We're Number Three (So Far)!

Last year at this time San Diego was vying for a new precipitation record -- the wettest season ever. But as the the 2004-2005 season came to an end, the rain halted and the record stalled at third wettest, somewhere in the neighborhood of 22 inches for the year.

Now it seems that when the rains stopped last year, they stopped for good. This year, San Diego has been vying for another new precipitation record -- the driest season ever. From the July beginning of the 2005-2006 season to the start of this month, San Diego had seen less than 3 inches of rain. But in March the rain began.

On the 19th, a 0.02 inch drizzle took the season total out of contention for driest ever, with 3.03 inches beating the 2001-2002 record low of 3.02. Since the 19th, the rains have continued. Storms last night pushed the season total to 3.70 inches, past the 1960-1961 second place spot of 3.46. Now the season can finish no lower than the third driest.

Of course, in this case the word "storms" is relative. In fact, with an unofficial tally of 0.35 inches for the night in a season barely crawling toward the 4 inch mark (we're expected to break it by Thursday), it's almost laughable.

But it was awfully nice, nonetheless.

P.S. Happy Birthday, Grabbingsand. And Happy Belated, Denise Irene LPPN.