Posted on 11/19/2012 12:36:48 PM PST by zeestephen
Through 10 a.m., Seattle had already set its daily rainfall record with 1.48" of rain, breaking the old record of 1.23" set in 1962, and the rain was still coming down. [Now 12:30 PM and still pouring!]
(Excerpt) Read more at komonews.com ...
Can't even remember when it rained last?
Climate change!
Oh wait....
Here in southeastern Washington St no rain this morning and the fallen leaves are as dry as I’ve ever seen them this time of the year. Makes then easy to rake or mulch. May get a shower later this afternoon, however. Lots of differences between the two sides of the state, not just weather.
My commute was 40 miles of stop and go. 2.5 hours later, I was at work!
What kind of record is that?
Alvin had 42 inches in one day, back in 79 during tropical storm Claudette.
I will admit to being surprised that Seatle’s record daily catch is that low. I would have guessed a lot more than that.
As a Houstonian living in the Seattle area in the early 1970s, it drove me crazy that, while it sprinkled all the time, the skies would never just open up and RAIN, it was maddening, I kept waiting for a storm that would never come.
By the way, it sure made life in the field (Army) miserable though, in those days of cheap, Korean war era, down sleeping bags and cotton clothing.
My Brother-in-law grew up in Oregon. He said, until he moved to Houston, he’d never been in a real downpour before.
Those weird little Houston storms that come along on a sunny day are interesting, the sky goes black, and the sky opens up for a little bit, and then the sunshine returns to show the broken trees and the flooded streets.
Those are the ones driven by a thunderhead.
I lived in the State of Washington from 1979-2008. Didn't know a single guy that owned a rain coat. Those who did probably had to wear a suit to work in downtown Seattle.
Seattle gets about 51" of rain per year, south Whidbey Island gets about 31", and north Whidbey Island only gets about 19". Sequim, in the Olympic Mountains rain shadow, gets about 8.5".
Very fortunate, actually, because our soil does not quickly absorb water, and today's downpour means we will definitely have street flooding, and, over the next week, flooding near streams and rivers.
I believe our average yearly rainfall is actually less than New York City.
We have about 7 to 8 months of usually cloudy skies and frequent light rainfall.
June-September is very much like northern California - moderate temperatures and typically blue skies.
We catch about 4 weeks of really hot weather each year, and the humidity is always high, so even temperatures in the 70’s are not all that comfortable if you work outside in the sun.
One other thing...
Seattle almost never has lightning or thunder.
We get “dry” lightening in the summer.
But a real thunderstorm in Seattle?
Almost never.
So, yes, there has been a lot of rain; but, I just look at it as November in Seattle.
Seattle rain is usually just light rain, sometimes it is just misty. We do get downpours, like today; but, that is not how we get our rain for the most part. Lots of grey days with light rain.
Having lived in Missouri, I do recognize the difference in types of rain, drizzle vs downpour.
The type of rain we get in the Los Angeles regions is much more drizzle vs downpour, although we do get the downpour type on occasion.
It was my take that you probably got the drizzle, but I sure expected the accumulation to be more.
Thanks for the note. I’m actually surprised to hear about your soil not quickly absorbing the water. I thought your soil would be moist and ready to take on water quickly.
Down here our soil doesn’t take on water at first, because it can be so dry and baked. I would have thought your soil was a lot different than that. I’m sure it is, but I don’t understand why it wouldn’t absorb very quickly.
I grew up in the Chicago area. When both of my girls were young children, we traveled back to Chicago for some family function. There was a thunderstorm while we were there, and my parents lived in an apartment where one whole wall was glass (sliding door). I sat my kids down and said, now, watch a thunderstorm. They saw lightening and heard thunder. Much different than living here in Seattle.
Thanks LibertarianLiz.
ZeeStephan was just saying pretty much the same thing.
I responded to him here, and it fits as a response to you also.
Accept that the part about soil absorption doesn’t.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2961216/posts?page=17#17
I grew up in south Florida.
I don’t even notice thunder unless the whole house shakes!
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