Rain Should End Puget Sound's Dry Streak Friday: WA WX

SEATTLE — It will be later and lighter than initially predicted, but rain is still coming to Puget Sound this week.

Initially, National Weather Service forecasters had predicted Thursday would be the day the rain flooded in, breaking the nearly two-month long dry spell. But as the week rolled on, new models showed rain clouds shifting north, and as a result Puget Sound's rain is not only delayed, but will also be lighter than some may have hoped.

However, the latest forecast still predicts rain showers will begin to move in overnight Thursday, and should remain through most of the weekend, tapering off around midday Sunday. The chance of full-blown rain will be around 40 to 50 percent during the day Friday and Saturday, and closer to 30 percent during the evenings.

Still, any amount of rain, even those scattered showers, is good news for the Sound. As of Thursday, the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, which serves as the official monitoring location for Seattle, has gone 52 days without measurable rainfall. Seattle's record is 55 days without rain, set back in 2017.

Some other communities across Puget sound have logged a few passing showers during that time, but the NWS says last month was Washington's second-driest July on record, so even places that have seen rain could definitely use more.

Following Sunday, skies are predicted to be mostly sunny Monday and early next week. High temperatures will also pick back up into the mid-70s after dipping to the upper 60s over the weekend.

As for smoke, it's too early to tell for certain what will happen. NWS models show some wildfire smoke blowing into Western Washington from California and Oregon over the next few days, but it should remain largely aloft, meaning air quality at the ground will remain unaffected. That said, there are warning signs that the smoke could hit the surface sometime next week.

The Washington Smoke blog is expected to update its smoke forecast sometime Friday, at which point we'll have a better view of what could be in store.