Rain again returned in October

The headline a year ago was "Lots of October rain" after 4.3 inches fell in 2021. Rains have returned, though they waited till Oct. 21 to start. That was 36 days since September's 0.02 total rainfall.

Rain fell eight days in a row and 10 of the last 11, totaling 3.6 inches for the month. Over half, 1.9 inches came down Oct. 30-31, with 1.5 inch Oct. 30. No rain fell during La Conner's Halloween Parade.

Fourteen years more than three inches of rain has fallen since 2000. Six of those years have been since 2014. In 2019 and 2021 over 4.2 inches came down. This is only the twelfth wettest October this century, right at the average.

October is wet: nine years this century have had over four inches of rain, six have had five-plus inches and 6.1 inches fell in 2014.

Nine years it rained less than three inches, seven years less than two inches and the 1.1 inch in 2002 was the least this century.

The rain deficit for the year is now 7.4 inches with 16.6 inches the first 10 months. The 23 year average is 24 inches through October, 31% more.

The month's high of 76.3 degrees was Oct. 16. That was the last of eight record highs; only one was below 70 degrees. There were nine days above 70 degrees and 12 above the month's average high temperature of 63.4 degrees. The month's average high was an astounding five degrees above the century's 58.4 degrees.

Mornings were cold, but no frost, with Oct. 19's 36.2 the month's low, one of 10 nights below 40 degrees. Sixteen times the low was below the month's daily average low of 41.8 degrees.

The 51.6 degree month's average temperature was only 0.6 degrees above the average the past 23 years, 1.4 degrees below normal this century.

Records were set 22 days for minimum wind speeds with 21 days recording zero mph miles per hour.

Measurements and data are at Washington State University's Mount Vernon weather station on Memorial Highway.