How bad is the ongoing drought across the state this year? 

Franklin County, along with Grant County, recorded no precipitation in June, making it the driest June on record, according to the state Department of Ecology. Four other counties, including Walla Walla County, also recorded the driest Junes ever.  

The wettest county on the east side of the Cascades, Pend Oreille, had just under 1 inch of precipitation, making for its fourth driest June on record. 

The Tri-Cities is currently described as abnormally dry by U.S. Drought Monitor, which is better than much of the rest of the state. However, all the surrounding areas and counties are moderate to severe drought.  

Even if rain does come, it may have limited impact. In the Lower Yakima Valley, soil moisture levels are experiencing severe declines, which limits the soil’s ability to absorb precipitation. 

“There’s little hope for relief any time soon,” state Ecology officials wrote in a recent blog post. “The Climate Prediction Center forecasts for July and August have a high probability of being warmer and drier than normal, even for summer in Washington.”