Virtually every spring, some media and activists claim that the upcoming summer will bring above-normal wildfire activity over the Pacific Northwest because of global warming/climate change (see example from last year below).  

Around 3 PM on Wednesday, a tornado was spotted over Puget Sound (see picture below).  Technically, this rotating wind feature is known as a waterspout since it developed over water.

As predicted, a very strong Pacific cold front moved through the region yesterday, bringing substantial precipitation, including heavy snow in the Cascades.  Several mountain observing sites have received over a foot of new snow.

At Crystal Mountain Ski Area, the upper reaches were in white-out conditions this morning:

The Northwest is known for its weak cold fronts, since the relatively warm Pacific Ocean warms, near-surface, cold Arctic air before it arrives in our region.

But sometimes conditions allow us to get a relatively strong cold front, with a sharp temperature decline and profound wind shift...and this will happen tomorrow afternoon and evening.

A strong cold f...

This year, the Washington State Department of Ecology and others (e.g., the Seattle Times) are claiming we are in a drought emergency.

In several of my recent blogs, I explained why I think they are wrong. 

Precipitation has been above normal, reservoirs are full, substantial snowpack is in place (about 50% of normal), soils are moist, current forecast...