Weather With Cliff Mass

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School of Jazz: Ian McKain-Pitts and Aidan Moore serve as guest DJs Oct 01, 2020

Show notes

Drummer Ian McKain-Pitts and saxophonist Aidan Moore from Bellarmine Preparatory School in Tacoma will virtually join Abe Beeson on Evening Jazz tonight at 8 p.m. (Oct. 1) as guest DJs. Listen to the show and read their Q&A.

How extreme heat in Eastern Washington can cause cooler temperatures in the west Jul 31, 2020

Show notes

The first week of August is generally the hottest time of the year in Washington. This year, people in the Puget Sound region already have experienced some record temperatures, with highs topping 90 degrees for the first time in 2020 on Monday. Olympia reached an eye-popping 98 degrees. Seattle made it to 94. But a cooling trend that will continue through Monday has started, says KNKX weather expert Cliff Mass.

Is that a ferry boat in the sky? How summer mirages play tricks on your eyes Jul 24, 2020

Show notes

This story originally aired Aug. 23, 2019. Most people have had that classic summer experience of driving along a warm road and seeing a shimmering patch ahead that looks like water. But when you get there, it’s gone. This is a trick of the atmosphere, caused by different densities of the air, associated with temperature.

Clear skies and warm temps offer perfect viewing of Comet NEOWISE Jul 17, 2020

Show notes

It’s that most wonderful time of the year in the Pacific Northwest, when we get to enjoy clear skies, warm yet comfortable temperatures and 9 p.m. sunsets. Summers here are the payoff for our long, dark winters. And this week, the "perfect weather" many of us like to gloat about has finally arrived. This summer, these conditions are coinciding with the appearance of a rare comet called NEOWISE. KNKX weather expert Cliff Mass is among the astronomy enthusiasts who ventured out at 3 a.m. to see it.

'Big experiment' this July 4th shows personal fireworks are the main cause of air pollution Jul 10, 2020

Show notes

People in the Pacific Northwest sometimes jokingly call the sixth month here "Juneuary," because of the persistently gloomy weather we often face in June. Now an abundance of offshore flow — marine air coming in off the cool Pacific Ocean — has KNKX weather expert Cliff Mass calling July "Julember."

Lack of high-flying community fireworks may spare region’s air quality on July 4 Jul 03, 2020

Show notes

July 4 is upon us. Normally, that means our air quality takes a big hit. It's an issue that KNKX weather expert Cliff Mass often talks about. Mass has studied the impact of fireworks on our air quality. This year, things will be a little different. With all the major community fireworks displays canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

British Columbia’s wet, cold spring bodes well for Washington this year Jun 26, 2020

Show notes

The curse of the wet weekend is making another appearance as June comes to an end. The month sometimes referred to as "Juneuary" in the Pacific Northwest has actually included quite a few lovely summer days this year, with temperatures hitting the 80s under bluebird skies. (Just not many on weekends.) But our somewhat soggy spring this year in Washington has nothing on what folks north of us in British Columbia have been experiencing.

‘Curse of the wet weekends’ has had a strong hold on our region. What's behind it? Jun 19, 2020

Show notes

If you feel like you’re being punished by the weather for staying indoors during the workweek, you’re not alone. Lots of people in Western Washington have noticed a pattern of fair and sunny weather that abruptly turns to rain as soon as the weekend arrives.

Forecasting skill fades after two weeks. So how can scientists predict future climate? Jun 12, 2020

Show notes

We’re in for another cool, wet weekend. Rain and rain showers dominate the forecast through Monday night. High temperatures won’t get past the mid-60s. This is the kind of forecast most of us have come to rely on as we plan our activities, using radar viewers and other online tools to know what’s coming our way, sometimes down to the hour.

A gloomy start to June — but mellow compared to last weekend’s powerful thunderstorms Jun 05, 2020

Show notes

Gray skies, rain showers and possible thunderstorms are in the forecast again. It’s a pretty typical for this time of year in the Pacific Northwest, where most people rattle off phrases such as "June Gloom" and "June-uary" to describe this kind of weather. The exception here is thunder and lightning. Intense storms that are common in other parts of the country are rare here.

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