There was a bit of rain in August, but still just half of a normally dry month

There’s not much rainfall in the Yachats area in August, of course, but what little there was last month was below even the monthly average for the past 10 years.

The “official” measurement at the city of Yachats’ wastewater treatment plant for August was 0.23 inches, making an eight-month total of 29.97 for 2021.

That’s less than half of the city’s monthly average  of 0.59 inches for August. The city’s total for the first eight months of the year is 75 percent of the 10-year average through August.

July and August, as expected, are the driest months of the year in the Yachats area. But in only one of the past 10 years — 2011 — as there no measurable rain.

The city’s monthly measurement follows closely with others in the area.

Adam Altson, who has both a manual and automatic gauge just a block from the city’s gauges, measured 0.19 inches in August but 41.07 for the year.

Jim Adler, who lives three miles up the Yachats River, measured 0.16 inches and for an eight-month total of 45.47. Don Tucker, who lives on the east side of U.S. Highway 101 two miles north of Yachats measured 0.21 inches in August and for an eight-month total of 36 inches.

Tucker, who has been keeping rain and temperature measurements for 14 years said August’s measurements “continues slow trend of less rain for the month and year to date and temperatures continue slow increase trend.”

“Conclusion, it’s getting dryer and warmer” in August, Tucker said.