consider this weekend’s cooler, wetter, weather as a form of nature’s irrigation, helping yards and gardens get some natural rainwater. The moisture will also wash the air, sharply reducing airborne pollen. Then the sun will return later next week for those yards and gardens to emerge even further.

Ted Buehner is the KIRO Newsradio meteorologist. You can read more of Ted’s stories here and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter.

A cool moist and unsettled air mass associated with lower pressure aloft moving through Washington Monday and Tuesday will produce showers and even the threat of isolated thunderstorms. Highs will struggle to climb into the 50s with lows around 40 degrees across Western Washington.

This cool unsettled air mass will also nudge mountain snow levels down between 2,000 and 3,000 feet through Tuesday. A total range of two to eight inches of snow is possible in the Cascade passes, creating the potential for tricky driving conditions.

More on Washington weather: Southern California has received more rain than Western Washington

By Wednesday, this weather system is forecast to move further inland with higher pressure building onshore resulting in sunshine and warmer temperatures. Highs Wednesday are expected to warm to either side of 60 degrees; close to early May average temperatures.

Another weak weather system moving ashore Thursday will renew a threat of showers before the system moves inland, permitting Friday to see more sunshine. Highs Friday will likely be the warmest day of the week with highs climbing into the 60s.

The Seattle Mariners have a three-game series against the Atlanta Braves Monday through Wednesday. The stadium roof will likely be closed during the first two games with temperatures only in the 50s. Sunshine is expected for the day game on Wednesday.

On Friday, the Seattle Reign takes on San Diego at Lumen Field with dry weather likely during the game.

More from Ted Buehner: Will a ‘Heat Dome’ be part of the upcoming Seattle summer?

Boating season begins

Saturday is the opening of boating season. At this point, it looks like the weather should behave with only a threat of light showers and relatively light winds for all the festivities in the Montlake area.

The threat of showers also is likely to hang on through the rest of the weekend with highs in the lower 60s as another weak Pacific weather system moves inland.

For the rest of the first half of May, the longer range outlook tends to offer cooler and wetter than average conditions for Western Washington. Perhaps those April showers could be considered going into extra innings.

Ted Buehner is the KIRO Newsradio meteorologist. You can read more of Ted’s stories here and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter.

So far this year, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) has received 12.9 inches of rain, about three-and-a-third inches below normal. Meanwhile, downtown Los Angeles has measured 18.8 inches in their rain gauge – more than nine inches above normal. Long Beach, California has had 18.7 inches of rain, nearly 11 inches over their average so far this year.

Northern California has been quite wet and rainy as well. San Jose is approximately four-and-a-half inches above normal rainfall while San Francisco is two inches above average. Western Oregon has retained its rusty reputation as Medford, Eugene and Portland all are about two inches wetter than normal.

More from Ted Buehner: Will a ‘Heat Dome’ be part of the upcoming Seattle summer?

This past winter season involved El Niño, which tends to steer the North Pacific storm track toward California instead of further north into the Pacific Northwest. The result has much of California and Western Oregon dripping with rain while Western Washington saw more cobwebs than precipitation.

(Graphic tracking El Niño patterns in winter and spring)

California’s snowpack is just as impressive

The mountains saw a difference too. The Sierra Nevada mountain range in California received its greatest amount of snow since 1952 according to the state water resources department. As of mid-April, the Lake Tahoe area snowpack was up to 200% of its average for this time of year.

Meanwhile, the Washington Cascades and Olympics finished this winter season’s snowpack well below average in the 60-90% range. Thanks to the more limited winter rainfall and mountain snowpack, the Washington Department of Ecology (DOE) declared a drought emergency for much of the state last week.  The declaration releases additional state resources to address what will likely be limited water assets heading into this summer and fall for agriculture, power generation, fish, water consumption, and more.

Have the drought conditions in the southwestern U.S. ended? The latest Drought Monitor indicated a lot of progress has been made in California. However, further inland in Arizona and beyond, more precipitation is needed as drought conditions persist.

(Graphic tracking drought levels through mid-April 2024)

One measure of the status in the desert Southwest is Lake Mead near Las Vegas. It reached all-time low water levels in 2022 and has rebounded since thanks to recent regional precipitation. Yet, it still has a long way to go to reach “normal” levels. Currently, Lake Mead is about 155 feet below having a full reservoir behind Hoover Dam.

