Virtually all major wildfires west of the Cascade crest occur from mid-August to mid-September. But why? I will explain in this podcast. And I will tell you about some surprising findings regarding the effects of global warming on westside fires in our region. In addition, I will give you the latest forecast, which includes a beautiful weekend, but a cooling trend on Monday and Tuesday.
Aug 27, 2021•13 min•Season 2Ep. 29
La Nina is coming and in this podcast, I will you all about it, including its implications for our summer weather. And I will also describe the forecast, with near-normal temperature for the next few days.
Aug 20, 2021•9 min•Season 2Ep. 29
This podcast provides my take on the new IPCC climate report and the big changes in the weather we will experience during the next week. The new climate report is actually quite optimistic about future climate change and far less apocalyptic than many media reports. The smoky weather of today will clear up by Monday, with normal temperatures returning. I also talk about the wild local heatwave yesterday in Bellingham.
Aug 13, 2021•15 min•Season 2Ep. 28
This podcast starts with a dramatically changing forecast, where we go from cool/wet conditions to another heatwave. In the second, half I examine claims about a dominant global warming origin of the June heatwave. It simply isn't true and I tell you why.
Aug 06, 2021•12 min•Season 1Ep. 27
Be ready for weather whiplash. In western Washington over the next week, we will go from a minor heatwave to much cooler conditions and some light rain. East of the Cascades, temperatures over 100F today will transition to a regime of scattered thunderstorms associated with a plume of moisture from the southwest. In the second segment, I will tell you about the basics of regional thunderstorms and why we are so thunderstorm deficient in our region.
Jul 30, 2021•12 min
How does wildfire smoke move in the atmosphere? Why does smoke sometimes travel thousands of miles and what controls whether wildfire smoke reaches the surface? I will talk about all of these things and more in my podcast. Plus, the forecast, which can only be described as meteorological perfection.
Jul 23, 2021•13 min•Season 2Ep. 27
We are now entering the driest period of the year climatologically. Amazingly dry. And in my podcast, I tell you why! I also review the forecast for the next week, a period that should be relatively cool, with morning low clouds west of the Cascade crest, and clean air for Vancouver, Seattle, and Portland.
Jul 16, 2021•11 min•Season 2Ep. 26
This is sea breeze season in the Pacific Northwest and my podcast will tell the story. In fact, we have some of the strongest sea breezes in the country and they come in a wide variety of sizes and strengths. My podcast also provides the forecast, including typical weather over the weekend and the potential for a cool/moist period next weekend.
Jul 09, 2021•11 min
There has been much speculation that the severe heatwave of the past week was the result of global warming. The truth is that global warming played a very minor role. I will provide evidence for this in my podcast. And I will also provide the latest forecast for the July 4 weekend!
Jul 02, 2021•13 min•Season 2Ep. 26
My podcast describes the reasons behind the high temperature records expected on Sunday and Monday.
Jun 25, 2021•8 min•Season 2Ep. 24
There has been a lot of talk about heat waves this week, and I wanted to provide some heat-wave 101 in this podcast. Have we been breaking more high-temperature records during the past decades? The answer may surprise you! And I provide the weekend forecast, which promises dry conditions and temperatures increasing into the lower 80s during the next few days.
Jun 18, 2021•12 min•Season 2Ep. 22
This podcast will start with the forecast, with a wet Sunday and Tuesday ahead. We may even have record-breaking humid air on Sunday. And in the second half, I will tell you about the cause: a moist atmospheric river that will bring water vapor, precipitation, and perhaps even thunderstorms to the region.
Jun 11, 2021•11 min•Season 2Ep. 22
What is the most important summer weather feature of the Pacific Northwest? It is not thunderstorms like the rest of the country! Instead, our big weather issue is the onshore or marine push . You will learn about it in my podcast. I will also provide the latest forecast, which includes the passage of some moderate cold fronts with rain over the weekend. Finally, there will be a special zoom session for this podcast's Patreon supporters tomorrow June 5 at 10 AM. I will talk about weather satelli...
Jun 04, 2021•12 min•Season 2Ep. 21
What is the key technology behind weather prediction? How can computer "models" predict the weather days in advance? You will learn about this in my podcast today. And I will provide the Memorial Day weekend forecast, which portends lots of sun and warming temperatures. Look forward to highs reaching 80F in western Washington early next week, and over 100F in portions of eastern Washington.
May 28, 2021•14 min•Season 2Ep. 20
This podcast will continue the story of weather prediction, described the evolution of weather prediction from folk wisdom to the use of the telegraphy for distributing real-time weather observations. And our story continues through World War I and the discovery of how major weather systems evolve. It is a fascinating tale. And this podcast starts with this weekend's weather forecast, including a sunny Saturday and a cloudy Sunday.
