2006 among wettest in history
Last year, our region experienced plenty of wild “extremes.” Some of this record-breaking weather can be blamed on the moderate El Niño in the south-central Pacific Ocean. The warmer than normal sea-surface temperature event came to life last fall and continues to influence weather patterns across the entire globe.
Total rain and melted snow for 2006 was 21.02 inches at the Spokane International Airport. The normal for the year is 16.67 inches. The 21.02 inches is an amazing figure as last summer was the sixth driest in recorded history in the Spokane area. Despite the hot and dry summer, the airport recorded the 13th wettest year ever seen. In January 2006, Coeur d’Alene also had a record streak of 33 days in a row of measurable precipitation, tying Seattle’s all-time record number of days-in-a-row with at least .01 inches of moisture.
In Coeur d’Alene, total precipitation for 2006 was 33.97 inches, compared to a normal of 26.11. This was the fourth wettest season, despite having the driest late spring and summer in history.
Prior to that dry spell, we experienced the second wettest spring ever seen. And, from late December of 2005 through late January of 2006, it was the wettest 30-day period on record in Spokane and surrounding regions. These back-and-forth weather patterns from wet to dry and vice-versa is part of a cycle of extremes that may be the worst in more than 1,000 years.
Not only was last summer dry, but it was also very hot. Since May 15, 2006, the airport recorded 30 days with highs at or above 90 degrees. Coeur d’Alene gauged a remarkable 38 days, both near-double the normal.
During an average summer season, we typically see 19 days at the airport and approximately 22 days in the Spokane Valley area at or above 90 degrees. July was certainly a torrid period as almost half of that month (14 days) recording those temperatures at or above 90 degrees. In fact, July 23 was the hottest day with a high of 102 degrees. We actually saw three days in a row with highs at or above the century mark, mighty hot indeed.
The dry weather pattern of the late spring and summer of last year finally broke in early November. The Spokane International Airport reported 4.38 inches of moisture in November. The record was 5.85 inches back in 1897. In Coeur d’Alene, the 7.63 inches received last November was the second highest in history. The highest total during that month was 8.76 inches in 1973.
November also saw a day of record snows in some parts of the Inland Northwest. On the 26th, Coeur d’Alene received a record 6.9 inches of snow, while the airport recorded 3 inches, which was not a record for the date.
Nov. 13 also brought damaging winds of hurricane force in some parts of our region. The airport recorded a gust of 59 mph on that date. Coeur d’Alene’s peak gust was 48 mph. The Spokane Valley had a record 76 mph. An even worse wind storm struck parts of the region on Dec. 15. More than a thousand trees were toppled by near-hurricane force gusts. The power was out in Upper Hayden Lake for nearly five days.
I still believe that January will be our snowiest and coldest month of the entire winter season. In fact, much colder weather is expected across our region next week. As more moisture falls, we’ll have a lot more snow in mountains, which will probably extend our ski season well into the spring.
February should turn dry again as it’s been for the last several years. Only scattered, quickly melting snows will fall across the area lowlands in March and early April. Then, I see another in a long series of very wet and cool spring seasons.