The state flower is the coast rhododendron. Rain shadow The state tree is the western hemlock. [75], Western Washington also is home of the Olympic Mountains, far west on the Olympic Peninsula, which support dense forests of conifers and areas of temperate rainforest. [114][115] Coastal bays and islands are often inhabited by plentiful amounts of shellfish and whales. The mountains can get up to 200 inches (508 cm) of snowfall a year, creating a paradise for winter sports enthusiasts. Washington's marine highway constitutes a fleet of twenty-eight ferries that navigate Puget Sound and its inland waterways to 20 different ports of call, completing close to 147,000 sailings each year. As of July2022[update], the state's unemployment rate was 3.7 percent.[171]. .mw-parser-output .largestCities-table-background{background:#f9f9f9}.mw-parser-output .largestCities-cell-background{background:#f0f0f0}, Washington's population was 7,705,281 in the 2020 census,[2] a 14.6% increase since the 2010 census. The mountains can get up to 200 inches (508 cm) of snowfall a year, creating a paradise for winter sports enthusiasts. Followed By A Rain Shadow The La Nia phase reinforces the jet stream through the Pacific Northwest, causing Washington to have more rain and snow than average. Washington is the northwesternmost state of the contiguous United States. 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 [120] The majority of the state's population lives within Western Washington, in the Seattle metropolitan area; the city of Seattle is the principal city of the metropolitan area, and Western Washington, with a 2020 census population of 737,015. Rain shadows are common where coastal areas and mountains coexist. The state gem is petrified wood. The main cities are all located alongside rivers or lakes; most of them are named after the river or lake they adjoin. [117] Additionally, there are 143 state parks and9 national forests, run by the Washington State Park System and the United States Forest Service. 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]. A 2004 study of 40 mothers from Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and Montana found PBDEs in the breast milk of every woman tested. In the Western region, temperatures have reached as high as 118F (48C) in Maple Valley[94] during the June 2021 heat wave, and as low as 6F (21C) in Longview. This figure is derived from areas that later became, first to legalize medicinal and recreational, List of U.S. states by date of admission to the Union, slid off in the largest landslide in recorded history before erupting violently, "Office of the Washington State Climatologist", "Comparative Data for the Western States", List of federal lands in Washington (state), San Juan Islands National Wildlife Refuge, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, Pacific Northwest Spirituality and religion, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, List of Washington locations by per capita income, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Washington State Department of Transportation, United States congressional delegations from Washington, Political party strength in Washington (state), Washington School Information Processing Cooperative, Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Index of Washington (state)-related articles, "Table 2. Hospitals exist across the state, but many of Washington's best-known medical facilities are located in and around Seattle. WebA rain shadow is a dry area on the downwind side of a mountain range. Thus, instead of rain forests, much of Eastern Washington is covered with dry grassland, shrub-steppe, and dunes. It tells the story of two characters who become the means of each other's future. [167][168] The minimum wage as of January 1, 2021, was $13.69 an hour, the second highest of any state or district in the country behind Washington D.C at $14.00 an hour. [citation needed], Hanford Nuclear Reservation is currently the most contaminated nuclear site in the United States[197] and is the focus of the nation's largest environmental cleanup. [227] Although the nickname is widely used by the state, appearing on vehicle license plates for instance, it has not been officially adopted. Colleges and universities include the University of Washington, Seattle University, Washington State University, Western Washington University, Eastern Washington University, Central Washington University, Seattle Pacific University, Saint Martin's University, Pacific Lutheran University, Gonzaga University, University of Puget Sound, The Evergreen State College, Whitman College, and Walla Walla University. Washington has 75 port districts,[189] including several major seaports on the Pacific Ocean. The state insect is the green darner dragonfly. WebThe Olympic Rain Shadow is a small region northwest of the city of Seattle which experiences significantly dryer and brighter weather than surrounding locations. [12] Washington has more than a thousand dams, including the Grand Coulee Dam, built for a variety of purposes including irrigation, electricity generation, flood control, and water storage. 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. Almost 95 percent (876,517 acres, 354,714 hectares, 3,547.14 square kilometers) of Olympic National Park's area has been designated as wilderness under the National Wilderness Preservation System. In the spring and summer, a high-pressure anticyclone system dominates the north Pacific Ocean, causing air to spiral out in a clockwise fashion. An invasive amount of algae in bodies of water would lead to a variety of excess ecological and technological issues.[202]. 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. In addition, the 2015 U.S. Open was held at Chambers Bay, and several major tournaments were held at Sahalee Country Club. [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. [157] But it was in the late 20th century, that large-scale Mexican immigration and other Latinos settled in the southern suburbs of Seattle, with limited concentrations in King, Pierce, and Snohomish Counties during the region's real estate construction booms in the 1980s and 1990s. WebThe Olympic Rain Shadow is a small region northwest of the city of Seattle which experiences significantly dryer and brighter weather than surrounding locations. Washington does not collect inheritance taxes. This occurs most dramatically around the Olympic Mountains and the Cascade Range. A dry zone tree, the Garry Oak, thrives on the praries around Sequim. 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. Seattle, Bellevue, and Redmond, which are all within King County, have sizable Chinese communities (including Taiwanese), as well as significant Indian and Japanese communities. WebA rain shadow is a dry area on the downwind side of a mountain range. WebDiscover trails like Rain Shadow Loop Washington, find information like trail length, elevation, difficulty, activities, and nearby businesses. [129], As of the 2010 census, the population of Washington was 6,724,540. It stars Rachel Ward as district vet Kate McDonald and Victoria Thaine as new veterinary assistant Jill Blake. It continues to be the most important revenue source for public schools, fire protection, libraries, parks and recreation, and other special-purpose districts. Webrain shadow. [11] Washington ranks second only to California in wine production. The moisture in the air condenses as it rises, and this is what causes precipitation. From north to south, these major volcanoes are Mount Baker, Glacier Peak, Mount Rainier, Mount St. Helens, and Mount Adams. The growing population of Oregon Territory north of the Columbia River formally requested a new territory. American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. The high mountains of the Cascade Range run north-south, bisecting the state. Season 1. Washington operates and maintains roads over seven[vague] major mountain passes and eight minor passes. With the passage of Initiative 1639 in the 2018 elections, Washington adopted stricter gun laws. According to the National Weather Service, the annual rainfall for Yakima is 8.3 inches per year. Oregon is to the south, with the Columbia River forming the western part and the 46th parallel forming the eastern part of the OregonWashington border. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. [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. The Olympic Peninsula's western side receives as much as 160 inches (4,100mm) of precipitation annually, making it the wettest area of the 48 conterminous states and a temperate rainforest. 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. [111] The channel catfish, lamprey, and sturgeon are among the 400 known freshwater fishes. The Washington Supreme Court is the highest court in the state. Annual precipitation ranges from 100-170 inches of rain along the coast and western-facing valleys. 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