More on Puget Sound region weather: This week’s weather includes meteor showers, a pink moon, near-70-degree days

After reaching around 70 degrees in much of the interior of Western Washington Tuesday, a change in the weather pattern has begun. Much cooler and wetter weather is in store for the rest of this month and is likely to extend into the first week of May. Rain is expected at times through this period, cutting into the rainfall deficit.

Yet the latest seasonal weather outlook stacks the odds in favor of warmer and drier-than-average conditions into September, following this current cool spell. In addition, long-term projections point to a return of La Niña for this coming winter season. La Niña is when the North Pacific storm track spends much more time sending storms into the Pacific Northwest for cooler and wetter than average conditions.

(Graphic tracking La Niña patterns in winter and spring)

La Niña also usually generates an above-average mountain snowpack, good news for snow enthusiasts as well as water managers heading into 2025.

Ted Buehner is the KIRO Newsradio meteorologist. You can read more of Ted’s stories here and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The weather outlook continues to be stacked in favor of warmer-than-average temperatures and tipped toward drier than normal through September. That does not mean there will not be any cooler or wet periods such as is anticipated for the rest of this month into early May, but in the long run, the probabilities support overall warmer and drier conditions.

The chance of having a heat dome like the one in late June 2021 with 100-degree days is quite slim. Yet, recent years have had a number of 90 degree or warmer days and this summer may do the same.

More Ted Buehner: Puget Sound Convergence Zone brings sunshine, showers, rainbows

The El Niño climate pattern from this past winter has moderated. To refresh, El Niño is when the sea surface temperatures in the tropical Eastern Pacific Ocean – the waters west of Peru – are warmer than average. La Nina is when those same waters are cooler than average. In between, when those sea surface temperatures are close to average, that is called neutral conditions, and where those tropical waters are at this moment.

Longer range guidance on where those Eastern Pacific tropical waters are trending is back to another La Niña for this coming winter season. During La Niña winters, the North Pacific storm track spends more time at our latitude, resulting in a cooler and wetter winter season that also translates to a healthy mountain snowpack. El Niño winters usually result in a warmer than average winter and a less than average mountain snowpack – exactly what unfolded this past winter.

These climate patterns usually have the greatest impact on the world’s weather patterns, primarily during the winter or cold seasons, and little impact during the summer seasons. Yet as the planet continues to warm both in the air and in the oceans, these climate patterns may be having a greater impact during the warm seasons.

Our warming planet has been witnessing more amplitude in weather patterns in recent decades. An analogy would be a roller-coaster simulating the Jetstream that drives the storm track. If the roller-coaster is steeper going up and then over the hump, the Jetstream has had more of these kinds of higher amplitude events during recent summers globally, resulting in more heat waves. On occasion, this weather pattern ‘cuts off’, resulting in a ‘heat dome’.

10 years later: Ted Buehner recalls Oso landslide sweeping everything in its path

The “heat dome” in late June 2021 was such a ‘cut off’ weather pattern, producing building excessive heat before it broke down. Temperatures in the region have reached never-before-been highs, well above 100 degrees for several days. That event occurred following the first of three back-to-back years of La Niña winters.

Again, ‘heat domes’ like that one in 2021 are quite rare and unlikely to occur again in this region. Yet, it can no longer be ruled out.

Thanks to this past winter’s El Niño, the region has fallen below average on rainfall so far this year, and the mountain snowpack finished the winter season well below normal. With the current weather outlook of warmer and drier conditions into September, the State Department of Ecology declared a drought emergency for much of the state last week. Water supply for agriculture, power generation, fish, domestic consumption, and other uses will be a concern through the summer.

The anticipated warmer and drier conditions also point to a likely extended wildfire season, starting earlier than usual and ending later. Wildfires also point to the potential of wildfire smoke and air quality concerns. Just this past weekend, a pair of wildfires occurred in Western Washington, demonstrating how dry conditions have become.

Will there be another “heat dome” like the one in late June 2021?  Most likely, no – yet, the odds on periods of excessive heat with temperatures at least in the 90s look favorable, and with the heat, a greater likelihood of wildfires and related smoke.

Now is the time to prepare for whatever unfolds heading into this summer.

Ted Buehner is the KIRO Newsradio meteorologist. You can read more of Ted’s stories here and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Tuesday will be the warmest day of the week with highs rising into the 60s with some of the usual warmer spots cracking the 70-degree mark. Lows on both Monday and Tuesday will drop into the 40s.

