Seattle Finally Getting Rain After 3 Dry Months!

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Discussion Overview

The thread discusses recent weather patterns, particularly focusing on the rain in Seattle after a prolonged dry spell, while contrasting it with experiences from other regions in North America. Participants share personal anecdotes about their local weather, including heat, rain, and unusual weather events, as well as the impact on their lives and pets.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express joy about the arrival of rain in Seattle after a dry summer, sharing personal experiences with their pets in the rain.
  • Others report experiencing excessive rain and flooding in their areas, contrasting with the dry conditions in Seattle.
  • There are mentions of record-breaking temperatures in the Pacific Northwest, with some participants noting the lack of air conditioning in many homes during the heat.
  • Participants from Alberta discuss their own weather experiences, including hail and snow, while expressing a desire for different weather conditions.
  • Some participants express a longing for rain in Southern California, indicating a desire for thunderstorms and cooler weather.
  • Discussion includes references to drought conditions in Texas, highlighting the variability of weather across regions.
  • There are humorous exchanges about the challenges of dealing with rain and heat, including the difficulties of mowing lawns in wet conditions.
  • One participant raises a question about the current state of weather across North America, suggesting a desire for a map showing areas with normal weather patterns.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally share their individual experiences with weather, but there are multiple competing views regarding the desirability of rain and heat, as well as the impact of these conditions on daily life. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the overall state of weather across different regions.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference various weather phenomena and personal anecdotes, but there are no settled definitions of "normal" weather or consensus on the implications of the current weather patterns.

lisab
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I can't believe it!

We're finally getting rain!

Here in Seattle, we've only had a quarter inch in all of August-July-and-June!

I swear, when we heard it coming down my cat actually asked to go outside. She came in about 10 minutes later and she was happy and wet (a Seattle cat, to the bone!).

I should add, whenever she comes in from the rain we go through a ritual cat-drying massage with a towel that she loves...so maybe that's why she doesn't mind getting a little wet.

Now, 'scuse me, I have to go outside and roll in it :biggrin:...
 
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Lucky, you. In NJ, we have been having constant rain.

Today is the first hot day of the summer.

EDIT: I am also trying to teach my kitty "human-speak."
 


Give me back my weather! We have been getting all your rain and more.
 


turbo-1 said:
Give me back my weather! We have been getting all your rain and more.

I wish I could, I love the rain (one of the reasons I choose to live here :smile:).

As has been discussed on other threads, Seattle smashed an all-time high temp record this summer - old record 100 F, new record 103 F. The hovering-around-100F temps went for several days...and it didn't cool much at night! Now keep in mind that only about 15% of households here have air conditioning.

Full disclosure: yes, I have a heat pump (erm...run it backwards and it's an air conditioner :smile:), and I'm so, so happy about that this summer!
 


Last Tueday, my friend and his neighbour were out in their backwards using their snowshovels to push rain out of their flooded yards for an hour as the rain pounded them, that's how hard it's been raining here.
 
Strange weather indeed. While the northwest has been hot, many states in the mid-north had their coldest or second coldest July ever: http://www.usatoday.com/weather/climate/2009-08-10-july-climate-report_N.htm

I could do with less rain, but I'm loving the cool temps (today notwithstanding).
 


lisab said:
I swear, when we heard it coming down my cat actually asked to go outside. She came in about 10 minutes later and she was happy and wet (a Seattle cat, to the bone!).

I should add, whenever she comes in from the rain we go through a ritual cat-drying massage with a towel that she loves...so maybe that's why she doesn't mind getting a little wet.

Now, 'scuse me, I have to go outside and roll in it :biggrin:...

We've had a miserable summer with the worst fleas I've ever seen. (not just me - I went to the pet store this weekend and the flea treatment aisle was just about wiped out). Some rain would be so nice to drown some of those genetically superior Advantage/Frontline-resistant super suckers!

On the bright side, I'm looking forward to my Las Vegas trip Thursday and taunting the 105 degree F heat from the heavily air conditioned hotel room. :)
 


That's good to hear, Lisab! We have have been dry lately less a very brief [10 minute] rainfall about a week ago. And as you know this has been a record-breaking summer for us as well here in Oregon. In July we broke maximum temp records as well as the number of days and consecutive days over 90F, and over 100F.

