Precipitation ( rain ) totals for East Snohomish County, Washington State for 2006
These measurments are taken in an area about 30 miles northeast of Seattle, Washington; near the foothills of the Cascade mountains. (Latitude 47.847996°   Longitude -122.150403°) This area is forested but the measurments in "the clearing" are taken in an area approximately .35 acres with trees surrounding. There are also measurements taken in "the forest". "The forest" is an area that includes second growth fir, and hemlock trees approximately 95 years old from approximately 35 feet tall to approximately 85 feet tall and some big leaf maples about 50 feet tall. The container is in an area with 50% cover in the winter - the area is typical of what is found in healthy second growth forests in the Pacific Northwest. The containers have straight sides, flat bottoms. This puts the surface area to volume ratio at 1 to 1 in other words if an inch of water is measured inside the container, it will represent an inch of precipitation that has fallen on the ground ( Newton BBS )¹.
Accuracy of measurements: plus or minus five percent of the actual rainfall; precision plus or minus .0150 inches. In the totals, anything over 4 places to the right of the decimal is rounded. Here, a trace of rain refers to the condition where rain fell, but not enough to be accurately measured. ( less than .015 inches ). The containers are checked in the morning, precipitation is measured and then the containers are emptied.Note: The amounts listed for each date represent the amount of rain 24 hours prior to the measurment During periods of fog the containers are not emptied until the fog lifts permanently.
A measuring device and several commercially made rain guages which follow the principles outlined at the beginning of this page are used to record the amounts of precipitation. For the comparisions between the forest and the clearing measurments, a consistant method of measuring is used with a marked ruler in the forest location and in the clearing location. Container "R" is a 3/4 inch diameter round guage and container "S" is a rectangular container. These containers are placed in different locations to enable an overall picture of the rainfall total. This site is useful for demonstrating the difference between rainfall in the forest and outside of the forest, and for getting a general idea about rainfall. No entries for dates indicate no measurable rainfall. Differences in measurments are due to wind scattering the droplets differently in different areas; and squirrels birds and raccoons drinking the water. The problem with the wildlife disturbing the water has been mimimized (as of March 2006).

Please note: There are differences in the amount of rainfall in containers R,S, and G which are located in "the clearing". This is because of the close proximity of trees and the effect of wind causing random dispersion of water from large leaves of big leaf maples. The catagories "clearing" and "forest" have identical containers but are located over 100 feet apart in completely different "forest" cover.

Since the rainfall here (in the forest) has virtually no impervious surfaces to deal with and there is a normally dense covering of forest understory plants and large fir trees present; the effect of precipitation is completely different than it would be in a city with roads, buildings, parking lots, thousands of vehicles and modified terrain, or in a clearcut (logged) area where the vegetation has been removed and the topsoil compacted by heavy equipment. In both of these situations, water from precipitation runs off rapidly and can (and does) cause massive destruction. There is no measurable runoff anywhere in the forest with the exception of the roof of the house that is here. The water from that structure does not stay on the surface more than 8 hours; there is enough topsoil and herbage to absorb all of that runoff. The measurments made in another area in the county will be different but the water in another area is not absorbed by this soil. The purpose of this information is to reinforce the suggestion that measurements made here are relevant here and will show the difference between what happens in a forest compared to what happens in areas not forested, or locations with large areas of impervious surfaces.

This site should not be interpreted as an authoritative source for quantitative precipitation records in the Pacific Northwest area in general; but as a reasonably accurate indication of what happens to rainfall in a forested area; and as a record of the frequency of rainfall periods and general seasonal weather conditions in this location.
1 References:
ProfHoff 634, Ric Rupnik, David R. Cook, Don Yee, Richard E. Barrans Jr., Ph.D., Wendell Bechtold, meteorologist.
"Rain Gauge Design Differences". Online posting. 4/24/2003. Ask A Scientist Weather Archive. accessed 07 Jan. 2006. http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/wea00/wea00159.htm

This is a part of the Newton BBS which is here: http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov
More scientific information can be found here: http://www.dep.anl.gov/ and here: http://www.aps.anl.gov/

