Western Washington
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Western Washington is a region of the United States defined as that part of Washington west of the Cascade Mountains. This region is home to the state's largest city, Seattle, and the majority of the state's residents. The climate is generally far more damp and temperate than Eastern Washington.
Climate
It is known as being far wetter in climate than the eastern portion of the state, which is due in main to the effects of the Cascades rain shadow. The average place in Eastern Washington only receives an average of 46.87 centimeters (18.45 inches) of precipitation per year.[1] However, the average place in Western Washington receives an average of 167.72 centimeters (66.03 inches) of precipitation per year.[1] The average place in Western Washington gets 168 days of measurable precipitation per year.[2] The place that receives the most recorded precipitation is Lake Quinault on the Olympic Peninsula with an average of 332.92 centimeters (131.07 inches) per year.[3] The place that gets the most days of measurable precipitation is the Long Beach Experimental Station with an average of 215 days of measurable precipitation per year.[2]
Statistics for ThreadEx sites
| Climate data for Olympia Regional Airport, Washington (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1948−present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 64 (18) |
73 (23) |
79 (26) |
88 (31) |
96 (36) |
110 (43) |
104 (40) |
104 (40) |
98 (37) |
90 (32) |
74 (23) |
64 (18) |
110 (43) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 56.3 (13.5) |
59.4 (15.2) |
67.9 (19.9) |
76.2 (24.6) |
83.9 (28.8) |
87.9 (31.1) |
93.6 (34.2) |
92.2 (33.4) |
86.3 (30.2) |
73.7 (23.2) |
61.5 (16.4) |
55.5 (13.1) |
96.0 (35.6) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 46.0 (7.8) |
49.1 (9.5) |
53.7 (12.1) |
58.9 (14.9) |
66.1 (18.9) |
70.8 (21.6) |
77.6 (25.3) |
78.0 (25.6) |
72.1 (22.3) |
60.2 (15.7) |
50.6 (10.3) |
44.9 (7.2) |
60.7 (15.9) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 39.6 (4.2) |
40.7 (4.8) |
44.1 (6.7) |
48.2 (9.0) |
54.5 (12.5) |
59.1 (15.1) |
64.2 (17.9) |
64.2 (17.9) |
59.1 (15.1) |
50.3 (10.2) |
43.2 (6.2) |
38.9 (3.8) |
50.5 (10.3) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 33.2 (0.7) |
32.3 (0.2) |
34.5 (1.4) |
37.5 (3.1) |
43.0 (6.1) |
47.4 (8.6) |
50.7 (10.4) |
50.5 (10.3) |
46.2 (7.9) |
40.5 (4.7) |
35.8 (2.1) |
32.8 (0.4) |
40.4 (4.7) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 18.8 (−7.3) |
19.0 (−7.2) |
23.9 (−4.5) |
27.5 (−2.5) |
32.3 (0.2) |
38.4 (3.6) |
42.7 (5.9) |
41.9 (5.5) |
35.9 (2.2) |
27.9 (−2.3) |
21.6 (−5.8) |
18.4 (−7.6) |
12.6 (−10.8) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −8 (−22) |
−1 (−18) |
9 (−13) |
23 (−5) |
25 (−4) |
30 (−1) |
35 (2) |
33 (1) |
25 (−4) |
14 (−10) |
−1 (−18) |
−7 (−22) |
−8 (−22) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 7.80 (198) |
5.09 (129) |
5.68 (144) |
3.67 (93) |
2.26 (57) |
1.46 (37) |
0.53 (13) |
0.96 (24) |
2.04 (52) |
5.07 (129) |
8.21 (209) |
7.85 (199) |
50.62 (1,286) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 2.0 (5.1) |
0.6 (1.5) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.2 (3.0) |
3.9 (9.9) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 20.3 | 16.4 | 18.8 | 16.3 | 11.4 | 8.5 | 4.0 | 4.8 | 8.1 | 15.1 | 19.5 | 20.2 | 163.4 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 0.5 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 2.2 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 87.5 | 84.5 | 80.0 | 75.6 | 72.9 | 72.4 | 70.8 | 72.1 | 77.6 | 85.1 | 88.4 | 89.1 | 79.7 |
| Average dew point °F (°C) | 34.5 (1.4) |
36.0 (2.2) |
36.9 (2.7) |
39.2 (4.0) |
43.9 (6.6) |
48.9 (9.4) |
52.0 (11.1) |
52.7 (11.5) |
49.6 (9.8) |
44.8 (7.1) |
39.6 (4.2) |
35.4 (1.9) |
42.8 (6.0) |
| Source 1: NOAA (dew points and relative humidity 1961–1990)[4][5] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service[6] | |||||||||||||
Template:Portland, Oregon weatherbox Template:Quillayute Airport weatherbox
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record high °F (°C) | 67 (19) |
70 (21) |
79 (26) |
89 (32) |
93 (34) |
108 (42) |
103 (39) |
99 (37) |
98 (37) |
89 (32) |
74 (23) |
66 (19) |
108 (42) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 57.0 (13.9) |
59.1 (15.1) |
66.4 (19.1) |
74.3 (23.5) |
81.9 (27.7) |
85.8 (29.9) |
91.2 (32.9) |
89.9 (32.2) |
84.1 (28.9) |
72.0 (22.2) |
61.6 (16.4) |
56.8 (13.8) |
94.1 (34.5) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 48.0 (8.9) |
50.3 (10.2) |
54.2 (12.3) |
