Rain Finally Returns to the Northwest After a Record-Breaking Fire Season

The rain has finally arrived in the Pacific Northwest. After dealing with persistent wildfire threats for the last several months, this corner of the country is getting doused with some much-needed precipitation. How long will the moisture train last? Read on for all of the soggy details.

First Rain of the Fall Season Impacting the Northwest

There is no place in the U.S. that needs rain more than the Northwest. According to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), fires in the month of August have burned over 2.5 million acres in Washington and Oregon alone.

The Northwest is known for its dry summers that slowly give way to persistent precipitation in the fall and winter. Right on time, the rain arrived in the region just as meteorological fall got started. In addition to the clouds and rain, the drastic change in the weather pattern is also ushering in cooler temperatures.

The shift in the weather is coming at the hands of a southward dip in the jet stream. This dip is putting a dent in the zone of high pressure that has been anchored over the Northwest for the last month. The position of the jet stream is serving as a conduit for storms to flow into the northwestern U.S.

The moisture machine first fired up on Wednesday as a strong storm from the Pacific Ocean pushed inland into Washington and Oregon, whipping up the winds and bringing down the mercury. The forecast is calling for the rain to persist through Friday before drier conditions return just in time for the long holiday weekend.

The heaviest rainfall totals are in store for the coastal region, the Olympic Peninsula of Washington, the Cascades, and the coastal ranges. This part of the region will also see the strongest winds.

The busy Interstate 5 corridor from Seattle to Portland is expected to end up with 1 to 2 inches of rain by the time that the weather pattern wraps up on Friday.