Enjoy the sunshine while it lasts on Thursday, the first full day of Winter.   

The weather pattern which has given our region the driest December (to date) on record will be changing over the next several days.

The overall average track of the jet stream has been taking rainy storm systems into southern Alaska and the Alaska Panhandle.   Now, the track of rich moisture will more often be at the Pacific Northwest.  While we don't look to see unusually "stormy" weather through the end of 2011, we will see more rainfall and far less of the sun.

A weak front moves into the region Friday with a few more clouds and isolated showers, primarily in the foothills.  Friday for most areas, though, will be dry and some sunbreaks are likely.

On Saturday, expect a few more showers, and that will be most probable across the north, the Islands and the coast.  Highs will stay in the 40s.  Also, mountain locations will see precipitation, mainly rain at the passes.

The main weather system for the holiday weekend arrives late Saturday and Sunday with gusty breezes along the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the islands and north Sound, as well as the coast.  Higher west-facing slopes in the Olympics and Cascades will ago see some gusty winds.

Rainfall will be heavy in the mountains, with upwards of one inch of rain possible.  In the lowlands, rain will be heaviest across the north and coast, with lesser amounts around the central and south Sound.  Still, most of the region sees rainfall on Christmas Day.

For next week, rainy spells will move through the Northwest every few days.  None of these systems look capable of disruptive or destructive weather, but the additional rainfall will be a marked change from December's weather to date.

Climate Notes: Extremely dry weather for the Northwest

National Weather Service forecaster Dana Felton compiled this information:

"The monthly precipitation at Seattle-Tacoma Airport 
through the 21st is 0.25 inches.

"Since the records have been kept at 
the airport (records started in 1945) there has never been a 
December without at least one day in the month getting at least 0.25 
inches of precipitation.

"The record for the least number of days of 
measurable precipitation in December at the airport is 8 days in 
1985.  So far this month, there have been 4 days with measurable 
precipitation at the airport."