Weather with Cliff Mass

There has been a lot of talk about heat waves this week, and I wanted to provide some heat-wave 101 in this podcast.  Have we been breaking more high-temperature records during the past decades?  The answer may surprise you!  And I provide the weekend forecast, which promises dry conditions and temperatures increasing into the lower 80s during the next few days.

This podcast will start with the forecast, with a wet Sunday and Tuesday ahead.   We may even have record-breaking humid air on Sunday.  And in the second half, I will tell you about the cause:  a moist atmospheric river that will bring water vapor, precipitation, and perhaps even thunderstorms to the region.

What is the most important summer weather feature of the Pacific Northwest?  It is not thunderstorms like the rest of the country!  Instead, our big weather issue is the onshore or marine push .  You will learn about it in my podcast.   I will also provide the latest forecast, which includes the passage of some moderate cold fronts with rain over the weekend.  Finally...

What is the key technology behind weather prediction?   How can computer "models" predict the weather days in advance?  You will learn about this in my podcast today.   And I will provide the Memorial Day weekend forecast, which portends lots of sun and warming temperatures.  Look forward to highs reaching 80F in western Washington early next week, and over 100F in po...

This podcast will continue the story of weather prediction, described the evolution of weather prediction from folk wisdom to the use of the telegraphy for distributing real-time weather observations.  And our story continues through World War I and the discovery of how major weather systems evolve.   It is a fascinating tale.  And this podcast starts with this weekend's weathe...

Weather prediction is one of the great achievements of our species.  What is its history?  How did it develop?  Today's podcast will begin to tell you the story.  And I will provide the latest forecasts for our region, including an extraordinarily warm and dry weekend, but with a major shift to clouds and showers next week.

A signature aspect of Northwest weather is the occurrence of showers and sun breaks during the spring.  Why does this happen now?  You will learn the details during the podcast.  And I will also provide the Mother's Day weekend forecast.  Looks good for Sunday and even better early in the week.

Many ask:   how far into the future can we predict the weather?   The answer is found in this podcast, and it is more nuanced than some might expect.  And I will also provide the weekend forecast.... one that is encouraging for Sunday!

The weather is about to shift in a major way, from warm/dry conditions to cool and wet, and I will give you the details in this podcast.  I will also answer a frequent question:  what is weather radar and how can you use it to stay dry?   Weather radar can change your life....but a little knowledge will help.

What meteorological conditions lead to heatwaves in western Washington and Oregon?  This podcast will reveal the details!  And I will provide the forecast for this weekend, where high temperatures west of the Cascade crest will rise to 20 degrees above normal.  So get a cool drink, find your sunglasses, and listen in.

The next week will be one of great contrast for the Northwest.  We will go from MUCH cooler than normal temperatures over the weekend, with frost at sea level and moderate snow in the Cascades, to temperatures surging into the upper 60s west of the Cascades by the end of the week.  In the second part of the podcat, I go into some depth on the decline of the current La Nina, talking about...

The sky is often covered by thin lines of ice clouds, known as contrails.  In my podcast, I will explain why they occur and what they tell you about the atmosphere above.  I will also discuss the climatic effects of contrails.   And I will give you the weekend weather forecast and tell you how warm temperatures are only a short drive away.

Do humans have the power to alter the weather?   I will answer this question in my podcast.  And I provide a weekend weather forecast for the region, including a strong front that will cross Washington State on Sunday and plenty of snow late Sunday in the mountains.

Western Washington and Oregon have the longest springs in the nation, extending to 4 months or more.  I explain why in this podcast.  And I will give the weekend forecast, which promises lots of snow in the mountains, and showers with sun breaks in the lowlands.

Western Washington and Oregon have fewer and weaker thunderstorms than much of the U.S.   In this podcast, I explain why.   And I provide the weekend forecast, describing a beautiful Saturday, with a strong from moving through on Sunday afternoon.

In this podcast, I discuss a major issue:  U.S. global weather prediction is lagging the rest of the world.  Not only do I lay out the problem, but tell you why.   My podcast also provides the weekend forecast for the region, with a showery weekend followed by dry, warming weather later in the week.

In this podcast I start with the weekend weather forecast, which will be pretty benign because of the influence of a large ridge of high pressure over the eastern Pacific. Then I turn to the extreme weather of Texas, particularly its gyrations between summer warmth and Arctic cold during the winter months.   As I will explain, geography is meteorological destiny.

In this segment I discuss the profound rain shadow that will occur this weekend, with heavy snow and rain in the mountains and relatively dry conditions over the Puget Sound lowlands and the eastern slopes of the Cascades.  And then in the second segment, I take on the misinformation about the Texas cold wave.  There are a lot of claims in major media that cold waves, like the current on...

This podcast is about the expected snowfall this weekend, with the big event tonight and tomorrow (Saturday), with a look out into next week.

In this podcast I talk about the upcoming major snow event and some of the challenges in forecasting it.

I start with the forecast, with particular attention to the cold air that will push over the region this week.  Will it snow?  We will examine that.  And in the second portion of the podcast, I answer the question that many ask:  is there a void of weather data over the Pacific Ocean?  Does that make weather prediction difficult here in the Northwest?  My answer my su...

This podcast starts with the weekend forecast, which includes several frontal passages,  showers, and moderate mountain snows. But then I turn to the most dangerous weather phenomenon of the region--  ice on the roadways--and tell you what to look for and how to protect yourself from this hazard.

We have some interesting weather ahead.  First most dry with plenty of sun.  But then the potential for MUCH colder temperatures and lowland snow later in the week.  And in the second section I talk about our Wednesday windstorm and why the forecast was mediocre at best.

I start with the weekend forecast, including a dry Saturday, gusty downslope winds on the Cascades, a decent Sunday, and then the potential for a VERY wet period of Tuesday and Wednesday.   Then I answer a question posed by several of you:  what is the energy source of storms?    You will learn that tropical and midlatitude storms get their power in different ways!

In this podcast, I will give you the windy forecast for this weekend and tell you about a powerful front that will cross our region on Saturday night.  Then, after the intermission, I will tell you why there are wind gusts.  Why aren't winds steady, but periodically increase substantially in strength?  You will be gust-informed by the end of the podcast.