More on weather in Puget Sound region: Puget Sound Convergence Zone brings sunshine, showers, rainbows

Lyrid meteor shower

The generally clear skies will permit viewing two events in the night sky. One is the Lyrid meteor shower that peaked over the past weekend but will continue Monday night before fading as April ends. So the best chance to see the Lyrids that average 10 meteors per hour is Monday night.

Unfortunately for those wishing to see this meteoric display in the night sky, a specific full moon — also known as the Pink Moon — will brighten the sky. Based on folklore and nature, the Pink Moon is culturally significant, symbolizing renewal and growth as spring blooms. The full moon will set during the early morning hours, making it much easier to see the Lyrids’ meteor shower during the pre-dawn hours.

And speaking of showers, they are set to return before the end of the week. The high-pressure system offering the sunshine and clear skies early this week is forecast to head inland as a more westerly flow both aloft and near the surface sends a series of weak weather systems onshore with cooler high temperatures and some showers.

The wettest days look to be Thursday and Friday with highs struggling to reach 60 degrees. Rain amounts will tend to be rather light with less than a quarter inch of precipitation in all. Lows will remain in the 40s.

Coincidentally, Friday is also Arbor Day. For those planting trees in honor of Arbor Day, soils should be moist enough to ease the plantings into the ground.

Those new trees also look to have nature’s irrigation heading into the weekend and next week. The latest weather outlook tips the odds toward wetter-than-average conditions along with cooler-than-normal temperatures.

More from Ted Buehner: What led to Washington drought as wildfires, rainbows on the horizon

Western Washington’s rainfall total

The expected rainfall through the end of the month would be welcome given Western Washington is well behind on rainfall so far this month. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) has received only four-tenths of an inch of rain thus far, close to two inches below normal. From the coast to other inland locations, the April rain deficit ranges from one to two inches.

For the year at this point, SEA is over three inches behind average for rainfall. Both Olympia and Forks are between one and two inches below normal. Meanwhile, Bellingham is just over average by close to two-thirds of an inch while Hoquiam is more than one inch above average.

Given the recent state drought declaration last week, any additional rainfall will help.

Ted Buehner is the KIRO Newsradio meteorologist. You can read more of Ted’s stories here and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter.

By state law, Washington declares a drought emergency when a lower-than-average precipitation and water supply condition threshold is reached. For a part of the state to be considered in drought is when that area is below or projected to be below 75% of normal and a water shortage is likely to create undue water supply conditions for a wide variety of water users.

More coverage: Washington remains in the grips of drought, will stay there

A map of April 2024 drought monitoring in Washington. (Image courtesy of Ted Buehner, MyNorthwest)

How winter’s snowpack played into drought conditions

This past winter season’s mountain snowpack played a critical role in the drought emergency declaration. As of April 15, the Northwest Avalanche Center reported Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic Mountains had a depth of only 51 inches of snow or only 48% of normal. Locations in the North Cascades such as Mt. Baker were only at 56% of normal snowpack.

April 16, 2024, snowpack. (Image courtesy of Ted Buehner, MyNorthwest)

The central Cascades were just a bit better, ranging from 50 to 75% of normal, while the south Cascades were in the best shape, varying from 73 to 87% of average.

The amount of water in the mountain snowpack was also not very good, ranging from only around 60% of normal in the northern part of the state to at best 84% in the south Cascades. The mountain snowpack usually peaks around April 1 and the snowpack is now beginning to run off into streams as warmer spring weather arrives.

Unless a cool wet remainder of spring unfolds, this situation means the mountain snowpack will be depleted earlier than normal, leaving less water supply for agriculture, power generation, fish and water consumption later this year. Hence, the DOE has declared a drought emergency so state resources can be released to assist the wide variety of water users.

What makes a drought

Washington bases its drought determinations on a drought definition found in state law. The definition is water supply-focused and includes both a hydrometeorological and impact threshold. An area is considered to be in drought when the water supply for that geographic area, or for a significant portion of that geographic area, is below or projected to be below 75% of normal and the water shortage is likely to create undue hardships for water users or the environment. Normal water supply is defined as the median amount of water available for the most recent official climate period (currently 1991–2020).

A map of 21st century drought conditions. (Image courtesy of Ted Buehner, MyNorthwest)

Snowpack is critical to Washington’s water supply. Around three-quarters of the runoff from the Cascades originates as snowpack. (How much runoff originates as snow?)

This snowpack acts as a natural reservoir, and a weak snowpack, or a shift in the timing of snowmelt, can impact water supply in the spring and summer. Some lower-elevation basins are more rain-dominant and spring precipitation is important for filling up soil moisture before the summer dry period develops.

