Seattle Passes Yearly Rainfall Average; Drier Holiday Weekend Ahead

SEATTLE — Recent storms helped nudge Seattle past its usual rainfall totals for the year, but things are looking drier for the holiday weekend before wet weather returns for the first week of 2023. According to the National Weather Service, the Emerald City logged a little more than 39.5 inches of rain for the year through Tuesday.

More rain was due overnight Thursday into Friday, which will help run up the total before the calendar turns, but was expected to taper off after morning. As for the mountain snowpack, which was bolstered by active early-season weather, forecasters said the snowpack at Mount Rainier's Paradise is tracking right at the average.

Looking at the forecast for the last holiday weekend of the year, the clouds look determined to stick around but the chances for rain are lower and conditions are looking calmer for New Year's celebrations.

"A few lingering showers and mountain snow showers will continue into early Saturday as the front washes out over the region and the main parent surface low stalls out over the B.C coast north of Vancouver Island," NWS Seattle wrote Thursday. "Highs drop a few degrees into the mid to upper 40s. High pressure will build over the region Sunday, leading to dry weather with partly to mostly cloudy skies. Highs will favor the low to mid 40s."

According to the latest odds from the Climate Prediction Center, the weather should track on the warmer and wetter side through at least the first half of January.