Monthly Archives: August 2012

Dry Spell Continues

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Despite a decent threat for a shower or two, Seattle dodged the raindrops once again yesterday, extending our stretch of days without measurable precipitation to 37. This makes for the seventh longest dry spell in Sea-Tac history (tying 1977, 1960 and 1958)—and puts August 2012 three days away from finishing as Seattle’s driest August ever.

With the upper level low that failed to produce any rain moving out, today will also end up dry, pushing the streak to 38 days. Partly cloudy skies will remain intact for the balance of the day, with highs dropping into the 50s after sunset.
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A Rain-Free August?

Posted on by at 11:07 am
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We’ve got six more days to wetten the rain gauge, or this August is headed straight for the record books.

As the driest August in Seattle history.

The current record for our most arid August belongs to 1974, which saw only .01 inches of rain (falling on the 18th of the month). This August, of course, we’ve seen no measurable rainfall whatsoever—and September is less than a week away. Could we really make it through the entire month unscathed?
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You Betcha: Seattle Drier Than Vegas This Month

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Las Vegas may get 30 inches less rain a year than Seattle, but as of late, they don’t hold a candle to us when it comes to dry weather.

That’s because while the heavens have poured forth from Sin City recently, it’s remained completely dry in Seattle for the past 31 days. As in, we haven’t recorded any measurable rainfall since July 22—an entire month.

Contrast that with Vegas, which was pummeled with 1.65 inches of rain in a strong thunderstorm yesterday, bringing the city’s 31-day rainfall total to 2.34 inches. A vast majority of that has fallen over the past two days, thanks to monsoonal moisture pouring into the area from the Gulf of Mexico.
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Seattle’s Olympic Dive

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The Olympics are over, but that didn’t stop Seattle temperatures from taking an impressive dive this weekend.

After topping out at 91 degrees on Friday, the mercury in Seattle only hit 71 yesterday— making for a 20-degree temperature drop. Such a plunge in temperature is relatively uncommon around here, occurring just once or twice a year when hot air is booted east by a strong marine push—as was the case yesterday.
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Seattle Hits 94; One More Hot Day on Tap

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Can you really feel the difference between the low 90s and the mid 90s?

We’ll find out tomorrow.

After reaching 94 degrees today—the hottest temperature recorded in Seattle this year—we’re set to cool off slightly on Friday, as the warmest air gets nudged eastward. With a thermal low still lurking to our west, however, it’ll remain on the hot side—think 91 instead of 94.
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Hotter Than When Elvis Left Us?

Posted on by at 1:51 pm
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On Aug. 16, 1977, temperatures soared as hearts fell across Puget Sound.

That’s right, it was 94 degrees in Seattle the day Elvis died.

34 anniversaries of the King’s passing have come and gone, yet Seattle has never experienced a warmer Aug. 16 since. (The record high for the date, 98 degrees, was set back in 1967.) Now, as the 35th anniversary of Elvis’ death looms, so does a late week Seattle heatwave—one that could make Thursday even warmer than that fateful day in 1977.
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The Chehalis Gap, Revealed

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Bleak, overcast skies have engulfed Seattle on several mornings in recent weeks, triggering moans and groans up and down Puget Sound. What’s the deal—how do all these clouds manage to swamp Seattle in the heart of summer?

The answer: the Chehalis Gap.

The Gap refers to the area of lower elevation between the Olympic Mountains to the north and the Willapa Hills to the south. This swath of land, stretching from Grays Harbor in the west to Lewis County in the east, surrounds the Chehalis River—hence the name.
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Saturday/Sunday Sizzler

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This weekend, Seattle thermometers are poised to climb to a mark they haven’t reached in nearly two years.

90 degrees.

Beginning Saturday, higher pressure to our north and east will turn the winds offshore, allowing warmer air to spill over the Cascades into Western Washington. While the set-up isn’t ideal for extremely hot weather, it should be just hot enough for Seattle to crack 90 by Sunday—for the first time since Aug. 16, 2010.
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