So long, winter! The season by the numbers: South Sound

SEATTLE- Winter is the season that separates the wheat from the chaff. The chilly wet cold of our region that can keep Californians and Arizonans at bay, this year seemed to waterlog the spirits of even the heartiest of Northwesterners. The South Sound gets not only our wet weather-- but also earns the dubious honor of being one of coldest areas around Puget Sound. It's often reasoned this has to do with a combination of factors. Cold air settling from surrounding high mountains and hills, the sandy soils of the Nisqually River basin (which hold less moisture and heat). Even our N/NE wind pattern when we're dry in winter could also play a factor, bottling up the cold air into the South end of the Sound.

Officially winter ends  with the Vernal Equinox at 9:30pm Saturday in our time zone. And what a 90 days it has been.  The South Sound's only climate reporting station is in Olympia. Here is our winter by the numbers...

Our warmest day in the Sound Sound 66 degrees (February 9th) and our coldest morning was a very cold 13 degrees (January 3rd). The South Sound continued to be our coldest area around the region. We had nearly a whole month (28 days) of mornings that were at or below freezing. 69 of 90 days had measurable rain this winter. This winter we had 25.24 inches of rain. Yes, that's more than 2 feet!