Driest September Out of Reach

Whether or not it rains again this month is anyone’s guess.

One thing’s for certain, however—September won’t end as Seattle’s driest.

Our chances for the driest September on record actually went out the window a week ago, when that streak-busting .01 inches of rain landed in the gauge at Sea-Tac. That’s because the most parched Septembers in Seattle—1991 and 1975—picked up only a trace of rain from start to finish. (Sound familiar, August 2012?)

Hazy skies in Seattle
Smoke from wildfires east of the Cascades will blow into Seattle this week, making for hazy—but dry—skies.

So far this month, we’ve seen a mere .02 inches (another .01 fell last Monday)—a notch less than Seattle’s third-driest September, 1993, which recorded only .03 inches. Interestingly enough, 1993 also holds the record for the driest combined August and September, with only .19 inches of rain falling between Aug. 1 and Sept. 30 that year. With just two hundredths of an inch since the start of August and two weeks to go, this year could very well break that record—especially given the latest forecast.

The forecast, of course, calls for sunny skies and above average temperatures, with the mercury reaching 80 degrees tomorrow through Wednesday. Easterly winds, however, will funnel some of the smoke from the Eastern Washington wildfires in our direction—meaning that it could be rather hazy at times. Overnight lows will fall to the mid 50s.

With the massive ridge of high pressure over the West Coast locked in place, sunshine and warmth will continue Thursday and Friday. The coming weekend also looks spectacular, with dry conditions and high temperatures in the 70s kicking off the first days of fall.

Fall? Apparently summer’s not looking at the calendar.

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