Updated Apr. 23, 2020 4:24 AM
A midweek storm brought the most significant rainfall in weeks to the Pacific Northwest, but is more needed rain on the way?
April is typically a month when the frequency of storms begins to lessen across the Northwest, but the pattern through the first half of this month has been even less active than normal.
From April 1-21, Seattle picked up a mere 0.06 of an inch of rain, or 3% of its normal month-to-date rainfall of 2.03 inches. Slightly more rain had fallen in Portland, Oregon, with 0.28 of an inch during the same period, but this was still only 14% of average.
As a result of the lack of rainfall, conditions along the West coast range from abnormally dry in western Washington, to severe drought east of the Cascades and in western Oregon and northwestern California, according to the United States Drought Monitor.
Meanwhile, a sizable portion of California experienced significant rainfall surpluses during the first three weeks of April. Palm Springs, which typically receives 0.11 of an inch of rain during April, has been soaked by 1.09 inches of rainfall.
A shift in the storm track brought rain back to the parched Northwest at midweek, and that trend will continue every couple days into early next week. Meanwhile, California and the balance of the Southwest will dry out amid summerlike heat.
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One storm spread showers across the Pacific Northwest on Wednesday, with Seattle picking up 0.47 of an inch and Portland receiving 0.25 of an inch. This was the most single-day rainfall in either city since March 30.
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"The center of this storm will shift east into the northern Rockies on Thursday, bringing periods of snow to the higher elevations and rain showers down to some valley locations across Idaho, Montana and Utah," AccuWeather Meteorologist Mary Gilbert said.
Spotty showers may linger in Seattle and Portland on Thursday, but there will be more dry periods than wet periods when compared to midweek. Residents can utilize AccuWeather's MinuteCast® tool to determine exactly when they can venture outside, while practicing proper social distancing.
"Another system may bring showers by Saturday," AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok said.
This system will be followed by a third from Sunday night to Monday.
Forecasters do not expect either of these storms to bring blockbuster rainfall amounts, but they will at least ease concerns of worsening drought in the short term , while helping to water lawns and gardens.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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