You would have to go back to 1963 to find this kind of dry pattern in western Washington. That’s when Seattle set a record of 15 straight days in January without rain.
We are not quite there yet, but Friday is Day 11 with no measurable precipitation.
“We’ve just been under a pattern that’s really deflected any of these weather systems away from us,” Jacob DeFlitch, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Seattle, said.
The dry streak is expected to continue at least through the weekend. Forecast models show a possible weak system arriving Monday, but meteorologists say it is unlikely to bring much, if any, rainfall.
“Last year we also had a drier period in January, but this is kind of taking on new meaning,” DeFlitch said.
While many of us have been enjoying the sunshine and calmer conditions, the lack of precipitation is raising concerns beyond the city.
The prolonged dry pattern has meant little to no new snowfall in the mountains, an unwelcome development for Washington’s snowpack. Current estimates place snowpack levels in the Cascades and Olympics at roughly 30-50% of average.
“It’s not helping the snowpack by any means,” Deflitch said, noting there’s still time to make up ground. “The average high points for snow pack are usually not until late March through mid-April for most areas.”
Looking ahead, there are signs of a potential shift later next week, with a more active weather pattern possibly developing around midweek.
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