rain shadow washington

They were reported to at least date as far back as the 1800s. [139] The five largest ancestry groups were: German (17.8%), WebSee the latest Washington Doppler radar weather map including areas of rain, snow and ice. The unofficial, but popularly accepted, state rock song is Louie Louie. According to the National Weather Service, the annual rainfall for Yakima is 8.3 inches per year. Though the ban would be effective statewide in 2010, it would take place in Whatcom County, Spokane County, and Clark County in 2008.

Because of the favorable climate of dry, warm summers and cold winters of central Washington, the state has led the U.S. in apple production since the 1920s. On January 1, 2018, the law went into effect, with Washington becoming the seventh state with paid sick leave requirements.[212]. Also, significant amounts of trade with Asia pass through the ports of the Puget Sound, leading to a number six ranking of U.S. ports (ranking combines twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) moved and infrastructure index).[170]. In 1778, British explorer Captain James Cook sighted Cape Flattery, at the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, but Cook did not realize the strait existed. [56], Early prominent industries in the new state included agriculture and lumber. WebWhile Washington is notorious for its rainfall, select areas in the state benefit from whats called a Rain Shadow. Season 1. [1] The Evergreen State College, a state-funded institution in Olympia, also takes its name from this nickname. Four ships of the United States Navy, including two battleships, have been named USS Washington in honor of the state. As a result of the Monticello Convention, held in present-day Cowlitz County, U.S. Congress passed legislation and President Millard Fillmore signed into law on March 2, 1853, the creation of a new Washington Territory. He named the river after his ship, the Columbia. Photo by Pacific NW Seasons. The western side of the Olympic Peninsula receives as much as 160 inches (4,100 mm) of precipitation annually, making it the wettest area of the 48 conterminous states and a temperate rainforest. [43], Negotiations with Great Britain over the next few decades failed to settle upon a compromise boundary and the Oregon boundary dispute was highly contested between Britain and the United States. As clouds move up the windward side (typically the western side in Washington) of mountains, the moisture condenses and falls as precipitation before reaching the mountain tops. n. An area having relatively little precipitation due to the effect of a barrier, such as a mountain range, that causes the prevailing winds to lose their moisture before reaching it. [19], Washington was named after President George Washington by an act of the United States Congress during the creation of Washington Territory in 1853; the territory was to be named "Columbia", for the Columbia River and the Columbia District, but Kentucky representative Richard H. Stanton found the name too similar to the District of Columbia (the national capital, itself containing the city of Washington), and proposed naming the new territory after President Washington. 32 local bus transit systems exist across the state,[189] the busiest being King County Metro, located in Seattle and King County, with just above 122million riders in 2017.

Tacoma is home to thousands of Cambodians, and has one of the largest Cambodian-American communities in the United States, along with Long Beach, California, and Lowell, Massachusetts. The state senate was under Republican control, due to two Democrats' joining Republicans to form the Majority Coalition Caucus.

[20][21][22] Washington is the only U.S. state named after a president. In November 2009, Washington voters approved full domestic partnerships via Referendum 71, marking the first time voters in any state expanded recognition of same-sex relationships at the ballot box.

Here in the Northwest, the typical movement of wet weather from the southwest and west means locations northeast and [165], Aquarian Tabernacle Church is the largest Wiccan church in the country.[166]. Manufacturing industries in Washington include aircraft, missiles, shipbuilding, and other transportation equipment, food processing, metals, and metal products, chemicals, and machinery. To the west of Washington lies the Pacific Ocean. The most numerous (ethnic, not racial, group) are Latinos at 11%, as Mexican Americans formed a large ethnic group in the Chehalis Valley, Skagit Valley, farming areas of Yakima Valley, and Eastern Washington.

[219] For the individual market, Molina Healthcare had the top share at 23%.[220]. Evaporated moisture from water bodies (such as oceans and large lakes) is carried by the prevailing onshore breezes towards the drier and hotter inland areas. This culminated in 1941 with the completion of the Grand Coulee Dam, the largest concrete structure in the United States and the largest dam in the world at its construction.

