We’re second only to the Summer of Love.
Not since the days of Haight-Ashbury and psychedelic rock has Seattle been this dry from July to September. With a paltry .03 inches of precipitation in the last 30 days, our three-month rainfall total now stands at 1.07 inches—the second-driest July 1-Sept. 30 period on record. Only the infamous summer of 1967 had less rain, with just 0.97 inches falling at Sea-Tac from July through September.
Of course, 1967 went on to record over an inch of rain in the first three days of October alone. 45 years later, we’ll be lucky to even manage a sprinkle or two. (We’ve barely seen more than that these past two months, with Aug. 1-Sept. 30, 2012 now officially Seattle’s driest combined August/September.)
Our best chance for a few raindrops comes late tomorrow night into Tuesday morning, as the edge of a cold front clips the metro area on its way into Montana. Ahead of the front, we’ll see one more warm day, with high temperatures making it into the mid 70s Monday afternoon. By evening, cloudy skies and breezy conditions will take over as the front approaches.
Just a trace of precipitation is possible in Seattle as the front slides through, but measurable rainfall is likely in the Olympics and Cascades. By midday Tuesday, the front will be history—but in its wake, much cooler air will settle in.
How cool? Highs on Tuesday are forecast to remain below 60 degrees for the first time since June 8—making for the coldest day in Seattle in nearly four months. In addition, clear skies Tuesday night will allow overnight lows to plummet into the mid 40s—a mark we also haven’t reached since early June.
The cold air sticks around Wednesday and Thursday, with highs only warming into the low 60s. Brisk north winds—drawn into Puget Sound via strong high pressure over British Columbia—will likely make it feel even cooler.
Just not as cool as the Summer of Love.
After all, that was a pretty groovy time.
