It's the wettest November on record — already

just another rain on the window picture from seattle
Originally uploaded by spappyjones.

It has been wet here lately. As of yesterday we hit the record and have a shot at the overall-alltime wettest month in history here is the article:

You've heard the jokes about Seattle's rain: That everyone here has webbed feet, that daylight-saving time here means an extra hour of rain, that the Pillsbury Doughboy has a better tan than Seattle residents.

Welcome to the wettest November in Seattle-area history.

No joke.

Wednesday's storm pushed the rain total at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport past 11.62 inches for the month to eclipse the record set in November 1998. And we're only halfway through the month.

As of late Wednesday, 0.44 inches of rain had fallen at the National Weather Service recording station at Sea-Tac, raising the monthly total to 11.64 inches of rain.

What's more, forecasters say this could wind up as the wettest month in area history if the rain keeps up.

A storm similar in intensity to Wednesday's is forecast to roll in Sunday, bringing more wind and rain.

The end of November is historically the stormiest time of the year for the Northwest, said University of Washington meteorologist Cliff Mass.

"The jet stream is basically moving right over us," he said. "We're right in the storm track."

The wettest month in history here was December 1933, when 15.33 inches fell at the Federal Building in downtown Seattle, before the weather service set up its rain gauges at Sea-Tac. Since Sea-Tac has been the recording station, the wettest month was January 1953, with 12.92 inches.

"It's certainly an oddball year," said Mass. January 2006 already ranks as the area's fifth-wettest month on record with 11.65 inches of precipitation. "It's going to remain stormy for a long period of time."