Webrain shadow. The lowest temperature recorded in the state was 48F (44C) in Winthrop and Mazama. WebDiscover trails like Rain Shadow Loop Washington, find information like trail length, elevation, difficulty, activities, and nearby businesses. The state insect is the green darner dragonfly. WebDiscover trails like Rain Shadow Loop Washington, find information like trail length, elevation, difficulty, activities, and nearby businesses. Washington uses the non-partisan blanket primary system after the approval of Initiative 872 in 2004. [49] Black pioneer George Washington Bush and his Caucasian wife, Isabella James Bush, from Missouri and Tennessee, respectively, led four white families into the territory and founded New Market, now Tumwater, in 1846. Hospitals exist across the state, but many of Washington's best-known medical facilities are located in and around Seattle. The smallpox epidemic of the 1770s devastated the Native American population.[30]. The mountains can get up to 200 inches (508 cm) of snowfall a year, creating a paradise for winter sports enthusiasts. From 20092014, the Washington State Broadband Project was awarded $7.3million in federal grants, but the program was discontinued in 2014. Cascade Rain Shadow And of course, almost all of Eastern Washington is in the Cascade Rain Shadow. The state of Washington reformed its health care system in 1993 through the Washington Health Services Act. The average annual temperature ranges from 51F (11C) on the Pacific coast to 40F (4C) in the northeast. [221] The act was mostly repealed in 1995 before it could go into full effect. A Washington state constitution was drafted and ratified in 1878, but it was never officially adopted. The Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue Metropolitan Area population was 3,439,809 in the 2010 census, half the state total. The top two health insurers as of 2017 were Premera Blue Cross, with 24 percent market share, followed by Kaiser Permanente at 21 percent. In November 2017, a special election gave Democrats a one-seat majority in the Senate and complete control over state government. [159] An estimated 30,000 Somali immigrants reside in the Seattle area. The combined state and local retail sales tax rates increase the taxes paid by consumers, depending on the variable local sales tax rates, generally between 7.5% and 10%. [175] Most foods are exempt from sales tax. Eastern Washingtonthe part of the state east of the Cascadeshas a relatively dry climate, in distinct contrast to the west side. WebWashington (/ w t n / ()), officially the State of Washington and often referred to as Washington state to distinguish it from the national capital, Washington, D.C., is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States.Named for George Washingtonthe first U.S. presidentthe state was formed from the western part of the WebRain Shadow Loop Olympic Peninsula > Northern Coast 47.9546, -123.2594 Map & Directions Length 0.5 miles, roundtrip Elevation Gain 170 feet Highest Point 6007 feet Calculated Difficulty Easy View from the Rain Shadow Loop. During the winter months, some of these passes are plowed, sanded, and kept safe with avalanche control. These terms reflect the geography, climate, and industry of the land on both sides of the Cascades. Rain Shadow is set in the fictional district of Paringa, a dry land farming area in a rain shadow. While the population of African Americans in the Pacific Northwest is relatively scarce overall, they are mostly concentrated in the South End and Central District areas of Seattle, and in inner Tacoma. [1] The state folk song is "Roll On, Columbia, Roll On" by Woody Guthrie. See more. [229] The state grass is bluebunch wheatgrass. It stars Rachel Ward as district vet Kate McDonald and Victoria Thaine as new veterinary assistant Jill Blake. [74] It is also covered with more glacial ice than any other peak in the contiguous 48 states. [189][192], The Cascade Mountain Range also impedes transportation. The racial composition of Washington's population as of 2016 was: According to the 2016 American Community Survey, 12.1% of Washington's population were of Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race): Mexican (9.7%), Puerto Rican (0.4%), Cuban (0.1%), and other Hispanic or Latino origin (1.8%). The border established by the Oregon Treaty and finalized by the arbitration in 1872 remains the boundary between Washington and British Columbia. [196] Residents of Vancouver have resisted proposals to extend Portland's mass transit system into Washington.

The legislation required individuals to obtain health insurance or face penalties, and required employers to provide insurance to employees. [190] Boeing Field in Seattle is one of the busiest primary non-hub airports in the U.S.[191], There are extensive waterways around Washington's largest cities, including Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma, and Olympia. Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin are not distinguished between total and partial ancestry. The intercity network includes the Cascade Tunnel, the longest railroad tunnel in the United States, which is part of the Stevens Pass route on the BNSF Northern Transcom. The Washington Supreme Court is the highest court in the state.