Annual precipitation varies drastically across the state, with coastal Washington receiving over 80 inches of precipitation, on average, and parts of the Lower Columbia Basin east of the Cascade Mountains receiving less than 10 inches.

The Seasonal Precipitation Outlook for June-August of 2024. (Image courtesy of Ted Buehner)

When making drought determinations, the state Water Supply Availability Committee considers forecasted conditions in addition to existing conditions. Streamflow forecasts from both the National Weather Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service are primary factors, but other hydrometeorological variables are considered as well.

Imagine water in a stream flowing around a large rock. The water wraps around the rock and meets on the other side. On a grand scale, that’s what happens with westerly airflow off the Pacific as the airflow wraps around the Olympic Mountains and collides or ‘converges’ just east of the Olympics.

South Snohomish County is ground zero for the convergence zone. The air flows around the Olympics through the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Chehalis gap, collides, rises and produces clouds and then rain. If it is cold enough, it can even snow. Thunderstorms can also develop. With frequent stronger flow through the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the convergence zone tends to drift south into King County over time, similar to what occurred early this week.

The Puget Sound Convergence Zone can occur anytime during the year, but springtime is when it happens most often. Ironically, areas to the north and south of the convergence zone tend to have large breaks in the cloud cover with periods of sunshine, such as north in the San Juans and Skagit County, and south in areas such as Renton into Tacoma.

April showers bring more rainbows

Spring also marks the peak of the North Sound rainbow season. Rainbows can occur any time of year but the combination of spring showers and a higher sun angle than winter creates a greater number of rainbows during this season.

Rainbows are created by sunlight and rainfall from clouds or water droplets hanging in the air after rainfall. Sunlight enters a water droplet, slowing and bending the light as it goes from air to denser water. The light reflects off the inside of each rain droplet, breaking it into its different colors. When the light then exits the rain droplets, it creates a rainbow.

Buehner: Puget Sound Convergence Zone brings sunshine, showers, rainbows

Sunlight is composed of a spectrum of colors and many wavelengths of light. Violet is the shortest wavelength and bends the most. Red has the longest wavelength and bends the least. When you see a rainbow, the light reflecting back to you, with the sun at your back, will show all the colors between violet and red with violet on the bottom and red on the top.

Spring is here and it’s rainbow season — among the most beautiful displays of nature. If you see one, take pictures and share them on the KIRO FM Facebook so everyone can enjoy them.

Ted Buehner is the KIRO Newsradio meteorologist. You can read more of Ted’s stories here and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Imagine water in a stream flowing around a large rock. The water wraps around the rock and meets on the other side. On a grand scale, that’s what happens with westerly airflow off the Pacific as the airflow wraps around the Olympic Mountains and collides or “converges” just east of the Olympics.

South Snohomish County is ground zero for the convergence zone. The air flows around the Olympics through the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Chehalis Gap, colliding, rising and producing clouds and rain. If it is cold enough, it can even snow. Thunderstorms can also develop.

With frequent stronger flow through the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the convergence zone tends to drift south into King County over time, similar to what occurred early this week.

More Puget Sound weather: This week’s weather features April showers to bring May flowers

The Puget Sound Convergence Zone can occur anytime during the year, but springtime is when it happens most often. Ironically, areas to the north and south of the convergence zone tend to have large breaks in the cloud cover with periods of sunshine, such as north in the San Juan Islands and Skagit County and south in areas including Renton into Tacoma.

Spring also marks the peak of the North Sound rainbow season. Rainbows can occur any time of year, but the combination of spring showers and a higher sun angle than winter creates a greater number of rainbows during this season.

Rainbows are created by sunlight and rainfall from clouds or water droplets hanging in the air after rainfall. Sunlight enters a water droplet, slowing and bending the light as it goes from air to denser water. The light reflects off the inside of each rain droplet, breaking it into its different colors. When the light then exits the rain droplets, it creates a rainbow.

More from Ted Buehner: ‘Garden-ready’ weather approaching as overnight frost dwindles

Sunlight is composed of a spectrum of colors – many wavelengths of light. Violet is the shortest wavelength and bends the most. Red has the longest wavelength and bends the least. When you see a rainbow, the light reflecting back to you with the sun at your back will show all the colors between violet and red with violet on the bottom and red on the top.

Rainbow season is one of the most beautiful displays of nature. If you see one, take pictures and share them on the KIRO Newsradio Facebook site so everyone can enjoy them.

