We've been talking about record cold this week and possibly next. Here's what we're aiming for:

First of all, here are the record lows for Monday through Saturday. Note 1964's snap probably rendered Tuesday and Wednesday's record safe, but the 18th, 19th and 20th should start feeling nervous:

      SEATTLE     OLYMPIA    BELLINGHAM   HOQUIAM    QUILLAYUTE 
 
15TH  20/1964 *   17/1967     2/1964      25/1967    21/1967 
16TH  10/1964      5/1964    -1/1964      16/1964    21/2005 
17TH  11/1964      3/1964     6/1964      17/1964    21/1987 
18TH  18/1964     13/2005    15/1984      25/1984    21/2005 
19TH  17/1990     15/1984    12/1990      21/1990    18/1984 
20TH  14/1990      4/1990    11/1990      16/1990    18/1998

Since the now infamous arctic outbreak of 1990, Seattle hasn't dropped below 15 degrees -- just reaching it twice on Jan. 30, 1996 and Dec. 20, 1998. But in 1990, we had 5 days go under 15.

Anothre record we're getting asked about -- what's the longest stretch Seattle has been under freezing. 

Here is the top 5:

1. 10 DAYS JANUARY 21-30, 1969 
2.  9 DAYS DECEMBER 4-12, 1972 
3.  7 DAYS JANUARY 27 TO FEBRUARY 2, 1950 
3.  7 DAYS JANUARY 12-18, 1950 
5.  6 DAYS DECEMBER 19-24, 1990 
 
In January 1950, which you note holds both ties for third place, the average daily high temperature for the month was 30.7 degrees. This is the only month in the official Seattle weather records that the average daily high temperature was below freezing. That year did quite a bit of damage to Seattle's record books, holding record lows for 15 of January's 31 days (and the first three days of February) with Seattle's all-time record low of 0 degrees set Jan. 31, 1950.

But don't say we didn't warn you.  November 1949 was the warmest on record, and our past November was pretty close :)