Climate & Weather:
Washington's climate varies greatly from west to
east.
The west is mild and humid, while east of the
Cascades a cooler dry climate prevails.
The average annual temperature ranges from 51
degrees on the Pacific coast to 40 degrees in the
northeast.
The climate in western Washington is mild because of
the warm currents coming off of the North Pacific.
This area has frequent cloud cover, considerable
fog, and long-lasting drizzles. Summer is much
sunnier, yet still mild. Average high temperatures
here approach 70 degrees.
The western side of the Olympic Peninsula receives
up to 160 inches of precipitation annually, making
it the wettest area of the 48 continental states.
Weeks or even months may pass without a clear day.
Portions of the Puget Sound area, on the eastern
side of the Olympic Mountains, are less wet,
although still humid.
The western slopes of the Cascade Range receive some
of the heaviest annual snowfall in the country (over
200 inches annually).
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WEATHER AND TRAFFIC INFO
Firsts, Facts, Trivia:
On May 18, 1980, Mount Saint Helens
erupted in Washington, resulting in 57 deaths and
billions of dollars in damage.
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FACTS
Featured Tourist Spots:
Northwest Trek Wildlife Park - Enjoy a trek
aboard a naturalist guided tram in which you will
see animals roaming freely while you're in a 'moving
cage'. Some of the animals seen on the trek are:
black tail deer, bison, bighorn sheep, elk, woodland
caribou, water fowls, moose, and mountain goats
MORE TOURISM
Washington History:
Many Native Americans lived in the
Washington region when European explorers first
visited the area. Some of these groups lived west of
the Cascades. The Chinook, Nisqually, Quinault, and
Puyallup hunted deer and fished for salmon and
clams. Others, the Cayuse, Colville, Spokane, and
Nez Perc, lived east of the Cascades on the plains
and valleys.
In the 18th century, Europeans were attracted to
the coast of present-day Washington by the valuable
fur of the sea otter, an animal found there in great
numbers. The Spanish explorer Bruno Heceta visited
the area in 1775 and claimed it for his country. In
1790, however, Britain and Spain concluded the
Nootka Sound Agreement, which opened the coast
between California and Alaska to trade and
settlement by both nations. George Vancouver
explored much of the Washington coast and Puget
Sound between 1792 and 1794, claiming the land for
England. By 1800 British interest had shifted from
sea-dwelling furbearers to land animals,
particularly the beaver, and the Montral-based
North West Company played a major role in opening
Washington to the fur trade.
MORE Washington HISTORY
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