Locate your snowboots and dust the spiderwebs off your skis! The experts at the Old Farmers' Almanac have released the 2023 winter forecast for Washington State and they're predicting a snow sporter's paradise! If you're disinclined to endure Washington's wintery blusters, there's good news for you, too. Keep reading to learn more about what the upcoming season has in store for us all!
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Admittedly, residents west of the Cascades have a poor track record dealing with snowfall. What Eastern Washingtonians would consider a light sprinkling wreaks havoc in areas like King County, where past storms have earned formidable names like Snowmageddon, Snowpocalypse, and Snowzilla.
But for Washingtonians who'd prefer not to be "walking in a winter wonderland," there's good news, too. This year's El Niño means that most snowfall will occur in the mountains.
While Intermountain areas like the Cascade range will receive above-average snow, we'll find ourselves coping with less precipitation than usual at lower elevations.
The Almanac predicts that things will get snowiest from mid-to-late December through the middle of January. Plan your wintery excursions for these weeks to coincide with fresh deposits of powdery snow!
Less precipitation doesn't necessarily mean warmer weather. The experts still agree that winter temperatures throughout the Pacific Northwest will be colder than is usual for our bioregion. Invest in reliable winter clothes and prepare your battle positions at the thermostat!
And it's also worth noting that other experts have predicted a particularly wet Washington winter, even closer to sea level. El Niño could direct a subtropical jet stream towards California, leading to excessive rain. We Washingtonians aren't strangers to taking forecasts with a grain of salt, though! In the Northwest, it's always best to hope for the best but prepare for the worst regarding weather.
Regardless of whether lower elevations get their usual sluicing later this year, one thing is certain: the 2023 winter forecast for Washington predicts snow, and lots of it, in the mountains! Pack your cars with essential cold weather gear and block out a weekend to explore the state's gorgeous winter trails! And if you're a fan of spending the cold weather inside, check out these resorts where travelers with a taste for the finer things in life can relax in bliss, tucked away from the storms.
Have you looked up at the Washington night sky lately? If not, you’ll want to change that as soon as possible. There’s a celestial phenomenon happening at the end of March that will allow you to enjoy what can only be described as a "planet parade." This amazing event will allow you to see five planets at once, which is incredibly rare.
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If you have a favorite spot for stargazing in Washington, make sure to spend some time there this month.
Lake Wenatchee State Park, the Olympic Peninsula, and the Methow Valley are all popular spots, but any area without a lot of city lights or cloudy skies will do.
Since March 25, 2023, we've been able to spot Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Uranus arranged in their natural order from the sun. You can see it all with your naked eye, but you'll get the best views from a telescope.
If you get lucky you'll experience all five planets visible tonight in Washington.
Enjoy some of the best places for stargazing in Washington in this video montage of 14 locations in Washington state with amazing night sky views:
An event like this doesn't come up very often, so tonight is the night to peer up at the Washington night sky in hopes of catching this rare event. Will you take the time to enjoy this beautiful planetary parade? Washington has so many fantastic stargazing spots that would be perfect, like the Goldendale Observatory.
