It’s raining now because of a passing warm front and there is more on the way, just look at the Doppler and Saturday pix. More importantly, it will be a bit breezy tomorrow as a cold front goes over our area tomorrow afternoon. As far as rainfall goes for the month we are about .25” above our average but we are still about 2.18” behind for the year.
We are just really lucky we don’t live on the East Coast. For example, take Wilmington, NC where as of today they are at 101.27” for the year. The annual average for a year is 57.61”. The old record for the wettest year was 83.65” set in 1877. Note also that the total rainfall for the 17 wettest days was 58.96” So no whining about how much rain we get out here.
Click any image to enlarge.
December 28 500MB 
December 28 Surface Analysis 
December 29 Surface Forecast 
December 30 Surface Forecast 
December 31 500MB 
December 31 Surface Forecast 
January 1 500MB 
January 1
Surface Forecast
Today’s chart and sat pic show a relatively strong(1033MB) high-pressure system off the coast of San Francisco. This feature combined with the jet stream is doing a pretty good job of deflecting the worst of the storms into SE Alaska and northern BC. These lows still have trailing frontal systems, one of which will drag over us tomorrow afternoon bringing strong (30-35 knot) southerly breezes to the coast and the Salish Sea. Tomorrow morning might be a good time to go check those mooring lines and fenders.
Once again the 48-hour chart shows an impressive series of low-pressure systems extending from a 945MB low in the Gulf of Alaska to a 977MB in the central Pacific with more low-pressure systems set to form. Luckily, that high-pressure system mentioned above along with the jet stream will keep us taking a direct hit. The bad news is that the jet stream will bring these low-pressure systems back into the upper mid-West as snowmakers and more rain to the southeastern US.
At least for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, it looks like it won’t be raining. Plenty of time to go out and do a little bit of maintenance on the boat.
Happy New Year!
-Bruce and the entire team (Ed note: That’s Kurt, his dogs and all those who’ve contributed this year) at Sailish.com.
Bruce has raced and cruised the Pacific Northwest his entire life. He earned a Bachelor’s of Science from the University of Washington in Biological Oceanography and learned meteorology “to keep from getting kicked around on the race course.” Bruce spent nearly two decades as Associate Publisher for Northwest Yachting Magazine, retiring in mid-2015, and was the chairman of the board of trustees for the Northwest Marine Trade Association in 2014. (photo of Bruce driving Playstation is a bit dated, but cool)