Ted Buehner is the KIRO Newsradio meteorologist. You can read more of Ted’s stories here and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“This year we’re at 87% of normal precipitation… but 63% of snowpack,” Caroline Mellor, the statewide drought lead for the Department of Ecology, said.

Mellor tells KIRO Newsradio the amount of snow in the mountains is critical.

“In a normal year, the snowpack would gradually melt throughout spring and summer. What happens when we have these warmer temperatures in winter is that we either see precipitation coming down as rain instead of snow, or what snow we do get melts too early.”

That means there will be less water available later in the year for drinking, agriculture, and wildlife.

“Really snowpack has a big impact on water supply in Washington,” Mellor said.

Looking ahead: Washington drought conditions to stick around

Mellor added mountain snow began melting last month. Streamflows in many basins are already below 75% of normal: the threshold at which the state declares a drought.

Some are fairing worse. Chelan River stream-flows are expected to be 52% of normal through September.

And looking ahead, “We fully expect the state to either stay at these drought conditions or get worse across spring and summer.”

Some of this is due to the El Niño weather pattern which brings warmer temperatures, but she also blames climate change.

“We expect 40% of the years going forward to be snowpack drought years,” Mellor said.

The state declared a drought last July, after an unusually warm and dry May. That declaration was expected to end in June, but the “new” declaration will extend into next year.

Among the things a drought declaration does, “It allows us to provide drought response funding to tribes and public entities across the state.”

The Department of Ecology says it will make up to $4.5 million available.

Limited areas of Seattle, Tacoma and Everett are excluded from the new drought declaration, because their reservoirs and water management strategies make them more resilient to the effects of droughts.

Heather Bosch is an award-winning anchor and reporter on KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of her stories here. Follow Heather on X, formerly known as Twitter, or email her here.

Follow @http://www.twitter.com/heatherbosch

Residents are familiar with wildfire smoke, but fossil fuels are the number one contributor to air pollution, explained IQAir’s CEO Glory Dolphin Hammes.

She said Seattle has 10% more air pollution than most American cities of its size because of industry sources and the transportation corridor.

Hammes also said fuel-powered vehicles, industry landscaping equipment and big fireworks shows are all large polluters.

Looking more at wildfires

Wildfires will continue to be a major pollution factor, Hammes added. She noted wildfires are becoming more common and they are lasting longer. She said the trend has a lot to do with climate change.

Past coverage: 11 Washington counties receive ‘F’ grades for air quality

However, IQAir reported Seattle had cleaner air last year than the year before.

The West Coast experienced a less severe wildfire season in 2023, IQAir’s 2023 World Air Quality Report reports. That is due to, in part, to “the implementation of aggressive mitigation strategies, including the utilization of technology for early warning systems and the allocation of additional ground resources to enable earlier deployments.” (Readers can view a PDF of the 2023 report here.)

Seattle saw a 36% drop in annual average PM2.5 levels. Portland, Oregon saw an even higher drop at 37%. The PM2.5 is one of six common pollutants monitored and regulated by environmental agencies worldwide due to the significant impacts to human health and the environment, IQAir stated. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) notes that PM2.5 particles pose the greatest risk to health.

When air quality is unhealthy, IQAir recommends wearing a mask outside and inside, running an air purifier, closing windows to avoid outdoor air and reducing outdoor exercise.

Popular holidays, other nations big contributors to bad air quality

New Year’s and the Fourth of July are “air pollution triggering events that last for several days and are very impactful in terms of people that suffer from respiratory disease,” she explained.

For the second year in a row, IQAir reported Columbus, Ohio, as the most polluted big city in America. While Las Vegas had the cleanest air of any major city in the U.S.

Beloit, Wisconsin, is listed as the most polluted city of any size in the U.S.

More climate coverage: Are we going nuts or is it the environment?

But even if Americans cut back on fossil fuels, Hammes said bad air would still blow in, as there are a growing number of companies in rich countries setting up factories with weaker environmental laws.

“Other countries that are bearing more of the economic load and production, they are producing more air pollution and so it still is a global problem,” she explained.

IQAir brands itself as a technology company based in Switzerland that “empowers individuals, organizations and governments to improve air quality through information and collaboration.” Their partners include the United Nations and Greenpeace.

To track the air quality where you live, visit IQAir’s website.

Contributing: Diane Duthweiler, KIRO Newsradio; Steve Coogan, MyNorthwest

Julia Dallas is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read her stories here. Follow Julia on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and email her here.