59.3 (15.2) |
66.3 (19.1) |
71.1 (21.7) |
77.4 (25.2) |
77.6 (25.3) |
71.6 (22.0) |
60.5 (15.8) |
52.1 (11.2) |
47.0 (8.3) |
61.3 (16.3) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 42.8 (6.0) |
44.0 (6.7) |
47.1 (8.4) |
51.3 (10.7) |
57.5 (14.2) |
62.0 (16.7) |
67.1 (19.5) |
67.4 (19.7) |
62.6 (17.0) |
53.8 (12.1) |
46.5 (8.1) |
42.0 (5.6) |
53.7 (12.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 37.7 (3.2) |
37.7 (3.2) |
39.9 (4.4) |
43.3 (6.3) |
48.7 (9.3) |
53.0 (11.7) |
56.8 (13.8) |
57.2 (14.0) |
53.6 (12.0) |
47.0 (8.3) |
40.9 (4.9) |
37.1 (2.8) |
46.1 (7.8) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 26.1 (−3.3) |
27.3 (−2.6) |
31.3 (−0.4) |
35.6 (2.0) |
40.6 (4.8) |
46.6 (8.1) |
51.5 (10.8) |
51.7 (10.9) |
45.8 (7.7) |
36.8 (2.7) |
29.2 (−1.6) |
25.4 (−3.7) |
21.5 (−5.8) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 0 (−18) |
1 (−17) |
11 (−12) |
29 (−2) |
28 (−2) |
38 (3) |
43 (6) |
44 (7) |
35 (2) |
28 (−2) |
6 (−14) |
6 (−14) |
0 (−18) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 5.78 (147) |
3.76 (96) |
4.17 (106) |
3.18 (81) |
1.88 (48) |
1.45 (37) |
0.60 (15) |
0.97 (25) |
1.61 (41) |
3.91 (99) |
6.31 (160) |
5.72 (145) |
39.34 (999) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 1.8 (4.6) |
2.2 (5.6) |
0.4 (1.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
1.7 (4.3) |
6.3 (16) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 18.7 | 15.9 | 17.1 | 15.0 | 11.3 | 9.2 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 8.3 | 14.3 | 18.4 | 18.4 | 156.2 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 1.4 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 1.5 | 4.7 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 78.0 | 75.2 | 73.6 | 71.4 | 68.9 | 67.1 | 65.4 | 68.2 | 73.2 | 78.6 | 79.8 | 80.1 | 73.3 |
| Average dew point °F (°C) | 33.1 (0.6) |
35.1 (1.7) |
36.3 (2.4) |
38.8 (3.8) |
43.5 (6.4) |
48.2 (9.0) |
51.4 (10.8) |
52.7 (11.5) |
50.2 (10.1) |
45.1 (7.3) |
38.8 (3.8) |
34.3 (1.3) |
42.3 (5.7) |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 69.8 | 108.8 | 178.4 | 207.3 | 253.7 | 268.4 | 312.0 | 281.4 | 221.7 | 142.6 | 72.7 | 52.9 | 2,169.7 |
| Percent possible sunshine | 25 | 38 | 48 | 51 | 54 | 56 | 65 | 64 | 59 | 42 | 26 | 20 | 49 |
| Average ultraviolet index | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Source 1: NOAA (relative humidity, dew point and sun 1961–1990)[8][9][10] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Weather Atlas (UV)[11] | |||||||||||||
Population
In the 2010 census, Western Washington had a population of 5,229,486[12] out of the 6,724,540 in the entire state of Washington.[13] This makes the population comparable to that of Minnesota with a population of 5,303,925.[13] It has a land area of 24,742 square miles (64,080 km2), for a population density of 211.36 people per square mile (81.61 people per square kilometer).
Counties
Counties in Western Washington:
Cities of note
Major cities in Western Washington:[14]
Notes
References
- ^ a b http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/summary/Climsmwa.html Western Regional Climate Data Center Website
- ^ a b http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/htmlfiles/wa/wa.01.html Western Regional Climate Data Center, Days of Precipitation
- ^ "QUINAULT RS, WASHINGTON - Climate Summary". dri.edu. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
- ^ "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on 2023-07-05. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- ^ "WMO Climate Normals for OLYMPIA, WA 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on 2023-07-05. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
- ^ "NowData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
- ^ "National Weather Service - NWS Seattle". NWS Seattle, WA. Retrieved October 25, 2015.
- ^ "NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
- ^ "Summary of Monthly Normals 1991–2020". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
- ^ "WMO Climate Normals for Seattle/Seattle–Tacoma INTL A, WA 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on 2023-06-27. Retrieved July 18, 2020.
- ^ "Seattle, WA - Detailed climate information and monthly weather forecast". Weather Atlas. Yu Media Group. Retrieved January 1, 2020.
- ^ "Washington population by county - Census 2010: Washington - The Spokesman-Review". spokesman.com. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
- ^ a b See List of U.S. states and territories by population for the most recent state population figures.
- ^ US Census Bureau for Washington
