2024 in Washington (state)

Decades:	2000s; 2010s; 2020s; ; ;
See also:	History of Washington (state); Historical outline of Washington (state); List of years in Washington (state); 2025 in the United States;

The following is a list of events of the year 2024 in the U.S. state of Washington.

Incumbents

State government

Governor: Jay Inslee (D)

Events

January 1: Highest minimum wage laws in the country go into effect at both state and local levels
- Washington State minimum wage rises to $16.28 per hour and remains the highest state minimum wage in the United States throughout the year.^[1]
- Seattle minimum wage rises to $19.97 per hour, the highest for a major U.S. city.^[2]
March 12: primaries
- 2024 Washington Democratic presidential primary
- 2024 Washington Republican presidential primary
April 27: 2 Line (Sound Transit) partially opens with Eastside light rail service.^[3]
April 29: 2024 University of Washington pro-Palestinian campus occupation begins.^[4]

May 10–11: A level 5 geomagnetic storm during the May 2024 solar storms, "the strongest geomagnetic storm in over two decades" according to NASA,^[5] produces aurora borealis visible as far south as Florida and across Washington state, even in highly light polluted cities like Seattle.^[6]
May 28: The Seattle Public Library's checkout and online services were shut down by a ransomware attack.^[7]
June 8: Pioneer Fire, the first large fire of the 2024 Washington wildfire season, begins.^[8]
- July 28: Town of Stehekin ordered to evacuate (by boat) due to Pioneer Fire.^[9]
August 1: Washington's first state-funded electric vehicle rebate program begins, with $45 million earmarked for low-income households buying or leasing.^[10] It was called the nation's first rebate program to incentivize EV leases for low-income drivers.^[11]
July 23: Retreat Fire begins as the result of a propane tank explosion.^[12] The fire would later cause evacuations and the closure of U.S. Route 12 over White Pass for over three weeks.^[13]
August 24, 2024: In the 2024 CrowdStrike-related IT outages, digital infrastructure at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, including its website, phone lines, check-in system, and automated baggage sorting, was disabled by a cyberattack.^[14]
August 30: Lynnwood Link extension opens, extending Seattle area light rail north into Snohomish County.^[15]
September 13: More than 33,000 machinists go on strike against Boeing, many of whom work at Seattle, Renton, and Everett plants.^[16]

Future

November: 2024 Washington elections
- Federal
- State

Sports

National events

January 1: 2024 NHL Winter Classic
PSA World Tour Finals
- June 18: 2024 Men's PSA World Tour Finals
- June 18: 2024 Women's PSA World Tour Finals began
June 20: 2024 Women's PGA Championship began
July 28–August 3: Junior League World Series (softball) in Kirkland^[17]
August 10: 2024 NAPA Auto Care 150 in West Richland; inaugural event of new annual race^[18]
October 12: WrestleDream (2024)

Local teams

August: University of Washington Huskies football team leaves Pac-12 Conference^[19]
- September: First non-conference Apple Cup^[a] (UW Huskies vs WSU Cougars)^[20]

Footnotes

^ since foundation of conference's predecessor, Athletic Association of Western Universities, in 1959 (the cup's foundation in 1900 predates the conference)

References

^ Boone, Rolf (October 1, 2024). "Washington state's minimum wage set to increase Jan. 1. Here's how much it will change". The Olympian. Olympia, Washington – via Yahoo! News.
^ Hyde, David (January 1, 2024). "Seattle now has highest minimum wage of any major city in the United States". Seattle: KUOW.
^ Lindblom, Mike; Kroman, David (April 27, 2024). "Eastside light rail line opens as huge crowds try out the ride". The Seattle Times. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
^ de Luna, Ruby (2024-04-29). "University of Washington students join pro-Palestinian campus protest movement". www.kuow.org. Archived from the original on 2024-04-30. Retrieved 2024-05-17.
^ "Historic Geomagnetic Storm Dazzles". Official website. NASA Earth Observatory.
^ "Another big aurora tonight". Cliff Mass Weather Blog. Seattle: Cliff Mass. May 11, 2024. [O]n the top of the kite hill of Magnuson Park, where it is dark and the view unimpeded...the sky was ablaze with shimmering curtains and lines of color, mainly green and red.
^ Gaitán, Catalina (May 28, 2024). "Seattle Public Library goes offline after ransomware event". The Seattle Times. Retrieved May 29, 2024.
^ Rodriguez, Oscar (June 9, 2024). "Pioneer Fire near Lake Chelan at 300 acres, evacuation notice issued". The Wenatchee World. Retrieved August 9, 2024.
^ Jonathan Martin; Caitlyn Freeman (July 28, 2024). "Stehekin, pressed by wildfire, is under evacuation but many may stay". The Seattle Times.
^ Opong, Diana (August 1, 2024). "Charge up, Washington! State launches rebate program for electric vehicles". Seattle: KUOW.
^ Stiffler, Lisa (September 27, 2024). "Washington state drivers snap up EV rebates so fast that half of funds are gone 60 days into program". Geekwire.
^ Carleen Johnson, "Retreat Fire damages Yakima Tieton Irrigation Canal; crops could suffer", Center Square – via MSN
^ Ayer, Tammy (18 August 2024). "U.S. Highway 12 reopened Saturday after Retreat Fire closure". The Chronicle. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
^ Freeman, Caitlyn (August 26, 2024). "Little known about cyberattack that has disrupted Sea-Tac Airport". The Seattle Times. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
^ Deshais, Nicholas; Lindblom, Mike (August 30, 2024). "New light rail stations draw big crowds for first trips". The Seattle Times. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
^ Rose, Joel (September 13, 2024). "Boeing machinists go on strike after rejecting contract". NPR. Retrieved September 13, 2024.
^ "2024 Junior League Softball World Series Game Schedule".
^ Hoyt, Jedediah (August 9, 2024). "NASCAR returns to Tri-City Raceway after 20 years, featuring legend Greg Biffle". Pasco, Washington: KEPR-TV.
^ Russo, Ralph D. (August 4, 2023). "University of Washington announces they are leaving Pac-12 for Big Ten". Seattle: KIRO-TV.
^ Jensen, Jim (August 14, 2024), The 2024 Apple Cup will be played in Seattle in September. Here's why, Tacoma: KCPQ