The fire danger is down a bit from a couple of weeks ago when we reached 108F and 15% humidity in some areas, but I will be glad to see some real rain.

I thought this was interesting: Average, observed, and deviation from normal, precipitation.
http://www.srh.noaa.gov/rfcshare/precip_analysis_new.php
 
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DaveC426913 said:
Last Tueday, my friend and his neighbour were out in their backwards using their snowshovels to push rain out of their flooded yards for an hour as the rain pounded them, that's how hard it's been raining here.

Lucky bastard! I was using my snow shovel to push snow out of my yard. Try living in Alberta for a while. :-p
 
  • #10


Danger said:
Lucky bastard! I was using my snow shovel to push snow out of my yard. Try living in Alberta for a while. :-p

You were pushing snow last Tuesday? Which part of Alberta are you in? Mind, I had to close my windows last week at night and wanted to turn the fireplace on, but no snow. Not yet. Bite your tongue.
 
  • #11


GeorginaS said:
You were pushing snow last Tuesday? Which part of Alberta are you in? Mind, I had to close my windows last week at night and wanted to turn the fireplace on, but no snow. Not yet. Bite your tongue.

Okay, you caught me. It was hail, not snow. I'm near Calgary.
You're a fellow Albertan? What area are you in?
 
  • #12


North of Edmonton. :) I heard about your hail. We haven't had a good bout of that here yet.
 
  • #13


GeorginaS said:
North of Edmonton. :)

Well, you have a couple of PF friends in the area. Both Shawn and Scorpa are up there in Edmonchuck.
We seem to have a weather trade-off. You get the tornados, and we get the hail. All in all, I'd rather skip the whole matter and be sipping margueritas in the Camans. :biggrin:

edit: Oh, who the hell am I trying to kid? I mean guzzling margueritas...
 
  • #14


You can keep your rain! Please! I don't know what the weather was like the two weeks I was gone, but it's still raining since I've returned. And, now we're starting to get some heat, so it's humid and very sticky. I suspect it's been raining a lot while gone too, because my lawn isn't the only one overgrown right now.
 
  • #15


Any one who wants to is more than welcome to send some rain to SoCal. I will make sure it is well taken care of and gets all the margaritas it wants.
 
  • #16


TheStatutoryApe said:
Any one who wants to is more than welcome to send some rain to SoCal. I will make sure it is well taken care of and gets all the margaritas it wants.

I second that. I love for a good thunderstorm to come through. Wouldn't that be great?
 
  • #17
We came home to lightning and a thunderstorm yesterday evening. We've still have more rain than is healthy for many of our plants. But apparently, in our region, the apple crop is doing quite well! The heavy rains and perhaps cool weather seem to have reduced the annoying insects like Japanese beetles. Perhaps the grubs just drowned.

Meanwhile - Parts of Texas are having the worst drought since the 1950's.
http://drought.unl.edu/DM/DM_south.htm

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/12/us/12drought.html

Lake Travis near Austin is down about 30 feet and the Pedernales river is bone dry.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/07/22/eveningnews/main5181114.shtml

http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/stories/2009/08/10/story2.html
 
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  • #18


TheStatutoryApe said:
Any one who wants to is more than welcome to send some rain to SoCal. I will make sure it is well taken care of and gets all the margaritas it wants.

Okay. I'm blowing really hard at the storm clouds. I managed to get half the lawn mowed after work before the sky opened up again.
 
  • #19


Math Is Hard said:
I second that. I love for a good thunderstorm to come through. Wouldn't that be great?
It would be nice if it wasn't 90 degree rain. :frown:
 
  • #20


Moonbear said:
I'm blowing really hard... ...I managed to get half the lawn mowed

Maybe not quite so hard next time, so the poor guy can finish the job... :rolleyes:
 
  • #21


Hurkyl said:
It would be nice if it wasn't 90 degree rain. :frown:

Yeah, I don't like that 90 degree rain much. You have to hold the umbrella sideways and you still tend to get wet.
 
  • #22


Math Is Hard said:
Yeah, I don't like that 90 degree rain much. You have to hold the umbrella sideways and you still tend to get wet.


Oooooooo I was going to say, "Wow, warm rain you have." :wink:
 
  • #23


I'd like to see a map of where in North America the weather has been close to normal (with whatever parameters that might require) recently. Almost all the reports I have seen depict large deviations from the average observations. Of course, normal doesn't sell.
 

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