For once, we have everyone wanting it to rain. And more the better. We do have some heading our way, with good news and bad news. The good news is that most areas will receive some moisture and enough wind to hopefully scour out most of this thick, debilitating smoke.
The bad news — not really bad but difficult — is the fact that the low-pressure system will be what we call a “cut-off low.” It has separated from the jet stream and will keep spinning off our coast. Bands of rain will spin around, sometimes staying off the coast and other times moving onshore at any given place from Southern Oregon to Northern Washington.
That makes for the nonspecifics. Looking at data as of late Saturday, I’m thinking about a tenth of an inch of rain sometime late Monday into early Tuesday. About enough to settle the dust but not enough to douse the wildfires. It will slow them down, however. The fires in the Cascades won’t be totally out until the steady fall rains and when the snow flies later this autumn and winter.
As that low settles in off the coast, we’ll keep a chance of showers each day this coming week. Let’s hope a few of those showers will be soakers. Frogs, stand at attention!
