My rain gauge most times generally agrees with the airport, but recently the airport is far short of what I measure i.e. the official rainfall for Wednesday thru Saturday a.m. was only 2.96 inches, but we measured about 7 inches for the same period, including 3 inches overnight. It seems the temperature and rainfall at the airport don't reflect what is actually happening anymore.

MIKE MOSS SAYS:      Ed,      You may have checked the RDU numbers before the entire event ended, as the airport total for Wednesday through Saturday (24-27 Oct 07) was 4.36 inches. While this is well shy of the 7 you report, it is in good agreement with radar estimates and with measurements from several other rain gauges in the general vicinity. For example, the Siler City airport recorded 4.46 inches, while State Climate Office EcoNet sites off Reedy Creek and Lake Wheeler Roads in Raleigh picked up 4.79 and 4.36 inches respectively. I received about 4.7 inches at my home a few miles north of Holly Springs for the same period.

Of course, some of the showers that tracked through were convective in nature and so small streaks and localized areas that fell under especially intense showers may have received somewhat more rain, and vice versa, and the differences can be large over a relatively short distance. It's also worth noting that RDU, through much of the recent drought period, has been in a "lucky" position relative to the few significant showers that did develop, so that until fairly recently its rainfall deficits relative to normal have been notably lower than many surrounding areas.