Seattle nears 50 inches of rainfall for 2012; record is 55 inches

By STEVE HUNTER
Kent Reporter Courts, government reporter
December 26, 2012 · 4:59 PM

Despite nearly 50 inches of rain this year, the greatest annual rainfall record at Sea-Tac Airport appears to be safe.

Cliff Mass in his Dec. 26 Weather Blog reports that Seattle has had about 48.5 inches of rain so far this year, nearly 12 inches more than normal.

But the record at Sea-Tac is 55.14 inches set in 1950.

"There is little chance we can reach that in a few days," Mass wrote. "Only three years (including 1950) got above 50 inches...there is a good chance we will get close to that level. In any case, we will 'enjoy' living in one of the top 10 wettest years since 1948."

Mass said it has been a very wet period during the last month, with lots of precipitation in the lowlands and heavy snow in the mountains, but it looks like a break is coming up that should allows us to dry off a bit, and yes, see a glimpse of the sun.

The wet periods this year included late winter, early spring and fall (after roughly Oct. 20).

But Mass said the pattern is a changing. The latest NWS Climate Prediction Center 6-10 day forecasts show drier than normal conditions over the Pacific Northwest. The origin? Persistent ridging (high pressure) over the region with a few glancing blows, mainly to our north.

Contact Kent Reporter Courts, government reporter Steve Hunter at shunter@kentreporter.com or 253-872-6600, ext. 5052.

Comment on this story.

COMMENTING RULES: We encourage an open exchange of ideas in our online community, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. In a nutshell, don't say anything you wouldn't want your mother to read. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.

So keep your comments:

  • Civil
  • Smart
  • On-topic
  • Free of profanity

We ask that all participants own their words by logging in with their Facebook account. It's a simple process that will take seconds and helps keep our comments free of trolls, cranks, and “drive-by” commenters. We reserve the right to remove comments from anyone using screen names, pseudonyms or false identities. Please refer to our Terms of Use for full detail on participating on our site.