Phillies, rain, playing catch-up

On a day that hasn't quite measured up aesthetically to recent predecessors -- not that we're spoiled -- the region is approaching a minor milestone.

Assuming any showers hold off until after midnight, this will become the sixth consecutive day without even a trace of rain having been detected at Philadelphia International Airport.

We haven't had such a stretch since April 5 through 10, back in the days when drought was a burgeoning concern.

By mid-summer, in fact, Philadelphia was on a pace to challenge the record low for calendar-year precipitation.

In recent weeks, however, rain has made an impressive comeback. Through yesterday, the annual total of rain, snow, ice, and other, stood at 24.92.

Like the Phillies, however, the comeback hasn't been quite complete. The current total is about 84 percent of the normal for the Jan. 1-Sept. 14 period, 29.56 inches.

(Incidentally, is it coincidental that the last time the Philies were at .500, back in the first week of June, also was the last time that low temperatures reached the 50s?)

A decent-looking storm is expected to approach the region next week, with a potential for heavy rain, according to the latest National Weather Service discussion.

After that, it appears that the atmosphere will resume the splendid behavior it exhibited this week.

We mentioned earlier that Penn State foliage guru Marc Abrams is bullish on the prospects of a brilliant fall-foliage show, providing the weather cooperates.

One key would be a sequence of cool nights from into early October. So far, so good.

The Climate Prediction Center's latest two-week outlook favors cool temperatures in most of the eastern half of the United States.

After what we experienced this summer, we won't complain.