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2007 rainfall page
2006 precipitation
Precipitation in Inches for January 2006
Date Clearing Forest source of water container R container S
2 0.3125 0.0000 rain .2000 .2000
5 1.1250 0.2500 rain .9000 .8000
6 1.0000 0.5000 rain .9000 .8000
8 0.1875 0.0312 rain .1875 .2000
9 0.5000 0.0625 rain .4000 .3800
10 1.6250 0.6875 rain 1.000 .9000
11 0.8750 0.3125 rain .7500 .6300
12 0.0625 0.0000 rain .1000  
13 0.9375 0.1250 rain .7500 .6500
15 1.7500 0.25 rain .7800 .7000
16 0.8750 0.3750 rain .7900 .7000
21 0.750 0.1875 rain .6000 .5000
22 0.1250 0 rain .1100 .1100
28 1.0000 .6850 rain .8500 .7300
29 1.625   rain 1.500 1.500
30 2.500 1.625 rain 2.250 1.900
31 1.0000 .6875 rain    
Total 14.6250 4.1487   12.0700 10.7000

Precipitation in Inches for Feburary 2006
Date Clearing Forest source of water container R container S
1 0.3125 0.0000 rain .3000 .3000
2 .5000 .1250 rain .4900 .4000
3 .3750 .0625 rain .3000 .3000
5 .8125 .3125 rain .7500 .6500
8 .2100 0 rain .1900 .1500
14 .4375 .2500 rain/snow .4000 .3500
21 trace trace rain    
22 .2000 0 rain .1000 .1000
23 .3750 .0938 rain .3000 .2800
24 .5625 rain .5000 .4900
Total 3.785 .8438   3.3300 3.0200
Precipitation in Inches for March 2006
Date Clearing Forest source of water container R container S
1 .9375 .8750 rain .8900 .8000
2 .0625 0 rain .1000 .1000
7 .1875 0 rain .1000 .1000
8 .4375 .1250 rain .4200 .3900
9 .5625 .2500 rain .4800 .4500
10 .0625 0 rain .0500 .0500
11 .6875 .4375 water from
hail/snow		 .4000 .6000
16 .1250 0 rain .1500 .1500
18 .0938 0 rain .1000 .1000
23 .3125 0 rain .3000 .2800
24 .3750 .0625 rain .3000 .2800
25 .0500 0 rain .0500 .0500
28 .1875 .0500 rain .1600 .1500
30 .0500 0 rain .0500 .0500
31 .0500 0 rain .0500 .0500
Total 3.8438 1.8000 3.6000 3.6000
Precipitation in Inches for April 2006
Date Clearing Forest source of water container R container S
1 .7500 .2500 rain .6000 .5500
6 .2500 .0625 rain .3000 .2100
9 .5000 0 rain .4000 .3800
10 .1250 0 rain .1000 .0900
12 .1250 0 rain .1000 .0700
14 .3750 0 rain .1500 .1000
16 .4800 .0312 rain .4000 .3500
19 .5000 .1250 rain .5000 .4100
28 .5625 .3750 rain .5900 .4900
Total 3.7575 .8437 3.1400 2.6500
Precipitation in Inches for May 2006
Date Clearing Forest Source of water Container R Container S
8 0.3125 0.1875 rain 0.4000 0.3300
12 0.3000 0.0000 rain 0.3000 0.2500
20 0.1250 0.0000 rain 0.3000 0.1200
21 0.3125 0.0314 rain 0.2000 0.2500
24 0.5000 0.0314 rain 0.4000 0.4000
26 0.2500 0.0000 rain 0.4000 0.2000
27 0.9375 0.2200 rain 0.8000 0.6000
28 0.8750 0.6250 rain 0.5000 0.6500
29 0.6250 0.4500 rain 0.3500 0.4400
Totals 4.2375 1.54525 3.65 3.24
Precipitation in Inches for June 2006
Date Clearing Forest Source of water Container R Container S
1 .1250 0 rain .1000 .1000
2 .8750 .0625 rain .7500 1.000
4 .7500 .3125 rain .5000 .4500
9 .2500 .0500 rain .1500 .3000
13 1.000 .2500 rain 1.100 .8000
15 .2500 0 rain .1500 .2000
16 .3750 0 rain .5100 .3000
Totals 3.6250 .6750 rain 3.2600 3.1500
Precipitation in Inches for July 2006
Date Clearing Forest Source of water Container R Container S
Totals .2000 0 rain .1600 .1500
Precipitation in Inches for August 2006
Date Clearing Forest Source of water Container R Container S
10 .0100 0 rain .0100 .0100
30 .8120 .3750 rain .7500 .7000
Totals .8220 .3750 rain .7600 .7100
Precipitation in Inches for September 2006
Date Clearing Forest Source of water Container R Container S
09 .2500 trace rain .3800 .2800
10 .2800 trace rain .4800 .2800
14 1.0000 .4063 rain 1.1000 1.0000
18 .7100 .2800 rain 1.1500 .7100
19 .5500 .4063 rain .6000 .5500
20 trace trace rain trace trace
21 .4000 .1250 rain .6000 .4000
22 .0900 trace rain .1100 .0900
Totals 3.2800 1.2170 rain 4.4200 3.3100
Precipitation in Inches for October 2006
Date Clearing Forest Source of water Container R Container S Container G
07 .1000 trace rain .1000 .0500 N/A
08 trace 0 rain trace trace N/A
added new container Oct 16: glass round, flat bottom 5 1/2 inches in diameter
16 2.0000 1.0313 rain 2.3500 2.0000 1.25
18 .0625 .0500 rain .1500 .1500 .0625
19 .6875 .3250 rain .7000 .5200 .5200
24 .1250 trace rain .2000 .1000 .1000
29 .0800 trace rain .1300 .1000 .0800
31 .1000 trace rain .1000 .1000 .0938
Totals 3.1550 1.4063 rain 3.7300 3.0200 2.1063
Precipitation in Inches for November 2006
Date Clearing Forest Source of water Container R Container S Container G
1 .3750 .0938 rain .2900 .2500 .1563
3 .7500 .2180 rain .7500 .5500 .3125
4 .2500 trace rain .2000 .1200 .1875
5 .9375 .5000 rain .8500 .5500 .7500
6 .4500 .3750 rain .5000 .5625 .5000
7 .9687 .6250 rain .8500 .5600 .8750
8 .7500 .7500 rain .8600 .8000 .6250
9 .8125 .4375 rain .8000 .5000 .7500
10 .6250 .2600 rain .5000 .4100 .5000
11 .5625 .3960 rain .5000 .4000 .3750
13 1.2500 .7500 rain 1.1000 .8500 .8750
15 .5000 .2500 rain .5000 .4000 .5000
16 .7500 .4370 rain .7000 .5200 .6250
19 .2500 trace rain .2500 .2000 .2300
20 .3125 .1250 rain .3000 .2000 .1875
21 1.2500 .5625 rain 1.1000 .9000 1.0000
22 .8125 .3125 rain .8000 .6900 .6250
23 .4800 .1250 rain .4000 .3500 .4375
24 trace trace rain trace trace trace
26 2 .2500 snow 2 2 2
27 4 .5 snow 4 4 4
28 2 .5 snow 2 2 2
Totals (not including snow) 12.0862 6.4048 rain 11.6500 9.1525 9.6628
Precipitation in Inches for December 2006
Date Clearing Forest Source of water Container R Container S Container G
11 1.0625 .5000 rain .9000 .7000 .8750
13 1.3125 .5625 rain 1.2000 1.0500 .5625
15 1.7500 1.1875 rain 1.8000 1.4000 1.3750
19 .1000 0 rain .1000 .1000 .1000
21 .7500 .5000 rain .9000 .7000 n/a
24 .7500 0 rain .5000 .5000 n/a
26 1.2500 .5000 rain 1.1500 .8000 .7500
27 2.0000 1.6250 rain 2.0000 1.6000 1.5000
Totals (not including snow) 8.975 4.875 rain 8.55 6.85 5.1625
2006 Totals (not including snow) 62.392 24.1346 rain 58.32 49.525 n/a

