When will it rain? Seattle experiences fourth week with no precipitation as dry streak continues

Save your “Seattle is so gray and rainy” jokes and stings for … well, a real rainy day because the city hasn’t had one in weeks.

Wednesday July 14th marks an entire month of no precipitation in the Emerald City. The last measurable rain fell on June 14th when a subtropical area of ​​moisture moved over the region.

This is not entirely uncommon for the region, as July is usually one of the drier months of the year, with rainfall averaging around 0.60 inches. The longest rainy season in the region was a 55-day dry spell in 2017.

And currently there is no rainfall probability in the Seattle forecast for that week, which means the current dry spell is likely to continue. Temperatures will remain common for the region, through the upper 70s to low 80s, and some areas of the coast could experience a drizzle of less than 0.10 inches later in the week.

With today’s conclusion we mark 4 consecutive weeks without measurable rain in Seattle. We’re still way outside of the top 10 longest dry strands, but the long-term forecast isn’t promising. A low point late in the week could bring some rain to the Olympic Peninsula & N Cascades. pic.twitter.com/5BvWUhifIi

– NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) July 12, 2021

“While the likelihood of showers across the region from Friday through the weekend is not zero, the weather-related scenario will most likely be the onshore current with the possibility of drizzle / light rain along the coastal areas,” wrote the National Weather Service in Seattle in his briefing on Monday morning.

Even before the record-breaking heatwave baked the region with three-digit temperatures at the end of June, experts expressed concerns about the forest fire season due to persistent drought. Much of western Washington is still classified as “abnormally dry” according to the US Drought Monitor, while the eastern part of the state is currently in “extreme drought” according to the agency’s ratings.

The bone-dry conditions have led state officials to take more fire safety precautions. Governor Jay Inslee issued a state of emergency over risk of forest fire last week, including a statewide ban on most outdoor burns, and the Department of Natural Resources also issued a burn ban that will last until September 30th.

Much of the state is currently drier than usual.

US drought monitor

“We saw a record number of fires this early in the summer,” said Hilary Franz, commissioner for public land, in a press release last week. “Extreme drought conditions put communities across our state at risk as the risk of fire continues to increase. I ask everyone to do their part and take precautions to prevent forest fires. Our frontline firefighters rely on us to protect them. “

For the state’s skiers and snowboarders, however, there may be good news ahead of us: NOAA has released a La Nina watch for the coming winter, which means a cooler than usual winter with more rainfall – and more snow to fill up on snowpacks could save for the region.