Rain breaks Bellingham’s dry spell. Here’s what the forecast sees for heat, smoke
One-quarter inch of rain in the last 72 hours ended Bellingham’s dry spell Saturday morning, Aug. 7, according to National Weather Service statistics.
There had been no more than a trace of rain since June 14 at Bellingham International Airport where official readings are recorded.
The light rain ended a streak of 52 days that ties for second place with the summer of 1986 behind the 54 days recorded in 1960.
Official weather records in Bellingham date to 1949.
But more rain is on the way, Mike McFarland, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Seattle, told The Bellingham Herald Friday, Aug. 6
“It’s going to be impossible for it not to rain in the next couple days,” he said.
The forecast on Saturday was more concerned with “very warm temperatures expected Thursday into next weekend with high temperatures in the lower to middle 90s away from the water, especially from Seattle southward and near the Cascades.”
Overnight low temperatures will remain mild, generally in the lower to middle 60s, according to the weather service.
But, temperatures may pose a heat risk for those sensitive to heat and very warm and dry conditions may create critical fire weather conditions.
For now, the cool air that brought rain from the Gulf of Alaska is also keeping wildfire smoke at bay.
Wildfire smoke remains a concern, however, if not an immediate possibility.
In recent weeks, Whatcom County residents have seen smoke from fires burning in Eastern Washington, British Columbia, California, Oregon and other parts of the West.
For the most part, the smoke has remained in the upper atmosphere, creating some unearthly sunsets but not affecting air quality near the ground.
Seth Preston, spokesman for the Northwest Clean Air Agency, said its forecaster is watching for signs that air quality could change.
“We’re keeping a close watch on the development of fires in California and elsewhere to determine the potential for wildfire smoke in our area next week. At this time, weather and air quality forecasts continue to support ‘good’ air quality through the weekend,” Preston told The Herald in an email.
“After the middle of the week, certainly (low-level smoke) is possible,” McFarland said.
“It’s not a slam-dunk. We could well stay in a northwest flow off the Pacific. There’s a chance we’ll get south wind around the middle of next week. But there’s too many variables. I think if I were a gambler I would walk away from it,” he said.
But the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency appeared to be hedging its bets and tweeted a head’s up Thursday, Aug. 5.
“Lots of smoke coming in from California. At the moment we expect it to continue east, but as early as Sunday and early next week, we could see — and more importantly be breathing — wildfire smoke in our region,” the air monitoring agency said.
This story was originally published August 7, 2021 at 10:42 AM.
