LETTER: No ‘severe’ drought

Published 1:30 am Saturday, February 28, 2026

A recent rant (PDN, Feb. 7) complained about the Sequim Planning Commission allowing more housing in the “middle of a drought.”

I am not a meteorologist, but I defer to Clifford Mass, a professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Washington.

On his blog (https://cliffmass.blogspot.com) he addressed the issue of drought in Washington. Specifically, his Dec. 25 post states, “Most of Washington State is ‘abnormally dry’ or in drought, with severe or extreme drought over the eastern slopes of the Cascades and the far portion of the state (see below). As shown below, this is total nonsense and inconsistent with hard data.”

Only a small area of the southwestern corner of the state is in extreme drought.

Most of the western portion of Clallam Country is not experiencing any drought conditions at all.

Some of the most eastern portion of Clallam County is experiencing “Abnormally Dry” or at most “Moderate Drought.”

The position that all new construction must stop because of severe drought is nonsense.

Dale Russell

Port Angeles