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February misses rainfall record

Month 0.21 inch short of surpassing mark set in February 1996

By Dameon Pesanti, Columbian staff writer
Published: March 1, 2017, 7:04pm

As far as the weather is concerned, it’s hard to look back at last month with much enthusiasm.

Typically, Vancouver sees 4.03 inches of rain in February, but at month’s end this year, the city had seen 10.38 inches fall on it, according to the National Weather Service.

Those with dampened spirits may have sought a silver lining last week when the city was on the verge of setting a record. It almost seemed like a certainty. After all, Portland set a record on Feb. 20 when it surpassed the 10.03-inch mark set in 1996.

However, it didn’t happen in Vancouver. The final week of the month was cloudy, but just too dry to be anything more than the third-wettest February on record.

The 10.38 inches of rain that fell on Vancouver was short the 0.21 inch needed to set a new record, according to the weather service.

That record was set in February 1996 when 10.58 inches of rain dumped on Vancouver. Next in line is February 1940, with 10.52 inches.

But that’s not to say the rain didn’t bring excitement to Southwest Washington. The precipitation was enough to trigger a sizeable landslide near Woodland that covered the northbound lanes of Interstate 5 and blocked traffic for five hours on Feb. 17.

Will March follow suit?

“I wouldn’t expect the wetness we had in February to continue for another month,” said Gerald Macke, a meteorological technician with the weather service.

But according to the long-term forecast, we’re not done with winter yet.

“The odds favor wetter and cooler than normal for the Pacific Northwest,” he said.

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Columbian staff writer