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Seattle weather: January dry streak ends

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Published  January 28, 2026 3:18pm PST
Weather
FOX 13 Seattle
Seattle weather: Rain returns Wednesday

Seattle weather: Rain returns Wednesday

Showers return Wednesday as our first system in over two weeks moves through the Pacific Northwest. Rain will be heavy at times through Wednesday evening. 

The Brief

    • Seattle’s 14-day dry spell officially ended late Tuesday night, finishing just one day shy of the 15-day modern record set at Sea-Tac in 1963 (and short of the 18-day all-time record from 1901).
    • A robust warm front arrives tonight, bringing moderate to heavy rain and breezy conditions; snow levels will spike to nearly 6,000 feet, turning mountain snow into rain and creating potential slushy conditions at the passes.
    • Despite the mid-week soak, the weekend is looking surprisingly mild with highs potentially reaching the low 60s—nearly 15 degrees above the typical late-January average of 48°F.

SEATTLE - Our streak of dry January days officially ended last night! We were one day shy of the record and made it to 14 straight days without any measurable rainfall.

Number of consecutive days without rain in January .

We officially made it to 14 consecutive days without any measurable rainfall.

Our weather pattern for the next few days will turn a bit more active as a series of fronts move through. The first one arrived late Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning. This one was fairly weak, but a more organized warm front is already on its heels. It will arrive on Wednesday night into early Thursday. Look for periods of moderate to heavy rainfall along the coast, along with breezy winds.

Clouds and rain forecast around the region on Wednesday night.

A warm front will arrive on Wednesday evening with more rain expected. 

By the numbers:

The higher totals of rainfall will mainly be along the coastal areas where close to an inch will fall through late Wednesday night. The snow in the mountains will transition into rain overnight as well as the mild air pushes snow levels higher, nearing 6000 ft.

Forecast rainfall totals around the region.

Rainfall amounts will range between .25 in the interior to more than an inch along the coast. 

Overnight lows will be mild as well with the subtropical air. Many spots will only dip into the mid 40s overnight. Temperatures over the pass and spots just east of the mountains will see a rain/ snow mix as temperatures will be near freezing.

Forecast overnight lows around the region.

Another mild night with lows near the mid 40s.

What's next:

Wet weather will stick around the next few days with a slight chance lingering into the weekend. Saturday and Sunday will be more dry than wet with highs well above average, nearing almost 60 degrees.

The 7 day forecast for the greater Seattle area.

Rain showers return to the Seattle area for the first time in two weeks. (FOX 13 Seattle)

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The Source: Information in this story comes from weather models interpreted by the FOX 13 Seattle weather team.

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