Weekend storm dumps record-breaking rain over Puget Sound

A storm that swept into the Puget Sound region around 7 p.m. Saturday dumped the average monthly rainfall for May in less than 24 hours and broke two daily records, according to the National Weather Service.

By Sunday evening, 1.78 inches had fallen, which is the average monthly total. In addition, as of 2:30 p.m. Sunday, a record was hit at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport for that day — 0.81 inch of rain. This broke the 2001 record of 0.56 inch.

Saturday brought 0.97 inch, beating a record also set in 2001 of 0.53 inch.

"We've got a pretty wet system that's just dumping rain on us," said National Weather Service meteorologist Johnny Burg.

The system is moving through the state from the southeast to the northwest, a bit of an unusual pattern that is drenching the Puget Sound region but actually keeping the coast and northerly areas such as Bellingham drier, Burg said.

The hardest of the rain came Saturday night and Sunday morning. Rain spotters with the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network reported about an inch to 1.25 inches in North Kitsap County and about 1.25 to 1.5 inches on Bainbridge, in Bremerton and in Central and South Kitsap County.

A flood warning will remain in effect until 3:30 p.m. Monday for small streams in Spokane, Ferry, Stevens, Pend Oreille, Chelan and Okanogan counties in Eastern and Central Washington. Flood warnings also have been issued for Stehekin River at Stehekin, in Chelan County.

Flooding hasn't been an issue in Western Washington, said Chris Burke, meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

"This storm has been unusual in that the amount of rain in the lowlands has been the same as the amount in the mountains," Burke said.

When the mountains are hit hard and the lowlands remain relatively dry, "that's what makes it flood," he said.

The rain was tapering off Sunday afternoon, though not before a mudslide hindered traffic on Highway 202 near Tokul Creek in King County.

The good news for the rest of the week: Monday and Tuesday hold a lessened chance for rain and will likely be overcast, Burg said.

Highs for those days are expected to be in the 50s to lower 60s, he said.

On Wednesday and Thursday, the sun will make what has become a rare appearance this spring, with temperatures climbing into the 60s. Friday is expected to reach the upper 60s, Burg said.

Seattle Times staff reporter Sonia Krishnan and The Associated Press contributed to this report.