Eastern Washington

Eastern Washington is the region of the U.S. state of Washington located east of the Cascade Range. It contains the city of Spokane (the second largest city in the state), the Tri-Cities, the Columbia River and the Grand Coulee Dam, the Hanford Nuclear Reservation and the fertile farmlands of the Yakima Valley and the Palouse. Unlike in Western Washington, the climate is dry, including some desert environments.

Geography

Nomenclature

Other terms used for Eastern Washington or large parts of it include:

Columbia Basin

Eastside or east side of the state

Inland Empire/Inland Northwest (also includes the Idaho Panhandle)

"The 509" (in reference to the local area code)

Cities

Notable cities and towns in Eastern Washington include:

Protected areas

Counties

Eastern Washington is composed of:

Some definitions also include part of Skamania County that lies east of the ridge line of the Cascade Mountains.

Climate

A significant difference between Eastern Washington and the western half of the state is its climate. While the west half of the state is located in a rainy oceanic climate, the eastern half receives little rainfall due to the rainshadow created by the Cascade Mountains. Also, due to being farther from the sea, the east side has both hotter summers and colder winters than the west. Most communities in Eastern Washington, for example, have significant yearly snowfall, while in the west snowfall is minimal and not seen every year. The east and west do still have some climatic traits in common, though: more rainfall in winter than summer, a lack of severe storms, and milder temperature ranges than more inland locations.

There is some variation in both temperature and rainfall throughout Eastern Washington.