A Wet Year

                                                           A wet day!

                                      A day in Gig Harbor Washington when it isn't raining!

Here in the Pacific Northwest of the United States we have had a very wet rainy season. Our rainy season goes from October 1 through April 30.

This year we have had a record rainfall. It actually broke the old record from last year by an inch with three days remaining. In Gig Harbor, Washington my home town the average rainfall for this period is 36 inches and this year it is at 46 inches so nearly a third more rain for the same period.

In Seattle, Washington which is about thirty miles north of Gig Harbor and the largest city in the Pacific Northwest they have had about the same amount of rain. Gig Harbor usually has just over five more inches of rain on average over Seattle. The average rainfall in this period in Seattle is just over thirty inches so they have had a fifty percent increase of rain.

I know that everyone is looking for the rain to stop in May. The rainfall from May through September is five inches. So if it stays on average we will have fifty-one inches for the year up from our average of forty-one for us and thirty-six for Seattle.

Portland Oregon which is south of us and about a two hour drive in distance averages about the same as Gig Harbor has been going through the same however they did have a snow storm in February that brought about twenty inches. We had eight inches of snow in comparison. We had very little snow beyond the eight in February for the winter. The temperatures were about average for here going from the low 30s to mid-40s. We did reach the 50s some of the time. April is the highest temperatures during the rainy season too. Also good news the Olympic and Cascade Mountains had a lot of snow this year too. After having three years of low snow fall it was good to have.

I know that now everyone is looking toward May where we can see a lot less rain and smell the flowers. May averages about one inch of rain which is much better than five and a half inches we have had in April which is actually down from seven and a half in March.

So if you want to visit the Pacific Northwest for vacation I am sure you have figured that May through September is the best time to come unless you want to come for the skiing in the mountains or you like the rain.

The interesting part of it all is that very few natives like me use umbrellas during this time of the year. In fact the reason I don’t use an umbrella most of the time it usually doesn’t rain very hard and when it does I park my car close enough to where I am going to walk fast. Another reason is that when it raining the wind is blowing and makes it hard to use the umbrella. So much that I feel that I will be blown away; if you have seen the movie “Mary Poppins” you would know what I mean. Like the rain the wind has been blowing harder this year than most years as well.

Even though we have had a lot of rain and I am a bit tired of it all I still enjoy living here. Now we can enjoy the good weather coming for the next five months. I can get out for my walks without trying figuring out what time to do so. Even with a lot more rain there are times of the day when it is not raining. Another thing I do have a rain jacket that I use. Also the rain boots that women wear is quite fashionable. Please plan your vacation to come here over the next five months. We will enjoy having you.