After several weeks of gray but largely dry skies, winter rain is returning to the Pacific Northwest — and Cowlitz County residents can expect to see it starting this week. According to regional forecasts, clouds moving inland from the Pacific will bring scattered showers and seasonal temperatures back to Longview, Kelso, and much of southwest Washington starting Tuesday.

The past month has been unusually dry for late January, with local rain gauges recording only a fraction of the typical precipitation. That dryness followed a stretch of cold, still mornings and low river activity — a stark change from the usually soggy winter months that define the region’s hydrology and ecology.

Forecasters anticipate that the shift will also bring a mild warming trend. Overcast skies act like a blanket, keeping early morning lows higher than the near-freezing temperatures seen earlier this month. High temperatures across the Columbia Basin are expected to hover around 40 degrees, which marks a return to the seasonal average.

For local gardeners, farmers, and water managers, the rain is welcome. Winter precipitation is critical for replenishing the Cowlitz watershed, which supplies local drinking water and sustains fish habitats through the spring thaw. While short dry periods are common, extended stretches without rain can disrupt normal runoff cycles and stress younger trees and newly seeded cover crops.

Residents should expect slick roads during the first few showers, as rain lifts accumulated oil and grime from asphalt. The National Weather Service advises checking windshield wipers, headlights, and tire tread before the storms hit fully later in the week.

As the skies open again, this return of rain is also a reminder of the natural rhythm that sustains the Northwest — that endless dance of water, forest, and cloud that defines home for so many of us in Cowlitz County.

Source: KOIN: Rain returns to the PNW after weeks of dry skies