Historically wet autumn? Not quite, but close
So much for a dry El Nino autumn....
Instead, the autumn of 2012 is working its way up the charts among the wettest on record. It's still got a ways to go, but then again, the month of December still has a ways to go as well.
Below are two charts I've compiled for Seattle (at Sea-Tac Airport) showing the amount of accumulated rain between October and December (what I'm going to call autumn even through the actual season is shifted 10 days earlier). Right now we're not in the Top 20 but with more rain in the forecast, if December reaches close to its normal rainfall of about 5", we'll move into the Top 10.
I've also put together the wettest years on record at Sea-Tac. This feat, I believe, is more impressive because we essentially did this in 10 months, not 12 with no rain in August and barely any rain in September (0.03"). Our wettest year of 1950 (55.14") averaged 4.60" of rain per month, while if you take where we are as of Thursday (43.47") and divide by 10, you get 4.35" per month. If we add 3 more inches to December, that rises to about 4.64" per 10 months.
(This chart is now updated through Dec. 31)
Top 25 wettest October-to-Decembers at Seattle's Sea-Tac Airport:
Year Oct Nov Dec Total
- 1955 6.60 8.96 9.50 25.06
- 2006 1.55 15.63 7.30 24.48
- 1998 3.48 11.62 8.98 24.08
- 1950 7.21 7.98 7.14 22.33
- 1996 5.54 5.23 11.20 21.97
- 2012 6.71 8.28 6.85 21.84
- 1995 3.93 10.40 6.37 20.70
- 1963 5.06 9.69 5.79 20.54
- 1975 7.75 5.07 7.66 20.48
- 1990 5.79 10.71 3.63 20.13
- 1973 3.31 7.99 8.33 19.63
- 2003 8.96 6.77 3.88 19.61
- 1958 3.99 8.07 7.15 19.21
- 2010 5.24 5.05 8.69 18.98
- 1968 4.32 5.86 8.55 18.73
- 1962 4.16 9.34 5.22 18.72
- 1947 8.95 3.62 6.02 18.59
- 2001 3.13 9.26 5.89 18.28
- 1966 2.92 6.85 8.31 18.08
- 1959 2.67 8.14 6.83 17.64
- 1953 4.43 7.22 5.92 17.57
- 1994 3.51 5.79 8.15 17.45
- 2009 5.54 8.96 2.75 17.25
- 1979 3.38 1.94 11.85 17.17
- 1999 2.26 9.60 5.06 16.92
- Avg: 3.48 6.47 5.35 15.30
How about for the entire year? We're in the Top 10 so far: (Average: 37.41")
Year Annual
- 1950 55.14
- 1996 51.69
- 1968 50.15
- 1953 49.42
- 2006 48.42
- 1972 48.36
- 2012 48.26
- 2010 46.99
- 1955 46.61
- 1959 46.52
Scott, back in November you posted on the % of days we had measureable precep (and compared that to the % of days we had measureable precip) during our summer-early fall dry spell. Just curious what that % of measurable precip days is looking like at this point, how that compares with an 'average' fall. By the way, how long has it been since we had a completely dry day? I can't remember one in weeks. And what is 'average' for the number of dry days (no measurable precip) in a typical fall?
How did I double-double post the previous message? DOH!!!
How did I double post the previous message?
Where was the picture taken for this post (beautiful!)?
I'm guessing Lake Chelan or perhaps one of the lakes along the I-90 Cascades corridor....
Where was the picture for this post taken at? I'm guessing Lake Chelan, or perhaps one of the lakes along the I-90 corridor...
This could explain why, for the first time in 9 years, my entire yard is a giant mushroom exhibition. Â There are so many different types of them. No way to actually eradicate them at all now -- literally every few feet there is another type of mushroom clustered in the lawn, on the side, on the tree stumps. Â Orange, white, yellow, brown, black. Â Gross!!! Â Luckily my dogs are not paying any attention to them, as there is no way I can get rid of them on our acre of land. Â Then you add in that lovely black/green slime on everything outside, and I'd say yeah... it's been wet this autumn. Â
I'm not sure how long records have been kept, but over half of those years if the first list have occured during my lifetime.
Yet we'll continue to, albeit with a grain of salt, report on and consider as reliable the standard NOAA reports on La Nina and El Nino. Â What did they forecast for us this autumn/winter again? Â Looks like they were wrong. Â Again. Â They'll get better with time I'm sure. Â
Looks like the 1950-1959 decade was the worst with four of the top 15 rainiest years. This decade is off to an impressive start. 2010-2012 is already 2 for 3 making it into the top 15.