Dry Spell Continues

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.

Dry summer in Seattle
The green is going out of the grass in Seattle, which has now seen 37 consecutive days without measurable rainfall.

Thursday will start out cloudy, becoming largely sunny by lunchtime. Temperatures will remain on the cool side, as another upper level low clips the northern half of the state. While not likely, scattered showers are a possibility later in the day—mainly up around Bellingham and in the foothills. Absent any bad luck, Sea-Tac will stay dry once more.

Friday presents the final chance for any measurable rainfall over the next several days. Just like tomorrow, the odds of Seattle seeing anything beyond a trace are pretty low, but with the upper level low still hanging out to our north, a brief shower can’t be ruled out. Importantly, both University of Washington weather models keep Seattle moisture-free.

Temperatures will rise back into the low- to mid-70s over the weekend, with morning clouds yielding to full-on sunshine each day. By the time Labor Day rolls around, our dry streak should be sitting at 42 days—nine shy of the all-time record of 51, set back in 1951.

Is summer making up for lost time, or what?