PRECIPITATION in 2006: monthly totals   and total for the year
Clearing Forest
January: 14.6250 inches January: 4.1487 inches
Feburary: 3.785 inches Feburary: .8438 inches
March: 3.8438 inches March: 1.8000 inches
April: 3.7575 inches April: .8437 inches
May: 4.2375 inches May: 1.54525 inches
June: 3.625 inches June: .675 inches
July: .2 inches July: 0 inches
August: .8220 inches August: .3750 inches
September: 3.28 inches September: 1.217 inches
October: 3.155 inches October: 1.4063 inches
November: 12.0862 inches November: 6.4048 inches
December: 8.975 inches December: 4.875 inches
Total: 62.392 inches Total: 24.1346 inches

Jan 2006 total + Dec 2005 total : 23.784 inches
Jan 2006 total + Dec 2005 total in the forest : 5.4617 inches

Feb 3,4,5 strong windstorm. Winds in excess of 50 mph. Snapped an 18inch diameter hemlock tree in half
Blew down an 80 foot tall fir tree 30 inches in diameter at shoulder height
Feb 13/14 snow approx 1/2 inch. Most melted on ground.

March 10 6:00 pm P.S.T. hail/snow 1.6 inches.

Last half of June: dry and hot with several days in excess of 90 degrees F.