American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. [54][22] The boundary of Washington Territory initially extended farther east than the present state, including what is now the Idaho Panhandle and parts of western Montana, and picked up more land to the southeast that was left behind when Oregon was admitted as a state; the creation of Idaho Territory in 1863 established the final eastern border. [174] These taxes apply to services as well as products. The state of Washington is one of seven states that do not levy a personal income tax. Tumbleweeds and sagebrush dominate the landscape throughout large parts of the countryside. Pacific Raceways is a motorsports venue that has hosted the Northwest Nationals of the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series and a round of the Trans-Am Series. This is when the interior portions of Oregon and Washington receive the majority of their moisture for the year. It was admitted to the Union as the 42nd state in 1889. Irish (10.8%), English (10.4%), Norwegian (5.4%), and American (4.6%). Wildflowers/Meadows Mountain views Dogs not allowed Summits Good for kids Parking An excise tax applies to certain products such as gasoline, cigarettes, and alcoholic beverages. The Sounder commuter rail service operates in Seattle and its surrounding cities, between Everett and Lakewood. Washington is one of the ten states to have legalized assisted suicide. Marcus provided medical care for the Native Americans, but when Indian patientslacking immunity to new, "European" diseasesdied in striking numbers, while at the same time many white patients recovered, they held "medicine man" Marcus Whitman personally responsible, and murdered Whitman and twelve other white settlers in the Whitman massacre in 1847. WebRain Shadow Effects Rainfall in Washington varies dramatically going from east to west. This rainfall promotes the growth of lush temperate rain forests, such as the Hoh and Quinault. [61], During World War II, the state became a focus for war industries. Spring arrives early and lasts long. Washington's state base sales tax is 6.5%, which is combined with a local sales tax that varies by locality. The Seattle Open Invitational golf tournament was part of the PGA Tour from the 1930s to the 1960s.

Additionally, Washington has a large Ethiopian community, with many Eritrean residents as well.

Semi-arid conditions occur in much of Eastern Washington with the strongest rain shadow effects at the relatively low elevations of the central Columbia Plateauespecially the region just east of the Columbia River from about the Snake River to the Okanagan Highland. The state adopted the Washington Healthplanfinder system in 2014 after the passage of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (also known as "ObamaCare"). It includes large areas of semiarid steppe and a few truly arid deserts in the rain shadow of the Cascades; the Hanford reservation receives an average annual precipitation of 6 to 7 inches (150 to 180mm). The air spiraling inward in a counter-clockwise fashion causes Washington's prevailing winds to come from the southwest, and bring relatively cool and overcast weather and a predictably wet season. Heavy rainfall to the west of the Cascade Range produced dense forests, and the ports along Puget Sound prospered from the manufacturing and shipping of lumber products, particularly the Douglas fir. Washington has not voted for a Republican senator, governor, or presidential candidate since 1994, tying with Delaware for the longest streak in the country.[208]. [53] Kaiser Wilhelm I of the German Empire was selected as an arbitrator to end the dispute, with a three-man commission ruling in favor of the United States in 1872. [47] Whitman's settlement would in 1843 help the Oregon Trail, the overland emigration route to the west, get established for thousands of emigrants in the following decades. Sequim is a dry little town, in fact, the driest place in all of Western Washington, with a bare 16 inches of rainfall per year, only half A wider variety of flora can be found in both the Blue Mountains and the eastern sides of the Cascades. Rainfall varies a lot around Western Washington and Puget Sound. For Washington, this means prevailing winds from the northwest bring relatively cool air and a predictably dry season. [151] The black community of Seattle consisted of one individual in 1858, Manuel Lopes, and grew to a population of 406 by 1900. WebRain Shadow Effects Rainfall in Washington varies dramatically going from east to west. [182] By 2006, the state had over 31,000 acres (130km2) of vineyards, a harvest of 120,000 short tons (109,000t) of grapes, and exports going to more than forty countries around the world from the state's 600 wineries. This is when the interior portions of Oregon and Washington receive the majority of their moisture for the year. Washington does not collect inheritance taxes. The Chinatown-International District in Seattle has a historical Chinese population dating back to the 1860s, who mainly emigrated from Guangdong Province in southern China, and is home to a diverse East and Southeast Asian community. WebThere are two main locations in Washington State that are impacted by rain shadows. Democrats have controlled the Washington Governor's Mansion for 38 years; the last Republican governor was John Spellman, who left office in 1985. WebRain Shadow. To officially be called a rain forest, the area must receive at least 100 inches of rain annually, and at the peak this area receives 200 inches per year. Approximately two-thirds of Washington's forested area is publicly owned, including 64 percent of federal land. WebRain Shadow Effects Rainfall in Washington varies dramatically going from east to west. WebThe Olympic Rain Shadow is a small region northwest of the city of Seattle which experiences significantly dryer and brighter weather than surrounding locations. It tells the story of two characters who become the means of each other's future. The governorship is held by Democrat Jay Inslee, who was elected to his first term in the 2012 gubernatorial election and, after the 2020 election, became the first incumbent in more than 40 years to be elected for a third term. The great rain forests are only 40 miles as the crow flies south of Sequim in the Olympics. The early diversification of Washington through the Great Migration led to successful efforts at reducing discrimination in the workplace.

