WeatherWatcher: Weekly Report, Rain is back with a Vengeance

• Significant pattern change in our weather, a wet weekend in store.
• Last week's weather data
• Friday October 12th, 2012 marked the 50th anniversary of the Columbus Day Storm (A.K.A. The Big Blow)

Friday evening and our weekend was like flipping a switch from summer into fall mode. The ridge of high pressure that was shielding us from our normal fall weather has been broken up and removed from the region. The jet stream is now pointed right at us and shows no sign of changing. We will have a little break Wednesday with sunny skies and some clouds here and there. Thursday a new storm from the Pacific will be moving in with increasing rain by the afternoon commute. Friday and the weekend have more rain on the way. There are some longer range forecast models hinting at a possible wind storm that may impact our area around next week Tuesday, I will be keeping a watch as that system develops.

Last weeks data (October 6th - 12th):

High temperature: 67.6°F (Monday the 8th)

Low temperature: 42.2°F (Saturday the 6th)

Rainiest day: 0.09 inches (Friday the 12th)

Total rainfall: 0.09 inches

Warmest day: 56.0°F (Sunday the 7th)

Coldest day: 48.1°F (Thursday the 11th)

Average temperature: 52.1°F (1.1°F warmer than normal)

3-year average for this week: 51.0°F

50th anniversary of the Columbus Day Storm

Friday October 12, 2012 was the 50th anniversary of the Columbus Day storm of 1962, also known as The Big Blow. The Columbus Day storm was the strongest non-tropical wind storm to ever hit the lower 48 states in the last 150 years of record keeping. The storm was the remains of Typhoon Freda that formed in the Western Pacific before dissipating into a weak low. Once it reached near the West Coast of California the storm redeveloped into an extra-tropical cyclone (this is the typical type of storms that bring us wind and rain) and deepened into a low pressure of 958 hPa (28.30inHg). This was the equivalent low pressure of that of a Category 3 hurricane. This storm raced up the Pacific Coast getting Northern California, Oregon, Washington and parts of British Columbia before dissipating. Estimated wind gusts over the Puget Sound region were 150+ mph.   Most weather stations during the time in this area maxed at 150mph and most stations failed or were damaged before the peak of the storm. In 1962 dollars it is estimated the storm caused a total damage of 280 million, adjusted for inflation and population it is estimated it could have been a 3 to 5 billion or more in damage storm. Thankfully storms of this intensity or less (100mph+) only seem to occur about every 30-50 years.

Warmest and coldest days are based on average temperature of the entire day, starting at midnight. All other averages are based on the whole week, starting Saturday morning at midnight. All weather data unless otherwise noted is sourced from Carl's Shoreline Weather Station.

For fall and winter storm updates, check out my weather station web page or follow me on Twitter: @SWeatherWatcher