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| Thunder Storm near Banks Lake |
The State of Washington is usually know for its high levels of precipitation and more specifically, its rain. The immense amount of rainfall and the low levels of sunshine that the western part of the state receives is no doubt the leading cause of one of the highest suicide rates in the US, however what most people fail to realize is that the Eastern part of Washington is very arid and averages much higher temps then the east. Banks lake State park only averages 16 inches or precipitation per year compared to Seattle's nearly 38 inches.
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| Puget sound during Thunder Storm |
These 16'' are yet still greater than its surrounding areas, like Spokane, due to the large scale evaporation from the lake an the ensuing down poor from thunder storms. Banks Lake has numerous amounts of thunderstorms because its climate has the perfect ingredients: large amounts of water and evaporation coupled with warm weather and rising warm air fronts that come off of either the Puget Sound or Mt. Saint Helens.
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| Notice the mountain ranges and the Puget Sound to the west of Banks Lake State Park |
Since Washington has both an ocean and a mountain range its is usually substitutable to thunderstorms. When water precipitates into the atmosphere it starts the up-drafting phase of cumulus type clouds, but little rain fall actually occurs in this stage, rather in the mature stage when the moisture turns to liquid and falls creating a down draft which in turn has the potential of making a gust front.
