Near record rain for Vancouver this October

If you feel like it's been an unusually soggy October — you'd be right. As of Oct. 28, the official weather station at Vancouver airport has received 180.2 millimetres of rain. Our monthly average? Just 121 millimetres. 

It's not quite enough to take home any podium awards, but with just a few days to go, October 2016 is the 12th rainiest month on record.

It's a different story, though, when it comes to the number of days on which Vancouver has experienced rainfall this month — 23 and counting. That puts this October in third place for number of days with rainfall. If we can get three more rainy days before November we will be tied for first place.

Should we go for the gold?

Unfortunately, we might just break a record. With showers returning in the forecast for Saturday and Monday, it's just Sunday that does not have guaranteed showers at this point. 

Victoria, on the other hand, is at 217 millimeters and counting, putting this month in second place for wettest October on record. Even with showers in the forecast though, breaking the record of 319 millimetres back in 2003 is unlikely.

Why so rainy?

Much of this month's rain can be blamed on a series of Pacific storms that just kept rolling in, one after another. A couple of strong, low-pressure systems set up off our coast and acted almost like a conveyer belt for rounds of moisture.

At the same time, the past few autumns for the South Coast have been unusually warm and dry, making this year seem all the more dreary. 

Keep the umbrella handy, as early November forecasts keep the rain coming!