July 29th is a "Rain Day"

Written by: Brian Neudorff

Did you know that it has rained on July 29th for 110 out 133 year in one location. Although we have received 2.78 inches of rain since July 20th, I am not talking about a town in western New York. The place that celebrates its "Rain Day" every July 29th is Waynesburg, PA. Here is how the "Rain Day" got started. (From the Rain Day Festival Website)

Rain Day got its beginning in the Daly & Spraggs Drug Store, located in the center of Waynesburg. Legend has it that one day a farmer was in the drugstore and mentioned to Byron Daly that it would rain the next day, July 29. Mr. Daly asked him how he knew and he replied that it was his birthday and that it always rained on his birthday. The farmer had kept a journal for several years in which he recorded the weather and he always noted rain on July 29th. Mr. Daly thought this was too sure a thing to let pass, so he started betting salesmen who came into his drugstore that it would rain in Waynesburg on July 29. The bet was usually a new hat, which of course he would win.

This tradition has been going on since 1974, unfortunately for Waynesburg the forecast is not looking good for rain. The same area of high pressure that is giving us dry weather for a day is also affecting them. I will update tomorrow morning to let you know if it rains in Waynesburg. I have to admit, as Bob pointed out, meteorologist tend to embrace their nerdom and when I saw this story I thought it would be fun to share will all of you.