Weather & Climate

An unusually deep low-pressure system and an atmospheric river as seen from space on the afternoon of Sunday, Oct.

60-foot waves exploded off the Pacific Coast during October’s bomb cyclone

November 21, 2021, 10:30am Latest News

The bomb cyclone and atmospheric river that pummeled Northern California in late October produced exceptionally heavy rain and high winds. But it also battered the California coast with some epic ocean waves. During the storm, peak individual wave heights of as much as 60 feet were measured from Washington to… Read story

Patrick Timm is a local weather specialist. His column appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

Weather Eye: Typical November weather continues until cold front

November 21, 2021, 6:04am Clark County News

Saturday was about average as it gets in November with a high of 53 degrees and a low of 40 degrees. Actually, both were one degree above average but despite weak sunshine and high clouds, it did feel a bit cool to me. Read story

Floodwater covers a roadway near a closed crossing to Canada, Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021, in Sumas, Wash. An atmospheric river'??a huge plume of moisture extending over the Pacific and into Washington and Oregon'??caused heavy rainfall in recent days, bringing major flooding in the area.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee will seek federal aid for flood damage

November 18, 2021, 11:30am Latest News

With floodwaters receding in parts of Washington state damage assessments are beginning and Gov. Jay Inslee is promising he’ll aggressively seek federal money. Read story

Weather Eye: Our current pattern: 2 days of rain, 2 days of no rain

November 18, 2021, 6:04am Clark County News

We enjoyed two more days without measurable rainfall Tuesday and Wednesday. That will end today as more rain will fall into Friday. I expect a half-inch to 1 inch by Friday night, when it clears off. Those of you near the foothills, of course, could see higher amounts. Read story

A woman and children who were stranded by high water due to flooding are rescued by a volunteer operating a boat in Abbotsford, British Columbia on Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2021. Officials in a small city near the Canada border are calling the damage devastating after a storm that dumped rain for days caused flooding and mudslides. City officials in Sumas, Washington said Tuesday that hundreds of people had been evacuated and estimated that 75% of homes had water damage. Just over the border, residents in about 1,100 rural homes in Abbotsford were told to evacuate as waterways started to rise quickly.

U.S.-Canada border towns assess damage from devastating floods

November 17, 2021, 12:35pm Latest News

Residents of this small U.S. city along the Canadian border were assessing damage from flooding that hit an estimated three quarters of homes, as Washington state and British Columbia tried to dry out from an intense, days-long rain storm that cut off key roadways and forced hundreds of evacuations. Read story

One missing, 500 displaced, 50K without power after Washington storm

One worker stands on a closed bridge as another on the flooded walkway below where a flood wall at left holds back the Skagit River from downtown Mount Vernon, Wash., Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2021. An atmospheric river—a huge plume of moisture extending over the Pacific and into Washington and Oregon—caused heavy rainfall in recent days, bringing major flooding in the area.

November 16, 2021, 9:55am Latest News

Nearly 50,000 Washington state electrical customers still had no power Tuesday after days of heavy rain triggered mudslides and floods and forced the closure of the West Coast’s main north-south highway near the Canadian border, officials said. Read story

Weather Eye: Many thanks to dedicated local weather observers

November 16, 2021, 6:04am Clark County News

The fast-moving cold front that brought brief heavy rain and blustery winds Monday afternoon pushed Vancouver’s monthly rainfall to almost 5 inches for the month. I have heard from some of you that before this storm you had already received anywhere from 6 to 10 inches so far this month. Read story

Heavy Northwest rains bring flooding, evacuations, school closures

A westbound car is caught in a spray of water thrown up by a pickup truck on Highway 20 Monday, Nov. 15, 2021, near Hamilton, Wash. The heavy rainfall of recent days will brought major flooding of the Skagit River that is expected to continue into at least Monday evening.

November 15, 2021, 1:00pm Latest News

Flooding and landsides prompted the complete closure of the West Coast’s main north-south highway overnight Monday near Bellingham, Washington, as the culmination of days of storms and high winds wreaked havoc in the Pacific Northwest. Read story