A complete contrast

This year's summer is the complete opposite of last year's.  Last year, I was struggling (and not really succeeding) to keep a positive mental attitude here on the blog.   Considering that if you measure summer as that time above 80°, last year it was measured in hours - for the entire year.

Ah, but not this year!  Here's a paragraph from our local weather blogger (and fellow UW employee), Cliff Mass:

"Seattle residents unaccustomed to a record-breaking stretch of sun and warmth are reacting with guilt, anxiety, and discomfort.  I cannot count the number of emails I have received by folks asking when the accustomed clouds and rain will return."

Next week we have the chance to break an all-time record of consecutive days without rain (51) , if the forecast disturbance on Monday fails to appear, or misses the official weather station at Sea-Tac airport.

And amazingly, we are in the middle of what may be the longest recorded run of consecutive pleasant day.  According to Scott Sistek, meterologist for KOMO TV,

"... Seattle is amidst the longest stretch of pleasant temperatures in decades, perhaps in its history. Believe it or not, Monday marked the 17th day in a row Seattle has had a high temperature in the 70s with Tuesday well on its way to make it 18.

We hit a high of 91 degrees on August 17. The next day, the high was 71 and ever since, the afternoons haven't been hotter than 79 nor cooler than 70. And of course, it hasn't rained in the stretch either. What's more, 12 of those 17 days have had a high between 70 and 73, including the entire Labor Day Weekend.

Seattle has never had such a streak of 70s before and in fact, it really hasn't been all that close."

It has been a wonderful summer.

 And it is still continuing!  Tonite after work, Jane and I will take Eolian over to Port Madison, Then to Poulsbo on Friday, Manzanita Bay on Saturday and back to Shilshole on Sunday.  It's a great 3-day loop, and one that the weather will only make more pleasant.

A complete contrast