Weather with Cliff Mass

This podcast describes the nature of Northwest freezing rain events and describes the major shift to warm/wet weather this week.

This podcast will talk about cold and very high pressure moving south out of Canada.   Will record high pressure be observed in our region?   And a detailed forecast for the cold and snow of the upcoming week.

Clouds way millions of pounds but stay in the sky.  I explain why.  And I provide an interesting forecast for a wet start to the weekend, followed by very dry conditions.

Why is the air so dry inside these days?  I will explain why.  And I will give an updated forecast regarding the potential for snow over our region.

This podcast starts with the forecast for the next week, with a very favorable forecast for Thanksgiving Day.   I then turn to talk about the winter weather of the Columbia Basin, describing the "cold pool" that develops in its lower elevations, bringing low clouds and icy conditions.

La Nina conditions, with high pressure along the coast, will bring dry conditions to the Northwest for 7-9 days.

I start with the forecast, with everything from heavy rain, strong winds, and snow, and then describe the challenges of predicting snow in our region.

My podcast talks about some active weather ahead, with cooler than normal temperatures this week...and the potential for a major snow-producer in the mountains starting next Sunday!  Even the lowlands might see some flakes!

Will global warming increase the chances of westside wildfires in the Northwest?   Was climate change behind the recent fires and smoke west of the Cascade crest?    I provide the answer in this podcast.

When will the autumn rain return to the Northwest?  I will tell you in this podcast.   And I will take on the related issue:  how far in time can meteorologists predict the weather?  How has that changed over the past decades?

Amazingly, the latest forecast models indicate no rain for the next 10 days.  I will tell you the story about that.  And in the second half of the podcast, will tell you why we are in the middle of fog season and why smoke can enhance fog formation.

Hurricane Ian is in the news and this podcast describes how hurricane forecast skill has changed over the year and why.  And I also provide an amazingly warm, dry forecast for the new week.

How could a small, dying fire in the Cascades result in some of the worst air pollution in recent Seattle history.  I will explain how.  And also provide you with a very promising forecast for the weekend.

My podcast will start with a very favorable weather forecast for our region--perfect temperatures, little smoke, and no rain.  The bulk of the podcast will discuss the history of wildfires over the region, noting that summer smoke is our normal condition.

This podcast takes on  Northwest smoke.   I explain how it is highly three-dimensional and why smoke can be visible aloft but never make it to the surface.  I also give you the latest forecast, with warm/smoky conditions on Saturday followed by substantial improvement and cooling on Sunday.

The signs are everything that meteorological fall is here in the Northwest and in the second segment I will tell you about them.  In the forecast segment, I will talk about the upcoming cooldown, the end of heatwaves for the year, and describe the smoke plume moving into eastern Washington.

Tired of warm temperatures?  This weekend will be the one for you with highs in the 70s in the west and 80s east of the Cascade crest. But one last heat event is ahead.   In this podcast, I will not only provide the forecast, but tell you about local microclimates and what causes them.

We have experienced unusual humidity during the past week.  Why?  I will describe what controls the "stickiness" of the air in our region.  But before I do that I will review the forecast, which is quite favorable for this weekend, followed by another warm spell on Wednesday and Thursday.

This has been a below-normal wildfire season over the western U.S., but we should not get complacent!  Historically, the most dangerous wildifre period is about to start, ironically because of cooling temperatures.  I will explain the meteorology of the prime, late-summer wildfire period.  And I will start the podcast with a very pleasant summer forecast for the west, but one with t...

Weather forecast models are great, but there are potent weather signs in the sky that provide advanced notice of weather changes.  I will talk about a few local weather signs here in the Northwest.  And I also discuss the latest forecast, with warming ahead followed by a cooling crash on Wednesday.   The Northwest weather roller coaster continues!

This podcast explains an apparent contradiction:   the region is slowly warming yet extreme heat waves are not increasing over time.  It is an interesting story not covered in the media.  And I also provide the latest forecast, with the heat wave continuing over the weekend and ending abruptly with a major cool down on Monday.

A storm on the Sun's surface should result in a major aurora event tonight that could well be visible in the Northwest.  My podcast provides the details.  And I also talk about a major warm up this week, that should bring temperatures in the low-90s in the west and over 100F in the Columbia Basin.

We are just about to enter the climatologically driest time of the year in the Pacific Northwest.  In fact, we are one of the driest locations in the country in late July.  But why?   The reasons are discussed in my podcast.  And I will also review the weekend forecast, which will be a bit cooler and cloudier than normal.  The cause?  That pesky low pressure near...

People were complaining about humidity this week.  I tell you why our humidity is generally low in the Northwest and why it got sticky this week.   I also give the forecast for the upcoming week, which includes a mini-heat wave and no rain.

This weekend will be one of extremes...from warm to rain...and I  provide a detailed forecast.  Some locations will get thunderstorms.  In my second segment, I explain why thunderstorms are infrequent in our region and the secret sauce needed to bring boomers to our region.