SEATTLE — Seattle’s run at its driest October on record is about to end as a slow-moving storm brings several hours of steady rain to the region. Rain is pushing into Seattle and the Puget Sound area Saturday night and should last into Sunday afternoon. Forecast models show between one-third and three-quarters of an inch of rain along the I-5 corridor. That is more than enough to pull the city out of record-dry territory.
Seattle Was on Pace for a Record
Seattle picked up only 0.08 inches of rain through the first 23 days of October. The current record for the driest October is 0.31 inches, set in 1987. Most of that month’s rain, 0.23 inches, fell on Halloween.
For a while, it looked like this October could break that mark. An earlier storm off the coast was expected to stall and bring very little rain. Instead, the storm has shifted and now looks set to deliver a real soaking.
How Much Rain to Expect
Forecast models still disagree a bit on rain totals. The European model shows about a third of an inch in Seattle, while the American GFS shows just under half an inch. The HRRR model is the wettest, with about two-thirds to three-quarters of an inch along the I-5 corridor by early Sunday afternoon.
Any of those amounts would push Seattle out of record territory. If the wetter scenario happens, the city could even avoid a top-three driest October. The third-driest October on record was 1972, with 0.72 inches.
Rain Moves In Saturday Night
Rain was already falling along the coast and in the North Sound on Saturday, with a few sprinkles elsewhere in western Washington. The storm’s slow-moving front is expected to push into Seattle, Tacoma, and Everett Saturday night. Steady rain should continue through Sunday morning…