Weather watchers record little rain in July, but cool mornings lessen the effect

With half of Oregon seemingly burning up and smoke from those fires creeping over the Coast range, it’s barely news that July was another exceptionally dry month on the central Oregon coast.

Rainfall totals for July as measured by the Lincoln Chronicle’s weather watchers were half of normal – even for a normally very dry month – and continues a trend of 30 percent less moisture so far this year.

Jim Adler, who lives three miles up the Yachats River valley, recorded .25 inches of rain in July, half of his July average the past 17 years. His total for 2026 is 34.97 inches.

Still, Adler says, “Although this July was less than half my July average it was greater than 10 of the past 17.”

Jim Williams, who lives eight miles up the Yachats River, had just .10 inches of rain in July and now 47.71 for the year.

“The pattern here continues,” Williams says. “More rain falls inland than on the coast in winter. In late spring and summer more rain falls on the coast than inland. I’m thinking this might be due to the evaporation of rain as it falls over warm, dry areas.”

At the Yachats wastewater treatment plant, staff recorded .21 inches of rain in July for a 2026 total of 22.08 inches. The plant’s 15-year average for July is a half inch of rain.

Adam Altson, who lives just west of the treatment plant, measured .29 inches of rain in July for a 2026 total of 24.32 inches for the year. “That remains my lowest year-to-date total through July and almost exactly one foot less than my nine-year average total through July.”

Julie Bailey, who lives on Horizon Hill above Yachats, measured .35 inches of rain in July — .14 inches coming during the July 22 lightning storm — for a seven-month total of 30.83 inches. That’s almost eight inches below her 2025 seven-month total and 22 inches less than in a wet 2024.

Don Tucker, who lives two miles north of Yachats, measured .10 inches of rain in July – one fifth his average over 19 years. His rainfall total so far in 2026 is 29.63 inches – 10 inches less than his average.

Weather notes:

• Bailey: 28 days in July of 60 degrees or more for high temperatures and four days of 70 degrees or more. That compares with July 2024 when there were 17 days over 70 degrees.
• Adler: While this might seem like an exceptionally dry year the Yachats River tells another story. Flow monitoring since 2013 on Aug. 1 has averaged 18.55 cubic feet per second while this year is only slightly below at 16.5 cfs, which is greater than seven of the past 13 years. “My guess is that this is attributable to our relatively cool mornings which has convinced the trees which control the flow off of the slopes to relax their tenacious hold on the water.”
• Altson: We’ve had a fair amount of mist and drizzle that helps keep things moist and reduces our overall fire danger. I had nine days in July with at least .01 inches of rain, and another five days when I recorded a trace. That’s the most days of rain I’ve ever had in July, even though only July 23 and July 26 were over .03 inches.