My new podcast: the warmest and coolest places during the winter in the Northwest

 Several folks have asked me about the winter extremes of the region, so I decided to do a podcast about it (see below).

As shown in a map of the average January minimum temperatures below (from my book), the coolest temperatures are found east of the Cascade crest, where marine influence is limited by that mountain barrier.   Warmest temperatures are along the coast, where the relatively warm Pacific Ocean keeps things moderate.

Look closely and you will see the warmest temperatures are on the southern Oregon coast from Brookings to Coos Bay.  The Banana Belt of the Northwest.  As explained in the podcast, the high terrain around Medford plays a large role in this warmth.

And then I take on the issue of the coldest locations of our region, with the Washington records in the high Methow river valley, where cold air sinks down into the towns of Winthrop and Mazama.  And there is more....

Winthrop and Mazama are found in the relatively deep Methow River Valley

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