In summer‐fall 2002, the coastal northeast Pacific (NEP) was characterized by anomalously cool, fresh waters extending from Vancouver Island to southern California, increased equatorward transport in the California Current System (CCS), and higher surface productivity in the northern CCS. The evolution of large scale atmosphere‐ocean anomalies in the NEP from winter 2001–02 through fall 2002 contributed to these coastal anomalies by setting up wind stress anomalies that led to: 1) anomalous transport of subarctic waters into the North Pacific Current (NPC); 2) enhanced eastward flow in the NPC; 3) anomalously strong upwelling in the CCS; and 4) enhanced equatorward transport in the CCS.