Where There is Smoke

I've had the chance to talk to many interesting people over the decades of interviewing people for Northwest Prime Time. One of those individuals is Nick Bond, Washington state's recently retired Climatologist... Or not quite retired. He continues to work part time and is the Washington State Climatologist Emeritus. 

"I'm in the process of easing out," said Nick about working. "I continue to support the climate office, and am also now a part-time, hourly employee of the UW," adds the longtime senior research scientist and affiliate professor. "I think a lot of your readers are probably in that same situation. For some, there is a day at 5pm where you clean out your desk and that's it. But it's often a more gradual process. I still have some projects and other interests. What's not to like about it?" 

Nick will probably continue to volunteer with the Office of the Washington State Climatologist once he officially turns in his badge. He especially likes public outreach and making presentations to different groups, including talking to seniors at retirement communities. "I find it rewarding, and I think it is providing a public service," he adds. 

Nick Bond can often be found at events educating the public about climate and weather 

 

It's fair to say that Nick has an interest (or obsession) with weather and climate... With his PhD in Atmospheric Sciences and an undergraduate degree in physics, Nick is quite the scientific guy, but one who can explain climate and weather in everyday terms. 

I first talked with Nick 10 years ago when he agreed to answer questions about Washington state climate and weather as part of Northwest Prime Time's annual "Best Places to Retire in Washington" feature.

“Weather can’t be summarized neatly; temperature and precipitation are not the whole story,” Nick told me back then. “Some people care about sunny versus cloudy. Some folks might like a very big change from a hot summer to a cold winter while others want more moderate temperatures throughout the year. One size doesn’t fit all, but what is remarkable is that in Washington State, whatever you want, you can probably get it here.”

Nick reported on microclimates within the state, where you might want to live if you really like sunshine in the winter ("Omak, Yakima and Wenatchee have the fewest clouds and the most sunny days. It can be pretty chilly there in winter so there are trade-offs") or if you prefer that comforting blanket of clouds. ("If you are a true Northwesterner, you celebrate clouds instead of dread them," he remarked, adding, "If you don’t like clouds, I would avoid the lowlands in the South Sound stretching from western Pierce through Thurston to Lewis County.") He said where to find the driest climate on the west side of the mountains (“There is definitely more sunshine and less rain in Port Townsend, Sequim, and Port Angeles, but no matter where you are west of the Cascades, you will have to get used to clouds"). He discussed wind, thunderstorms, the rain shadow, Puget Sound's convergence zone. He told our readers about the state's warmest average temperature (in terms of an annual average, that would be Vancouver in Clark County "because the winters are relatively mild not because the summers are especially hot") and coldest spot in the state (Winthrop and Mazama in the Methow Valley are the state's coldest towns). 

If you're interested in more details, I invite you to check out the article from 2014 (see link below). Not only will you learn more about climate and weather, but also what a fun and interesting guy Nick Bond is – for example, he cooks, he gardens, is a fitness nut and he enjoys interacting with students, in part because new students "are a fresh audience for my stale jokes – new victims!” Here is the link: https://northwestprimetime.com/news/2014/jul/03/nick-bond-reflects-best-places-retire-washington/. 

New Updates: Heat Waves, Smoke, Air Quality

My recent conversation with Nick led us in entirely new directions. We talked about staying safe during heat waves, we talked about wildfires, smoke, air quality, and even how to make a simple, inexpensive air purifier for your home. Additionally, he told me about some other resources from the climate office he thought our readers would be interested in, such as – according to scientific data – where the ideal climate is in Washington state (nicknamed "Goldilocks") on both the west and east sides of the mountains. 

Nick provided way too much information for one measly blog post, so I will follow up this article with details from our conversation, including the "Goldilocks" spots in the state (western Washington's ideal climate location might provide a chuckle) and the instructions for making a simple, inexpensive air purifier, and other resources. The follow-up article will be posted as part of Northwest Prime Time's regular homepage rather than as part of my blog. 

If anyone out there wants to check out Nick's additional insights and learn about the resources he suggests, just shoot me an email at editor@northwestprimetime.com and I'll send you a link whenever I post the follow-up article later this month. Or sign up for our monthly newsletter, which alerts subscribers to new posts each month. Simply sign up by sending an email to editor@northwestprimetime.com, with "Subscribe" in the subject line. 

Thank you, Nick!

You can learn more about the Office of the Washington State Climatologist at www.climate.washington.edu or call 206-543-3145.