Why does Seattle have a mild climate?

Temperature. The city’s regime of temperature features small seasonal swings, due to its proximity to the ocean. The Pacific ocean, Puget Sound and Lake Washington serve as moderators of the temperature meaning the city is milder than areas inland during the winter and cooler during the summer.

Why does Seattle have mild winters?

Most of the time Seattle’s winter weather is controlled by the Pacific Ocean which remains relatively even in temperature throughout the year. In other words, winter weather in Seattle is regulated by its proximity to the Puget Sound and Pacific Ocean.

Why is the Pacific Northwest mild?

This weather is driven by the very cold air that comes out of the Great Plains, flows over the Rocky Mountains to the east, fills the Columbia basin like a giant bowl until it overflows over the Cascade range and into the usually more moderately cool regions west of the mountains.

Why is Seattle’s climate the way it is?

The extremes of temperature that occur in western Washington are the result of the occasional pressure distributions that force the continental air into the Puget Sound area. But the prevailing southwesterly circulation keeps the average winter daytime temperatures in the 40s (°F) and the nighttime readings in the 30s.

Why is Seattle so cloudy?

When moist winds blow inland with an approaching storm, the high terrain of the Cascade Range forces the moist air to rise into the atmosphere, enhancing the thick clouds and steady rainfall. The rain that does fall in Seattle and Portland, though, falls over a longer period of time.

Why is the Pacific Northwest warmer?

The Pacific Northwest is projected to warm rapidly during the 21st century, relative to 20th century average climate, as a result of greenhouse gases emitted from human activities.

What caused the PNW heatwave?

The Pacific Northwest temperature spike was caused by what scientists call a “heat dome”, or a mass of high-pressure air parked over the region. Like a lid on a pot, the dome trapped hot air beneath it. “This event was shocking to everybody who experienced it in the Pacific Northwest.

How is climate change affecting Seattle?

Visible impacts from climate change in Washington State can be seen in glacier reduction, declining snowpack, earlier spring runoff, increase in large wildfires, and rising sea levels which affect the Puget Sound area.

Is all of Washington gloomy?

“Yes, a section of Washington is one of the cloudiest regions in the country, but there’s more to the story than our cloudy coastline,” said Washington State University meteorologist Nic Loyd of AgWeatherNet, a WSU network of 166 weather stations statewide.