Like the rain, weather records keep falling and falling

Rain hasn't poured from the skies like this in more than 50 years.

On Tuesday — a day that saw lightning, thunder, rain and hail — November 2006 became the wettest month at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport since the National Weather Service began measuring Seattle rainfall there in 1945.

And there are still nine days to go before we bid November adieu.

A total of 13.11 inches of rain had fallen as of midnight, beating the old record of 12.92 inches of rain in a single month that was set in January 1953.

In Seattle, rainfall records date back to 1891; rainfall was previously measured at the Federal Building downtown. The all-time record set there — 15.33 inches in December 1933 — will be shattered if a little less than 2.5 inches fall by month's end.

This November, "it's just been one system after another with really no break in between," said Dennis D'Amico, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Seattle.

"I think we're ready for a little breather ourselves," he said of himself and fellow forecasters.

Don't hold your breath: Seattle saw a little bit of everything on Tuesday and should get more of the same today before yet another, stronger storm moves in Thursday.

Rain for the lowlands and heavy snow for the mountains is expected through Friday, with our best chance of glimpsing the sun coming on Saturday before showers return Sunday, D'Amico said.

Gov. Christine Gregoire is also hoping for some relief from the weather. At a news conference on Tuesday in Olympia, Gregoire formally asked President Bush to declare parts of Washington a federal disaster area as a result of widespread flooding earlier this month.

Such a declaration would make federal money available to assist with recovery and cleanup efforts in 11 counties where rain-swollen rivers destroyed or damaged homes, businesses, roads and bridges.

Though forecasters say there isn't an imminent threat of additional flooding, there is no end in sight to the wet weather — which can make for treacherous driving.

And though snow chains and traction tires may be on the minds of motorists heading for mountain passes, they and other drivers may be staring another problem in the face: Worn-out wiper blades that screech and stutter across windshields, aggravating nerves and reducing visibility.

The chattering noise "is one of the little annoyances that adds to the madness you see on the roads," said Tom Ihler, owner of Ihler Automotive on Republican Street in Seattle's South Lake Union neighborhood. "Listening to squeaky wiper blades when you're caught in traffic — talk about road rage waiting to happen."

According to Ihler, wiper blades — which range from $6 to $35 each — are the most overlooked items when it comes to vehicle maintenance.

"The only time people think about their wiper blades is when it's raining," he said.

When a customer goes to an auto shop for an oil change, a technician will check to make sure a car's battery, belts, hoses and lights are in top form, but even trained mechanics can overlook wiper blades, Ihler said.

"They'll turn them on to make sure they work but they won't throw some water on the windshield to see if they need to be replaced," said Ihler, who had to replenish his entire stock of wiper blades after selling out this month.

Typically, wiper blades should be replaced or refilled every six months — and replaced immediately if they show even the smallest signs of cracking, Ihler said.

And while there are seemingly hundreds of sizes, shapes, styles and colors of wiper blades, a standard, single-bladed, rubber job on high speed should do just fine under Seattle skies, he said.

"If not, change your wipers or slow down."

Sara Jean Green: 206-515-5654 or sgreen@seattletimes.com

Information in this article, originally published November 22, 2006, was corrected November 26, 2006. A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that rainfall records date back to 1896. Rainfall records date to 1891. Also, the National Weather Service began measuring rainfall at Seattle Tacoma International Airport in 1945, not 1948, as was previously stated in the story.