May 21, 2021•12 min•Season 2Ep. 19
Weather prediction is one of the great achievements of our species. What is its history? How did it develop? Today's podcast will begin to tell you the story. And I will provide the latest forecasts for our region, including an extraordinarily warm and dry weekend, but with a major shift to clouds and showers next week.
May 14, 2021•11 min•Season 2Ep. 19
A signature aspect of Northwest weather is the occurrence of showers and sun breaks during the spring. Why does this happen now? You will learn the details during the podcast. And I will also provide the Mother's Day weekend forecast. Looks good for Sunday and even better early in the week.
May 07, 2021•11 min•Season 2Ep. 18
Many ask: how far into the future can we predict the weather? The answer is found in this podcast, and it is more nuanced than some might expect. And I will also provide the weekend forecast.... one that is encouraging for Sunday!
Apr 30, 2021•11 min•Season 2Ep. 17
The weather is about to shift in a major way, from warm/dry conditions to cool and wet, and I will give you the details in this podcast. I will also answer a frequent question: what is weather radar and how can you use it to stay dry? Weather radar can change your life....but a little knowledge will help.
Apr 23, 2021•12 min•Season 2Ep. 17
What meteorological conditions lead to heatwaves in western Washington and Oregon? This podcast will reveal the details! And I will provide the forecast for this weekend, where high temperatures west of the Cascade crest will rise to 20 degrees above normal. So get a cool drink, find your sunglasses, and listen in.
Apr 16, 2021•11 min•Season 2Ep. 16
The next week will be one of great contrast for the Northwest. We will go from MUCH cooler than normal temperatures over the weekend, with frost at sea level and moderate snow in the Cascades, to temperatures surging into the upper 60s west of the Cascades by the end of the week. In the second part of the podcat, I go into some depth on the decline of the current La Nina, talking about the nature of the El Nino/La Nina oscillation and the potential impacts of a weakening La Nina on West Coast pr...
Apr 09, 2021•13 min•Season 2Ep. 15
The sky is often covered by thin lines of ice clouds, known as contrails. In my podcast, I will explain why they occur and what they tell you about the atmosphere above. I will also discuss the climatic effects of contrails. And I will give you the weekend weather forecast and tell you how warm temperatures are only a short drive away.
Apr 02, 2021•11 min
Do humans have the power to alter the weather? I will answer this question in my podcast. And I provide a weekend weather forecast for the region, including a strong front that will cross Washington State on Sunday and plenty of snow late Sunday in the mountains.
Mar 26, 2021•10 min•Season 2Ep. 14
Western Washington and Oregon have the longest springs in the nation, extending to 4 months or more. I explain why in this podcast. And I will give the weekend forecast, which promises lots of snow in the mountains, and showers with sun breaks in the lowlands.
Mar 19, 2021•10 min•Season 2Ep. 13
Western Washington and Oregon have fewer and weaker thunderstorms than much of the U.S. In this podcast, I explain why. And I provide the weekend forecast, describing a beautiful Saturday, with a strong from moving through on Sunday afternoon.
Mar 12, 2021•12 min•Season 2Ep. 12
In this podcast, I discuss a major issue: U.S. global weather prediction is lagging the rest of the world. Not only do I lay out the problem, but tell you why. My podcast also provides the weekend forecast for the region, with a showery weekend followed by dry, warming weather later in the week.
Mar 05, 2021•13 min•Season 2Ep. 11
In this podcast I start with the weekend weather forecast, which will be pretty benign because of the influence of a large ridge of high pressure over the eastern Pacific. Then I turn to the extreme weather of Texas, particularly its gyrations between summer warmth and Arctic cold during the winter months. As I will explain, geography is meteorological destiny.
Feb 26, 2021•11 min•Season 2Ep. 9
In this segment I discuss the profound rain shadow that will occur this weekend, with heavy snow and rain in the mountains and relatively dry conditions over the Puget Sound lowlands and the eastern slopes of the Cascades. And then in the second segment, I take on the misinformation about the Texas cold wave. There are a lot of claims in major media that cold waves, like the current one, are associated with global warming and will increase under global warming. This is simply not true and I tell...
Feb 19, 2021•14 min•Season 2Ep. 8
This podcast is about the expected snowfall this weekend, with the big event tonight and tomorrow (Saturday), with a look out into next week.
Feb 12, 2021•8 min•Season 2Ep. 8
In this podcast I talk about the upcoming major snow event and some of the challenges in forecasting it.
Feb 10, 2021•9 min•Season 2Ep. 7