There was some light mist early in July but not enough to measure here. Essentially there was only 1 day of measurable rainfall here in the month of July. The temperature in the immediate area outside of this small forest got up to 98 degrees F; (much hotter near pavement and blacktop) but never got above 90 degrees F here in the forest in the month of July, and additionally the temperature in the house never got above 82 degrees F.

As of August 28 there has only been 1 day when there was any measurable precipitation in the month of August. In the past 73 days we have had .21 inches of precipitation. Last year for the same time period there was .61 inches and it was spread out over more often occurances so the vegetation did not dry out; and furthermore on August 29th of last year there was .5 inches of rain which would bring the total to 1.11 inches which means (unless it rains tomorrow) there was over five times more rain last year than now in the same seasonal interval and the precipitation was more evenly distributed over time last year.This dry weather is taking its toll on the hemlock and maple trees here.
August 29 2006: Rain started this morning at 9:15 AM pdt and by 9:45 AM it was moderate to heavy and steady - what would be considered normal rainfall by a person familiar with the weather patterns in this area over the last half-century.
10:30 AM .25 inches of rain since 9:15 AM.
September 10 2006: The first cold morning since the beginning of summer. 52 degrees F at 07:19 AM pdt in "the clearing".
September 14 2006: Last year as of this date we had 1.34 inches total; this year we have 1.65 inches total. That is in this location. More this year than last year. The total for the entire month of September last year was 1.715 inches.The total up to this date is 37.31 inches for this year (2006). Last year (2005) up to this same time the total was 22.8 inches ( Last year (2005) the winter was the one of the driest on record and virtually no snow fell in the mountains - most ski areas were closed - no appreciable rain fell in January or Feburary).

October 29th: precipitation in the form of hail lasted less than 10 minutes.

November 4: There was an omnious red sunrise among the storm clouds this am along with brisk wind (about 15 mph gusts). The wind has been picking up steadily nothing serious yet... 3 storms on the way according to weather service. Temps near 60 deg F past 2 days.

November 5,6,7: There has been severe flooding in the areas around major rivers and creeks in the pacific northwest. This exact location, however, received much less rainfall than those areas to the south, north or east (3.73 inches since the beginning of November. It is interesting to note that in the cover of the forest only 1.81 inches of rain reached the surface - the amount of water on the ground in the forest was less than half of that in the open and it was all absorbed and held in the ground because of the trees and associated understory vegetation). The wind on the 5th and 6th was heavy: 35 mph gusts. Temperatures in the high 50's.

November 10: The total this month up to today is 5.92 inches in the clearing and 3.26 inches in the forest. The total last year at this time: 4.56 inches in the clearing.

November 13: The total this month up to today is 7.7325 inches in the clearing and 4.406 inches in the forest. The total last year at this time: 5.998 inches in the clearing.
November 15: A strong windstorm came through starting on the 14th and lasting through about 10:00 pm pst on the 15th. Numerous branches were snapped off but no major damage occured here. Estimate of highest gusts near the house: about 30-35 mph; at about 75 feet higher - likely closer to 45 mph. Other parts of the Pacific Northwest had it much worse and there were many downed trees and some damage to buildings. This was a strong November weather system with lots of rain and wind.
November 18: Temperature 58 degrees F at 1:00 pm pst. no rain.
Novemter 19: Temperature 51 degrees F at 10:00 am pst. rain.
Novemter 28: Temperature 16 degrees F at 8:00 am pst. total snow fall past 3 days: 8 inches in the clearing
1.2 inches in the forest. More snow reached the ground on the 28th because the trees were already loaded with
snow. The evening of the 27th traffic was gridlocked for hours in Snohomish county. EXTREMELY dangerous driving
conditions in this area.
December 14/15: A powerful wind storm occurred with 65-70mph wind gusts here and over 80 mph in other areas. This was the third in a series of
storm systems that passed through in the past week bringing heavy winds and rain. It Left 1.5 million people without electricity.
This storm caused severe damage throughout the entire Pacific Northwest region of Washington state.
The most damaging winds lasted only about 6 hours but the effects were devastating. This storm was much stronger
than the one that occured in Feburary of this year. This storm blew down an 80 foot tall fir tree 2.5 feet in
diameter, and a 60 foot tall alder tree one foot in diameter that severly damaged 2 buildings on this property; and
snapped a 14 inch diameter 75 foot tall hemlock in half and blew the top half 75 feet into another building on the property.
Who is the person doing these measurements?
This person is not a scientist or a meteorologist.

The person doing the measuring: