Climate
Regions
Western Washington
Eastern Washington
Western Washington
Eastern Washington
The Cascades have semiarid and highland climates. In higher elevations there are treeless plains. There is some precipitation here. Snow falls in the winter. Rain falls throughout the year. This climate is harsh for animals and plants.
The Okanogan Highlands are east of the Cascades. They have a lowland semiarid climate. Uplands have a highland climate. The semiarid areas have hotter summers. The highlands climates have more precipitation.
The East has three regions. These are the Okanogan Highlands, Columbia Basin, and the blue mts. These three regions are land locked. They are less populated than the west. They are also dryer and generally warmer than the east.
In Western Washington there are four regions. These are the Olympic Peninsula, Willapa Hills, Puget Lowlands, and the Cascade regions. The Willapa, Olympic and Puget regions border the Pacific Ocean. The Cascade region is landlocked. All four regions have a mild climate.
The Columbia Basin is surrounded by mountains. There is a semiarid climate here. There are many droughts. Less precipitation affects the vegetation. There is mainly sporadic precipitation in the Columbia Basin.
The Puget lowlands have a marine west coast climate. It is wet year round. There are mild summers. Snow might falls in the winter also. Lower elevations receive more rainfall. This climate is perfect for vegetation to grow.
Eastern and Western Washington Compare and Contrast
Physical Features
Western Washington
Eastern Washington
Eastern Washington has three regions: the blue mt. region, Okanogan Highlands, and Columbia Basin regions. The Columbia River runs from the Willapa Hills region to the Okanogan Highlands. The river creates transportation, a healthy enviroment and fresh water.
One of the physical features of Western Washington is the Puget Sound. The Puget Sound connects to the Pacific Ocean. It is home to many water animals such as gray whales. Fishing is a main economic activity. The Sound is in the Puget Lowland region.
Another feature is the Olympic Mts. The olympic Mts. are in the Olympic Peninsula region. They peak at 7,962 ft. The Mts. are surrounded by water on three sides. There are also rich valleys hidden close to the mts.
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The Blue Mt. region is the smallest region in Washington. The elevation goes up to 7,000 feet here. There are grasslands and forests in the area. There are many foraging animals living in this region such as elk. There is up to 40 inches of precipitation in high elevations here.
Weather
Eastern Washington
Western Washington
Weather is wet and mild in Western Washington. There are wet winters and mild summers. In the Olympic Peninsula region there is common snow. In the Cascades there is snow and cool temperatures. In the Cascades plants are limited because of the harsh weather.
The rain shadow makes the East hotter with less precipitation than the West. Summers are hot with not much precipitation. Temperatures are not extreme here. Generally there is more precipitation the lower the elevation. The East is overall more dry than the west.
The Puget Lowlands have the most precipitation. There can be 60 inches of rain a year. The farther north you go, the colder it gets. The Pacific Ocean can create storms. There are not many extreme weather conditions though.
The weather in each region is unique. The Columbia Basin has lots of vegetaion because of weather. The winters are cold and moist, and summers are dry. This also is an effect of the rain shadow. There are mts, in the east with snow.