Wet Through Thursday; March Rainfall Record Looms

It’s a mark that’s stood the test of time for over half a century, but now, 64 years later, it might not last another week

With 7.69 inches of rain this month and more on the way, Seattle is closing in fast on the record for the city’s wettest March—8.40 inches, as measured at Sea-Tac Airport in 1950. Currently, this March ranks third on the all-time list, behind only 1950 and 1997 (8.15 inches). This includes measurements from the Federal Building in downtown Seattle, where weather observations were taken from 1891 to 1972.

We’ll push toward 8 inches today as a strong cold front races through, dumping a quarter-inch of rain on the region by lunchtime—with more possible in a Puget Sound Convergence Zone this afternoon. Blustery conditions will also set in quickly behind the storm, topping 25 mph into the early evening hours. Highs should only manage the upper 40s under chilly skies.

Cooler air continues trickling in overnight, dropping the mercury as low as the mid 30s around the Sound—especially north and east of Seattle, where the Convergence Zone could still be raging. A chilly rain is on tap for those areas into Thursday morning, with partial clearing elsewhere.

More showers flare up tomorrow afternoon, with the greatest risk over the North and South Sound. Seattle proper is likely to be largely shadowed by the Olympics, as the upper-level winds will be blowing from the west—meaning the mountains will soak up most of the incoming moisture before it reaches us. Still, a few showers should make it to the airport by day’s end, bumping March’s rainfall tally ever closer to the 1950 mark.

Rain chances fizzle on Friday as sunshine breaks through, beating back the clouds and warming us into the lower 50s. While that’s still a peg or two below normal for mid-March, it’ll be a welcome change from the cool, breezy weather of late.

Partly sunny skies look to stay in place right on through the weekend, with highs rising to the upper 50s by Sunday. Overnight lows, however, will remain nippy—sinking to the upper to mid 30s around Seattle, and near the freezing mark further east.

At this point, the dry weather is likely to hold into Monday, before a soggier pattern sets in next Tuesday through Thursday. While amounts are impossible to nail down this far out, long-range models suggest we could easily receive enough rain by mid- to late-next week to make March 2014 Seattle’s wettest ever—surpassing the 8.40 inches recorded in March six decades ago.

Better savor that spot at the top while you still can, 1950.