Q: What does on and off shore flow mean?
A: On-shore flow is an airflow that comes in from the Pacific Ocean – and we have plenty of marine moisture there. The on-shore flow is forced to rise when it gets the mountains in Washington.
An off-shore flow is airflow that goes towards the Pacific. Today, for example, there is an off-shore flow bringing dry air from British Columbia.
We usually have an on-shore flow in Western Washington, which is why we’re normally humid and we have quite a bit of rain.
But when that off-shore flow kicks up from the land to the sea, we usually dry out and sometimes we warm up.
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Information from The Associated Press is included in this report. Want to talk about the news of the day? Watch free streaming video on the KIRO 7 mobile app and iPad app, and join us here on Facebook.
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