Seattle area breaks rainfall record ahead of another atmospheric river

The National Weather Service (NWS) has confirmed that this past fall has been the wettest the Seattle area has experienced on record, as the region continues to deal with heavy rains and flooding conditions.

The NWS office in Seattle wrote on Twitter that the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport recorded 18.91 inches of rain between the months of September and November, making it the wettest that this period of time has been in the Seattle area since that information was first recorded in 1945.

Somebody else pointed this out today–it does look like Seatac has had the wettest fall (well, Sept thru Nov) on record. Here’s the top ten: pic.twitter.com/rzReLWRTDE

— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) November 29, 2021

“It’s the wettest early fall we’ve had in Seattle in a long, long time,” NWS meteorologist Kirby Cook said on Monday, according to The Seattle Times. “And in some areas, like Bellingham, it will be the wettest November on record.”

Cook said that many rivers in the region are expected to stay in flood stages until the end of Monday. The Times noted that another “atmospheric river” is expected on Tuesday, meaning heavy rains are likely to come.

The upcoming deluge comes as the Northwest region has had to contend with a torrential atmospheric river of rain. Some local municipalities in the area have issued voluntary evacuation advisories for residents, warning that rivers are at risk of flooding.

These conditions come just months after the area dealt with an extreme heat wave.

Earlier this year, the Pacific Northwest suffered through a record-breaking heat during which temperatures rose to more than 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Hundreds of deaths were linked to the extreme temperatures in the region, which is not accustomed to high heat.