CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Over the past few weeks, Charlotte has seen a fair share of summer storms. How does the Queen City compare to other cities when it comes to the amount of rainfall?
When you think of the rainiest city, what comes to mind? Many probably think of Seattle. It has a reputation for being wet and dreary. But with all the recent storms we have seen, this question comes to mind.
THE QUESTION:
Does Charlotte get more rainfall than Seattle?
SOURCES:
THE ANSWER:
Yes, Charlotte does get more rain than Seattle. However, Seattle has more rainy days.
WHAT WE FOUND:
"It seems like it's been rainier here in Charlotte, most of that is because we are just in that summertime pattern," Van Voorhees said.
The National Weather Service shows Seattle's average annual rainfall is 37.18 inches, and Charlotte's is 41.63 inches.
"The reason why Seattle has such a reputation for being such a rainy city is that the average 152 days a year out of 365 where they see a rainy day where it's a 100th of an inch of rain," Van Voorhees said.
When it comes to how many rainy days they have vs. what we have, Van Voorhees told us they have more.
"Here in Charlotte, we get about 105 days, so we have like 50 or so less than they do," Van Voorhees said.
Van Voorhees said it's because of the Olympic mountains.
"Seattle is just west of the mountains, and when storms move over the mountains, they move upward, and they lift, and a lot of that rain condenses, and it gets squeezed out over the mountains," Van Voorhees said.
Contact Meghan Bragg at mbragg@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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