Vancouver's dry spell ends at 51 days

The first measurable rainfall in 51 days coated the Pearson Field gauge Monday, but skies cleared in time for Lucas Weber, 4, to enjoy a day at the Chelsea Anderson Memorial Playstation with his mom. Sunny weather for playing is forecast for the next several days.

The first measurable rainfall in 51 days coated the Pearson Field gauge Monday, but skies cleared in time for Lucas Weber, 4, to enjoy a day at the Chelsea Anderson Memorial Playstation with his mom. Sunny weather for playing is forecast for the next several days.

It wasn't much, but 0.04 inches of rain early Monday was enough to end Vancouver's recent dry spell. Pearson Field went 51 consecutive days without measurable rain before the streak was broken Monday morning.

Vancouver had last experienced measurable rain on July 20, according to the National Weather Service in Portland. The city saw traces of precipitation on July 27 and Aug. 18, but not enough to register 0.01 inches on the rain gauge.

Long-term precipitation records aren't available for Vancouver. But at the Portland International Airport, the same 51-day dry spell was the eighth-longest ever recorded there. The longest recorded run without measurable rain is 71 days, spanning June 23 to Sept. 1, 1967. Included in that streak were 41 days without a drop — not even a trace — of precipitation, according to the weather service.

This week's taste of rain will be short-lived, according to the weather service. Sunny skies are expected for the next several days, with temperatures in Vancouver climbing back into the 80s by midweek, forecasters said.

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