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Port Ludlow :: a Master Planned Resort Community for All Ages :: Birding, Boating, Golfing, Hiking, & More |
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Rainfall in Port Ludlow |
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Port Ludlow is located in the "rain-shadow" of the Olympic Mountains, along with Port Townsend, Sequim, Hansville, parts of Whidbey Island, and the San Juan Islands. Most of the weather systems which travel through Puget Sound come from the west, spinning off the semi-permanent high and low pressure cells that hover over the North Pacific Ocean. The weather systems travel on shore from west to east. The Pacific Ocean acts as a moderating influence on air temperature, so that most of the precipitation falls as rain; normally the lowlands, which include Port Ludlow, get less than 5% of their annual precipitation as snow. The Olympic Mountains are another moderating influence, especially for the rain shadow areas. They stand as a natural barrier. Most of the rain falls on the west side or as snow on the peaks, and most of the wind gets parted, going north along the Strait of Juan de Fuca, south through Olympia, and converging on Everett on the other side of Puget Sound. The average annual precipitation for the Olympic Mountains ranged from 100-200 inches per year for 1961-1990, depending on the elevation, with the higher elevations and the areas closer to the Pacific Coast getting the most rainfall. During the same period, the average annual precipitation for Port Ludlow was only about 25-30 inches per year. In contrast, Everett and Seattle got 50-60 inches per year, while Olympia and the west side of Hood Canal received 60-70 inches per year. When you live in Port Ludlow, you do need to water your lawn in the summer. |
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Over 75% of the annual rainfall occurs during the six month period from October through March. The remaining 25% is spread from April through September, with July and August receiving the least amount of rainfall. The weather forecast for Puget Sound is actually rather misleading if you are watching it from another part of the country. You might even think that Rainier Mountain is really named after the weather. That's not quite true even though we have enjoyed more rainbows here than when we lived in Kona, Hawaii. Most of the time our days have a mix of weather. The days that include rain often include sunny periods as well. The forecasters call these "sun-breaks". That's a term you probably don't hear in very many other parts of the country. Generally, Port Ludlow gets the same number of gray days as the rest of the Puget Sound region, but it just mists or drizzles here when it's pouring elsewhere. The flowers and trees really appreciate the regular light rain. The landscape in Puget Sound includes more shades of green than the landscape in most other places, including parts of the tropics, and that simply would not be possible without regular rainfall. Although almost all Port Ludlow residents hope for as many sunny days as possible, we also like some summer showers so we don't have to water as much and to make it easier to weed. Blueberrys and blackberries are particularly tasty when they've been washed by a light shower then warmed a little by the sun. The national atlas has a fun web site where you can draw your own map if you'd like to check these figures and compare Port Ludlow's average rainfall to that of other areas. Climate data is only one of many layers that you can chose on the national atlas maps. Other layers of data include demographics and natural features such as rivers. |
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