07/06/2009

By MANUEL VALDES  / Associated Press

The cooler temperatures and rain heading to Washington in the coming days may prompt groans from sun lovers, but it will bring some relief for the state's parched forests, forecasters said Monday.

The sunny weather of the past month gave way Monday to marine air that pushed clouds onto land and lowered temperatures. But the recent string of hot temperatures have left forests dry, making them more susceptible to wildfires.

June, which usually sees its fair share of showers, saw almost no rainfall. A total of .18 inches of rain were recorded at Sea-Tac International Airport by the National Weather Service. The average there is 1.49 inches for June. July's rain fall average is .79 inches.

Forecasters said showers are expected for parts of the state, especially in the mountains, this week.

Showers may "quell some of the immediate fire threat," said Dennis D'Amico, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Seattle. "The key thing to remember is we're entering our dry season. We don't see a lot of rainfall, but this is almost no rainfall."

But more importantly at the moment, D'Amico said, is that relative humidity is increasing, which helps cool down the chances of wildfires.

"Things at the moment are much better off than 24 hours ago," he added.

In the North Cascades, a wildfire burning in a remote area of Whatcom County almost doubled, from 70 acres to more than 120 acres, aided by the dry weather, over the July 4 weekend. But the cooler temperatures and humidity are expected to slow the fire.

The fire, near the Lake Ross National Recreation Area, is in a steep and mountainous terrain. No firefighters have been called in.

There have been more than 320 fires since the start of the fire season in April in the 12.7 million acres the state oversees. That's slightly higher than average number. Most of those fires were small, according to the state Department of Natural Resources.

Nearly 50 of those fires, however, occurred during the Fourth of July weekend.

"No need to let down our guard," said Bob Redling, a DNR spokesman. "The cooler moist weather is welcomed but it won't relieve the overall fire risk." Redling said the state is monitoring fire danger statewide, including in the Olympic Peninsula, which usually experiences a wetter summer.

Burn bans have gone into effect in a dozen counties, Redling said, with six more counties enacting bans this week, including King, Thurston, Clark and Kitsap. "The rain is a bit of a mixed blessing because lighting can come with it," Redling said.

The colder temperatures were welcomed by others.

"It's nice to have a little rain for the garden," said Judy Heim of Seattle as she strolled near the Space Needle.

Magne Oen, a tourist from Norway, agreed.

"It's not too bad with the clouds," Oen said. "Especially when you're walking around a bit."

Forecasters said highs will be mostly in the 60s this week — below average — in Western Washington. There's also a chance of light rain on the coast and thundershowers in the Cascades. Wind gusts were also reported in the region.

In Eastern Washington, highs in the low 80s, partly cloudy coverage, slight chance of showers and thunderstorms are forecast this week.