[66], In 1970, the state was one of only four U.S. states to have been providing legal abortions before the 1973 Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade which loosened abortion laws nationwide. WebWashington (/ w t n / ()), officially the State of Washington and often referred to as Washington state to distinguish it from the national capital, Washington, D.C., is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States.Named for George Washingtonthe first U.S. presidentthe state was formed from the western part of the

[129], As of the 2010 census, the population of Washington was 6,724,540. We notice distinct changes in the month of February; usually we mow the lawn twice during this month, and there are significant stretches of clear weather. Three years later, in November 2012, same-sex marriage was affirmed via Referendum 74, making Washington one of only three states to have approved same-sex marriage by popular vote. Most personal property owned by individuals is exempt from tax. [130], The center of population of Washington in 2010 was at .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}4720N 12137W / 47.33N 121.62W / 47.33; -121.62, in an unpopulated part of the Cascade Mountains in rural eastern King County, southeast of North Bend, northeast of Enumclaw, and west of Snoqualmie Pass.[131]. Rainfall in Washington varies dramatically going from east to west. WebWhile Washington is notorious for its rainfall, select areas in the state benefit from whats called a Rain Shadow. These deep forests, such as the Hoh Rainforest, are among the only rainforests in the continental United States. Washington is home to four of the five longest floating bridges in the world: the Evergreen Point Floating Bridge, Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge and Homer M. Hadley Memorial Bridge over Lake Washington, and the Hood Canal Bridge which connects the Olympic Peninsula and Kitsap Peninsula. Since then, in the 2018 election, the Democrats have only expanded their majorities.



For the proposed statehood of Washington, D.C., see, Map of the United States with Washington highlighted, United States presidential election results for Washington. Nine justices serve on the bench and are elected statewide. The U.S. Geological Survey considers 14,411-foot-tall (4,392m) Mount Rainier the most dangerous volcano in the Cascade Range, due to its proximity to the Seattle metropolitan area, and most dangerous in the continental U.S. according to the Decade Volcanoes list. [116] The three national parks were established between 1899 and 1968. For 2018, the total value of Washington's agricultural products was $10.6 billion. Here in the Northwest, the typical movement of wet weather from the southwest and west means locations northeast and

The state highways incorporate an extensive network of bridges and the largest ferry system in the United States to serve transportation needs in the Puget Sound area.

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Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin are not distinguished between total and partial ancestry, activities, and nearby.! Deep forests, such as the crow flies south of Sequim in the state became focus...
Annual precipitation ranges from 100-170 inches of rain along the coast and western-facing valleys. [citation needed] The Columbia and Snake rivers also provide 465 miles (748km) of inland waterways that are navigable by barges as far east as Lewiston, Idaho.


Washington is the northwesternmost state of the contiguous United States. The region around eastern Puget Sound developed heavy industry during the period including World War I and World War II, and the Boeing company became an established icon in the area. All real property and personal property are subject to tax unless specifically exempted by law. Western Washington's Driest Zone: the Sequim Rain Shadow.