UW climatologist: Monday one of the darkest days in 9 years
Dec 8, 2015, 6:09 AM | Updated: 9:12 am
It was the darkest December day in almost nine years, according to University of Washington Climatologist Cliff Mass. (AP)
(AP)
Monday didn’t just feel darker than usual, it was darker than usual.
It was the darkest December day in almost nine years, according to University of Washington Climatologist Cliff Mass.
A mere .44 megajoules per square meter were measured at UW. A joule is a unit of energy. That is the lowest amount since Dec. 14, 2006 when only .39 megajoules were measured, according to Mass.
The reason for such a gloomy Monday is due to a weak sun this time of year, Mass says. The thick cloud cover and rain help make things even more dreary.
Mass told KIRO Radio’s Seattle Morning News that Monday was also the third darkest day of all time during that period. However, “I have a feeling today we’re going to give it a run for its money.”
In addition to the dark day, the Seattle area also surpassed its normal annual rainfall Tuesday morning, according to the National Weather Service.
Seattle surpassed its normal annual rainfall total earlier this AM. Now it will be a matter of how much we will to add it before 12/31 #wawx
— NWS Seattle (@NWSSeattle) December 8, 2015
And if weather forecasts are correct there will be plenty more rain before the end of the year.
There is currently an atmospheric river over Western Washington, Mass said. The moisture from the sub-tropics north of Hawaii is “dumping huge amounts of precipitation,” he said.
