It's not just another Seattle summer

Locals hold these two truths to be self-evident about Seattle summers: You can usually count on it to rain on the Fourth of July, and summer typically doesn't roll around until July 5.

Every once in awhile, a streak of sunshine and blue skies hits the Puget Sound area days before Independence Day fireworks light the sky and the first requisite hot dogs are turned on the grill, upsetting weather lore and proving that locals don't know what they're talking about.

		Dan DeLong / P-I
	A sunny day drew hundreds of people to Seward Park in Seattle.

"We missed it by two days," National Weather Service meteorologist Art Gaebel said. "Usually July is the start of the summer season, and it usually happens after the 4th. This year it looks like we have a couple days' head start."

It's confusing to have such good weather on the Fourth of July. We know. Especially since it has rained 33 times on July 4 in the past 114 years, including last year, according to the National Weather Service. But no rain this year.

Sonya Thomas, who lives in Renton, didn't mind the warm sunny weather as she pitched a massive tarp shelter on Alki Beach. She, her sister and nephews had staked out a prime spot along the beach before 6 a.m. Wednesday and planned to spend all day long playing cards, grilling and relaxing before catching the fireworks over Elliott Bay.

Kitchen tent set up with a perfect view of the water and later of the volleyball players, Thomas stepped back and admired her luxury digs. "Summer starts when it starts getting hot," she said. "Anytime it's sunny, I like to be by the water."

KOMO/4 meteorologist Steve Pool said July 4 statistically has had the most rain of any day in the month. But that statistic wasn't holding up Wednesday, when temperatures reached in the 80s.

Most of those picnicking, sunbathing and flying kites at Gas Works Park didn't seem to need an explanation for the good weather. "Anytime it's not raining, I love it," said Camille Alaniz, who drove from Ferndale with her husband to check out the fireworks at Gas Works for the first time. "Last week you weren't even sure if it was going to be nice."

Bikini-clad Jessica Estomago, who lives in Queen Anne, wasn't taking the sun for granted. The 26-year-old was lying out on a beach blanket, taking the opportunity to improve her tan. "The summers here are beautiful," she said. "You definitely have to live it up because we don't get that much sun."

Seattle's weather seemed ideal to Estomago's 17-year-old sister, Christa, visiting from Hawaii. "Today feels like Hawaii. Sunny and breezy. It hasn't rained much at all."

Unexpected but not unappreciated, she said.

Knowing that the summers in Seattle can be brilliant makes up for rainy or overcast winter days.

"Summer starts the 21st of June, but it takes a while for the weather to get good," said Tom Anderson, who drove up with his wife, Sharon, from Onalaska to watch fireworks over Elliott Bay. "June is kind of iffy."

That's because June is usually a transition month, the National Weather Service's Gaebel said. "We're going from spring into summer.

"The jet stream moves way up north to Canada, and we get a nice high pressure system," he said. "That's why our summers are nice. We get less rain here in July than Phoenix does in July."

Expect the good news to continue: Mostly sunny days are forecast through Tuesday, with highs in the low to mid-80s. There's no rain forecast for the next seven days, Gaebel said.

The National Weather Service forecast calls for July in the Puget Sound area to have above normal temperatures and about average rainfall. That goes for August and September as well, he said.