Record rain pours on Puget Sound in summer storm
Jul 23, 2014, 6:01 AM | Updated: 5:19 pm
The afternoon commute kicked off Wednesday under a huge rain cloud with the heaviest precipitation near the construction zone on I-90.
KIRO Radio traffic reporter Kimi Kline said Lynnwood to Seattle travel times were over 70 minutes.
There were several crashes during the morning commute. Troopers in King County responded to 39 collisions in an eight-hour period. In Thurston and Pierce Counties, there were 15 weather-related crashes that snarled traffic before noon.
The State Patrol is warning drivers that roads are slick and they have a new slogan they’re tweeting: Slow For H-2-O!
Meteorologists say showers will linger into Thursday morning for the commute, but will dwindle during the afternoon hours.
The congestion around the shutdown lanes of I-90 Wednesday morning was heavier than it had been earlier in the week. At times the backup extended more than three miles. A two-mile backup remained until almost 11 a.m.
The National Weather Service says a record 0.68 inches of rain had fallen at Sea-Tac Airport as of 5 p.m., breaking the old record of .54 inches set in 1949.
“In July, the monthly normal is .70 inches (at Sea-Tac),” said Meteorologist Johnny Berg.
The coast could see one inch of rain by the end of the day.
It’s also possible Seattleites will hear some thunder, and Berg said if you do, be safe and head indoors.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
