Not long after we crossed the threshold into autumn last week, leaving the fall equinox behind and watching the days grow shorter, an extreme cold wave hit the West. Records were smashed all around the region. Montana was hit by blizzards and several feet of snow. And in Washington, some of the higher elevations saw almost that much. Spokane got its earliest snow ever.

A snowy start to fall in the western US and how that’s connected to record heat in the East

yes yes yes University of Washington Professor of Atmospheric Sciences and renowned Seattle weather prognosticator/personality Cliff Mass has joined KNKX’s roster of commentators. "Weather with Cliff Mass," our five-minute feature hosted by KNKX's environment reporter Bellamy Pailthorp, airs every Friday at 9 a.m. following "BirdNote," and repeats twice on Friday afternoons during All Things Considered.

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.

School of Jazz: Ian McKain-Pitts and Aidan Moore serve as guest DJs

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.

How extreme heat in Eastern Washington can cause cooler temperatures in the west

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.

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

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

Clear skies and warm temps offer perfect viewing of Comet NEOWISE

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."

A snowy start to fall in the western US and how that’s connected to record heat in the East

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