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Friday, October 5, 2012

The Weather It Might Rain Again in Seattle Someday

Posted by Bethany Jean Clement on Fri, Oct 5, 2012 at 8:36 AM

Maybe. A little bit. In a week.

Screen_shot_2012-10-05_at_8.25.43_AM.png

weather.com

Cliff Mass says La Nina has collapsed and El Nino is "wimpy" this year and a bunch of other stuff, and "We could easily be a near neutral situation (La Nada) the end of the winter, and those can be interesting periods, since the biggest of the big events (floods, windstorms, even snowstorms) tend to occur in neutral years."

And here he is on our "extraordinary dryness"—way back in mid-September. I know, I know—this weather doesn't, very, very probably, have anything to do with climate change. Still, for those of us who grew up here, this long, long spell of no rain is just creepy.

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Let's just enjoy it while it lasts, OK? The horrors of November should be on us soon enough.

This would be a good time to go out to Sand Point and buy some more rain barrels, though.

Posted by ScrawnyKayaker on October 5, 2012 at 8:52 AM

I've only lived here for 11 years and I'm starting to find it creepy.

Posted by Levislade

on October 5, 2012 at 8:57 AM

I don't find it creepy. It's actually scaring me and I've been here since 1995.

And for you snowboarders...this isn't a good sign for the winter.

Posted by Cato the Younger Younger on October 5, 2012 at 9:11 AM

I need the snow! I do have to say I'm enjoying my extra long use of my rain sponge shoes. I don't want to go back to leather. But I need the snow!

Posted by ScienceNerd on October 5, 2012 at 9:15 AM

Seattle is SO beautiful when the sun is shining. I lived there for only 5 years (had to leave against my will and miss it EVERY SINGLE DAY). I am so jealous of the streak of awesome weather. I consider it heaven.

Posted by xina on October 5, 2012 at 9:16 AM

Dear Seattle,

Please take back your rain and clouds.

Love,
Baltimore

Posted by Theodore Gorath on October 5, 2012 at 9:29 AM

Good bye, 10,000 year window of climate stability! It's been amazing knowin' ya. Hey, we built civilization and shit! I just hope some humans will figure out how to live effectively under the new regime of chaotic and unpredictable weather.

Posted by treacle on October 5, 2012 at 9:37 AM

weather's been awesome this summer. i hope it never rains again.

Posted by tainte on October 5, 2012 at 9:51 AM

Where art thou my days on days of drizzle?

Posted by sisyphusgal on October 5, 2012 at 10:05 AM

The climatologist in the room is going to tell you to calm down. The current pattern is primarily explained by ENSO as Cliff says. ENSO inter annual variability can be large-- that's the takeaway message.

Posted by wxPDX on October 5, 2012 at 10:23 AM

If it feels creepy then you haven't really lived here for the past 20 years.

There were many many years during the 90s and even the first half of the 00s where the region had an "Indian Summer" of dry sunny days.

And in the 1990s there was actually a drought...the state even had a ban on watering lawns on certain days.

And as far as liking it, I'm on my bike almost every day, tooling around the Green River Trail, which has been newly de-sandbagged. It's one of the great natural wonders of the Salish Sea.

Posted by Supreme Ruler Of The Universe

on October 5, 2012 at 10:36 AM

I have lived here 17 years and I love this dryness, it will rain soon enough.

Posted by Seattle14 on October 5, 2012 at 10:38 AM

And you thought I was joking about Seattle becoming more like San Francisco and turning into a semi-desert at some point.

That said, it was fun walking in to work in the sunshine this week.

Posted by Will in Seattle

on October 5, 2012 at 10:46 AM

If only what we think about the drought mattered!

Posted by Fluffy on October 5, 2012 at 10:52 AM

This is typical weather, I've been here since the Jurassic period and I recall many a sunny October. Now get in that car of your's and ride Sally ride!

Posted by Sargon Bighorn on October 5, 2012 at 12:02 PM

Blah Blah Blah, STFU and enjoy it while you can, cause everyone is going to be bitching about the rain in a few months time.

Posted by Rotten666 on October 5, 2012 at 12:34 PM

Creepy? No.

Enjoyable? Yes.

Get over it, the shitstorm will be here before you know it. Then you'll whine about that.

Posted by wilbur@work on October 5, 2012 at 12:38 PM

I, too, miss our normally cloudy and drizzly skies... The best thing is when you're at home with all your 'provisions' and you don't have anywhere you need to go, and the rain is just lashing against the windows... and the wind is blowing... and you've got a great book to dive into or a scary movie to watch... oohhh that's the best.......

Soon... soon.... soooooooon.....

Posted by merry on October 5, 2012 at 1:01 PM

I've lived here all my life & have had it with the constant grey, gloom & drizzle. It's days like this that make it worthwhile. The more, the better. This is the best weather stretch of my life. Keep it up, Seattle! More. More. More!

Posted by Garfield on October 5, 2012 at 1:23 PM

This shit sucks.

We need some constant rain to send the Californians and least coasters packing.

In the end I blame my self, the best winters are the ones where I don't pre-purchase a season pass.

Posted by Cascadian Bacon on October 5, 2012 at 2:34 PM

I've lived here 53 years. I'm aching for rain. This constant sunshine makes me feel disoriented and just weird, like I'm on another planet in a sci-fi story. I keep thinking this must be what California is like. It's too damn dry, I really need some rain.

Posted by BallardBoy on October 6, 2012 at 1:33 AM

i neeeeed the rain, i feel like a mushroom in the sahara

Posted by Silvershade on October 8, 2012 at 9:36 AM