Meteorological Spring Arrives After Record Rain In Puget Sound

SEATTLE — Most area rivers were on track to crest by Monday evening after a record run of wet weather dumped several inches of rain across Western Washington.

According to the National Weather Service, an average February brings 3.76 inches of rain to Seattle — a total that was nearly matched in just 48 hours by Monday afternoon. Several daily precipitation records also fell by Monday evening, including a 2.97-inch rain total at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, more than double the previous record set on Feb. 28, 1972.

Seattle came close to logging its wettest-ever February day, falling just short of the 3.06 inches recorded on Feb. 8, 1996. Overall, Monday was one of the top 15 wettest Seattle days on record.

The weather service noted that Emerald City typically sees just one day per year with 2 or more inches of rain, which has already happened twice in 2022: on Jan. 6 and Feb. 28. It is also unusual to rack up so much rain late in the season. Monday marked the first time in 26 years that a February storm brought 2 or more inches of rainfall.

With broader flood watches expired, most rivers were expected to crest by late Tuesday or early Wednesday, including the Snoqualmie, which reached the major flood stage Tuesday morning. Several road closures remained in place in East King County and portions of Pierce County Tuesday due to water over the roadway.

Even with the brunt of the rain in the rearview mirror, the National Weather Service warned an elevated landslide threat would continue while soils remained highly saturated. More showery conditions are in the forecast for Wednesday and Thursday before things dry out for the weekend and allow for a little more sunshine.

Meteorological spring begins

With just under three weeks until the spring equinox arrives, March 1 also marked the beginning of meteorological spring. Differing from astronomical seasons, meteorologists and climatologists measure the seasons in three-month cycles, based on typical temperature patterns.

Checking in on daylight, the Seattle area is currently seeing more than 11 hours of daylight and adding close to three and half minutes per day. The first 6 p.m. sunset of the year arrives Saturday. Daylight saving time will kick in on March 13, when the sun will set at 7:12 p.m. By the end of the month, Puget Sound will be closing in on 13-hour days, with sunsets after 7:30 p.m.

Climatologists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have yet to release their official spring outlook for this year, but current climate projections place better odds on a cooler and wetter March through April stretch in Washington and western Oregon.

More details on what to expect for the spring should be available later this month.