[20] since foundation of conference's predecessor, Athletic Association of Western Universities, in 1959 (the cup's foundation in 1900 predates the conference)

[1] Boone, Rolf (October 1, 2024). "Washington state's minimum wage set to increase Jan. 1. Here's how much it will change". The Olympian. Olympia, Washington – via Yahoo! News.

[2] Hyde, David (January 1, 2024). "Seattle now has highest minimum wage of any major city in the United States". Seattle: KUOW.

[3] Lindblom, Mike; Kroman, David (April 27, 2024). "Eastside light rail line opens as huge crowds try out the ride". The Seattle Times. Retrieved April 27, 2024.

[4] Luna, Ruby (2024-04-29). "University of Washington students join pro-Palestinian campus protest movement". www.kuow.org. Archived from the original on 2024-04-30. Retrieved 2024-05-17.

[5] "Historic Geomagnetic Storm Dazzles". Official website. NASA Earth Observatory.

[6] "Another big aurora tonight". Cliff Mass Weather Blog. Seattle: Cliff Mass. May 11, 2024. [O]n the top of the kite hill of Magnuson Park, where it is dark and the view unimpeded...the sky was ablaze with shimmering curtains and lines of color, mainly green and red.

[7] Gaitán, Catalina (May 28, 2024). "Seattle Public Library goes offline after ransomware event". The Seattle Times. Retrieved May 29, 2024.

[World-June10-8] Rodriguez, Oscar (June 9, 2024). "Pioneer Fire near Lake Chelan at 300 acres, evacuation notice issued". The Wenatchee World. Retrieved August 9, 2024.

[9] Jonathan Martin; Caitlyn Freeman (July 28, 2024). "Stehekin, pressed by wildfire, is under evacuation but many may stay". The Seattle Times.

[10] Opong, Diana (August 1, 2024). "Charge up, Washington! State launches rebate program for electric vehicles". Seattle: KUOW.

[11] Stiffler, Lisa (September 27, 2024). "Washington state drivers snap up EV rebates so fast that half of funds are gone 60 days into program". Geekwire.

[12] Carleen Johnson, "Retreat Fire damages Yakima Tieton Irrigation Canal; crops could suffer", Center Square – via MSN

[13] Ayer, Tammy (18 August 2024). "U.S. Highway 12 reopened Saturday after Retreat Fire closure". The Chronicle. Retrieved 21 August 2024.

[14] Freeman, Caitlyn (August 26, 2024). "Little known about cyberattack that has disrupted Sea-Tac Airport". The Seattle Times. Retrieved September 11, 2024.

[15] Deshais, Nicholas; Lindblom, Mike (August 30, 2024). "New light rail stations draw big crowds for first trips". The Seattle Times. Retrieved August 30, 2024.

[16] Rose, Joel (September 13, 2024). "Boeing machinists go on strike after rejecting contract". NPR. Retrieved September 13, 2024.

[17] "2024 Junior League Softball World Series Game Schedule".

[18] Hoyt, Jedediah (August 9, 2024). "NASCAR returns to Tri-City Raceway after 20 years, featuring legend Greg Biffle". Pasco, Washington: KEPR-TV.

[19] Russo, Ralph D. (August 4, 2023). "University of Washington announces they are leaving Pac-12 for Big Ten". Seattle: KIRO-TV.

[21] Jensen, Jim (August 14, 2024), The 2024 Apple Cup will be played in Seattle in September. Here's why, Tacoma: KCPQ

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Incumbents

State government

Events

Sports

See also

Footnotes

References