Climate and Weather of Tri-Cities Washington
Tri Cities Washington
The scenic and beautiful land of the area includes the cities of Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland. As they are in the southeastern part of Washington, they are in a desert climate, whose climate is dry with little precipitation. The area only receives an average of seven to eight inches of rain each year. However, they do enjoy an average of over three hundred days of sun each year. This makes the climate of the region a perfect place for agricultural endeavors.
Windy Weather
The Tri-Cities will often get wind more than thirty miles per hour when conditions for Chinook winds take place. Chinook winds, named after the Chinook Indians, can elevate winter temperatures and according to popular myth, Chinook winds, meaning “snow eater”, can make the snow disappear in a day. While there are not a lot of snow activities that take place in this area, residents can go north for a day of skiing or other fun, snow-filled activities.
Mild Climate
The temperature in the area will vary from a low 10 degrees F during the middle of winter weather to as much as 100 degrees F or more during the long, hot summer weather months. The climate temperatures in this area of the country are higher than the average temperatures of other areas within the United States. While the winter months can be considerably colder, if the area does get any snow during this time, it will usually disappear quickly due to the previously mentioned Chinook winds. As the area is in a desert climate, residents in the area find that the sand and dust are more of a hindrance to them as the wind blows so frequently.
The Mountain Ranges
Because the area has the Cascade Mountain Range to the west of them, the desert climate prevails and the area is much drier than the west side of Washington. This is due to the Tri-Cities being located in the rain shadow, also called the precipitation shadow. What happens is that this area is located behind the mountains and after the moist air rises to the top of the mountain, it falls in the range of the leeward side, and in this case, on the other side of the Cascade Mountains. However, as the Columbia, Snake, and Yakima Rivers are located close to Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland, the area has plenty to work with in the irrigation of their agricultural setting.