December has already broken rain records in Philadelphia, and even more is on the way
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Once again, the Philadelphia area has started the day with rain in what seems like one of the wettest Decembers on record. It doesn't just feel like it, it has been one of the wettest Decembers on record.
Through December 26, Philadelphia International Airport received 6.23 inches of rain, making this the 10th wettest December on record. The most precipitation to fall in Philadelphia in December was in 2009 with 8.86 inches.
December 2023 could even make a run for the top spot with another 1-2 inches of rain forecast across the region Wednesday, with localized areas receiving close to 3 inches. If this amount of rain falls into the bucket at the airport, then Philly could wind up having the wettest December ever recorded. Records date back to 1871.
Contributing to one of the wettest Decembers on record have been several storm systems that brought daily record rainfall to the area. A storm system on December 10 dropped 1.66 inches of rain at PHL, breaking the previous daily rainfall record.
About a week later on Dec. 18, an even more powerful storm system dropped another 2.19 inches of rain at the airport, breaking the daily rainfall record for that day as well. This was also the storm system that produced widespread flooding across the area the Monday before Christmas.
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Now Wednesday, yet another storm system is projected to bring a record amount of rainfall to the Delaware Valley.
The daily record for rainfall in Philadelphia for Dec. 27 is 1.55 inches, set in 1964. As of 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, only .04 inches of rain had fallen at the airport, but steady light rain will transition to heavier rain through the afternoon and evening. Between 1-3 inches of rain will be possible, likely breaking the daily rainfall record.
Another round of rain is in the forecast for Friday, but significant accumulations are not expected with that round of rain.