It hasn’t rained for 40 days and 40 nights.
Not since July 22, when .04 inches of rain sprinkled the city, has Seattle seen measurable precipitation. The ongoing dry spell, tied with 1971 as the fourth longest at Sea-Tac Airport, has now officially made August 2012 the driest August in Seattle history—with just a trace of rain recorded during the month.
The last time we went an entire calendar month without measurable rainfall? September of 1991, which accounted for two-thirds of a 45-day dry period—Seattle’s second longest. By Friday, we’ll have likely topped that stretch, with nothing but sun in the forecast between now and then.
Despite the sunny skies, temperatures will stay slightly below average through the weekend, with highs hovering around 70 degrees. (The average for early September is 74 degrees.) Morning clouds are also possible west of Seattle tomorrow as a weak system fizzles out along the coast, but sunshine should prevail across the metro area.
Things warm up a bit for Labor Day, with temperatures rising to the mid 70s as higher pressure takes hold. For Tuesday and Wednesday, we’ll see readings nudging closer to the 80-degree mark under wall-to-wall sunshine. Overnight lows will stay in the mid 50s.
Rain remains out of sight in the weather models beyond Wednesday, as we inch toward the all-time record of 51 consecutive dry days (set July 7-Aug. 26, 1951).
Tick, tock…
