This week will start with rain and a winter storm watch in parts of Pierce County

After a long, dry summer, the rain is back, and is expected to stick around until at least the middle of the week, according to the National Weather Service.

That could be a good thing for the wildfires that have been raging across the region: Longer nights, shorter days, cooler temperatures and higher relative humidity are helping to slow the progress of the Norse Peak and American fires, which are 12 percent contained and total 56,355 acres.

According to an incident information website dedicated to the Norse Peak Fire, that fire has crossed the Pacific Crest Trail into Pierce County near Gold Hill and is at a Level 3 evacuation. There is also a Level 3 evacuation in Pick Handle and Crystal Mountain.

As the weather cools and precipitation returns, significant snow could begin to accumulate in higher-elevation areas of Pierce County near Mount Rainier.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for Paradise and Sunrise on Mount Rainier and Chinook Pass, which will be in effect from late Monday afternoon through Tuesday morning. Between 2 and 6 inches of snow could accumulate in places above 5,000 ft., the weather service said.

This story was originally published September 17, 2017 at 4:49 PM with the headline "This week will start with rain and a winter storm watch in parts of Pierce County."