As I write this, another big thunderstorm is pounding Washington, DC, with constant lightning and yet more rain – according to the Washington Post, we’ve had 26.55 inches of rain so far this year:
Since May 1, the Washington area has had 11.93 inches of rain, more than twice the normal 5.61 inches at National Airport. That is nine times the amount of rain Seattle got during the same period.
Yes, Seattle.
Since May 1, 90 percent of the days have been cloudy and nearly two-thirds of those days have had measurable rain. The string of miserable days amazes even the grizzled experts.
“It’s pretty impressive,” said Christopher A. Strong, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.
The one up side to this is the thunderstorms – I love them. I don’t know why, but I am fascinated by them, and there is a certain sexiness to them that intrigues me. I enjoy the thought that some day I might sit around in a darkened house, with some candles lit, looking out upon the lightning and feeling the thunder shudder through me, my arms around someone I love.
For now, just me and the dog.
Yes, I love thunderstorms, too, and had been sitting here tonight staring out the window at the one that just passed through here. My friend Roger and I often have talked about how electrical storms seem to elicit responses both romantic and sexual.
One interesting point to the Post blurb: if more than twice our usual rain is nine times the amount that Seattle got, then even our usual rainfall is four and a half times Seattle’s amount. I’d read years ago and long have understood that the average rainfall in DC is higher than that of Seattle; Seattle does have an average higher number of gray days (though this year we may well be giving them a run for the money in that arena), but the rainfall there is seldom heavy, but usually just misty and drizzly. Heavy, driving rains like those we see here are rare there.
Similarly, though likely because of a linguistic misunderstanding rather than a true meteorological distinction, Chicago is not really the “windy” city, but is, on average, only the ninth or so windiest city. Boston, in fact, leads large US cities with the highest average wind speed.