It’s going to rain again this year after all.
But in typical late 2013 fashion, windshield wipers will barely be warranted.
A weak cold front swinging in from the northwest will skirt the region today, touching off a round of light showers this afternoon. Par the course since October, amounts will run on the low side—the rain gauge at Sea-Tac Airport will be lucky to collect more than 0.05 inches, with spots east of Lake Washington snagging a tenth of an inch at best.
We dry out quickly tonight, with partly cloudy skies allowing temperatures to drop off into the mid 30s—after an afternoon high near 45. With a damp air mass and virtually no wind to speak of, a fresh blanket of fog is likely by early tomorrow morning.
The rest of Saturday will be a battle between clouds and sun, with the latter gaining the upper hand as the day progresses. By late afternoon, areas from Seattle northward should be enjoying partly sunny skies, allowing temperatures to rebound into the mid 40s. South of the city, pockets of fog will persist, limiting readings between Sea-Tac and Tacoma to the upper 30s.
The story repeats itself on Sunday as the fog comes back for seconds, once again feasting on the South Sound. Temperatures there will hover around the 40-degree mark for most of the day, with readings in the Seattle-Everett area approaching 45 thanks to sunnier skies.
The ridge of high pressure at fault for the un-Seattle-like weather of late—precipitation this month has slipped to nearly 4 inches below average—collapses to our south late in the weekend, renewing the chance for a little rain on Monday. Like today, however, totals will be less than impressive—under 0.10 inches for the entire I-5 corridor.
Dry weather then reasserts itself over the area in time for New Year’s Eve, cutting off the showers and making for another round of morning fog and afternoon sunshine. Temperatures will hold steady in the mid 40s during the daytime, sinking to the upper 30s at night as the clock runs out on 2013.
And a new—and hopefully more active—year gets underway.
