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A rainbow is seen from the air, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017, north of Seattle near Woodinville. Sun breaks and rain were the rule of the day for the Seattle area, while snow and ice gripped cities further north.
A rainbow is seen from the air, Thursday, Feb. 9, 2017, north of Seattle near Woodinville. Sun breaks and rain were the rule of the day for the Seattle area, while snow and ice gripped cities further north.
Pedestrians under umbrellas pass a vintage umbrella shop Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2017, in downtown Seattle. Freezing rain, ice and fallen trees forced the closure of highways and roads in Oregon and Washington on Wednesday. Interstate 90, the main highway connecting western and eastern Washington, remained closed over Snoqualmie Pass until at least Thursday morning because of hazardous winter conditions.
Pedestrians under umbrellas pass a vintage umbrella shop Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2017, in downtown Seattle. Freezing rain, ice and fallen trees forced the closure of highways and roads in Oregon and Washington on
Pedestrians huddle under umbrellas as they walk past the Pike Place Market and in view of Elliot Bay behind, Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2017, in Seattle. Freezing rain, ice and fallen trees forced the closure of highways and roads in Oregon and Washington on Wednesday. Interstate 90, the main highway connecting western and eastern Washington, remained closed over Snoqualmie Pass until at least Thursday morning because of hazardous winter conditions.
Pedestrians huddle under umbrellas as they walk past the Pike Place Market and in view of Elliot Bay behind, Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2017, in Seattle. Freezing rain, ice and fallen trees forced the closure of
Seattle weather watchers may have noticed (gleefully?) that California has had a bit of a wet winter.
The Golden State has seen a lot of gray in the past few weeks. Heavy rains overwhelmed the nation’s tallest dam. Flooding has been widespread as most of Northern California remains inundated. And that perpetual drought? Not any longer.
With 16.3 inches of precipitation since New Year’s Day, San Francisco has made a strong bid to be the West Coast’s rainiest big city. Portland has logged 13.7 inches of rain and snow, while Seattle has recorded 12.5 inches.
Bay Area storms and flooding, Presidents Day 2017
Of course, the rainy season didn’t start Jan. 1. And looking back at the fall, Seattle and Portland are still way out front.
According to the National Weather Service, 32.88 inches of precipitation has fallen on Seattle since Oct. 1. That is 9 inches more than usual, though right in keeping with last year.
Portland is currently edging Seattle; hammered by snow storms, the Rose City has logged 33.51 inches of precipitation since Oct. 1.
By that measure, San Francisco is trailing badly with 25.4 inches of precipitation since Oct. 1. That’s huge for them – the city usually has only seen 16.6 inches of wet by now – but well below a normal year in Seattle.
Seattlepi.com reporter Levi Pulkkinen can be reached at 206-448-8348 or levipulkkinen@seattlepi.com. Follow Levi on Twitter at twitter.com/levipulk.
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