Preliminary Data: Sandy Precipitation Breaks Mid-Atlantic Records

October 30, 7 PM Update: Based on daily records from the National Climatic Data Center, yesterday's rain from Sandy was also the 5th wettest day of any month in Baltimore climate history dating back to 1871. It was the highest precipitation for any day other than in the months of July through September.

October 30, 4 PM Update:
The Washington National daily total of 3.85" is confirmed by the National Weather Service. The amounts at Washington Dulles and Baltimore were all-time daily records for the month of October:

A RECORD DAILY MAXIMUM RAINFALL OF 4.25 INCHES WAS SET AT WASHINGTON   
DULLES DC YESTERDAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD FOR THE 29TH OF 1.03   
INCHES SET IN 2011.   
  
YESTERDAY'S RAINFALL WAS ALSO THE WETTEST CALENDAR DAY IN OCTOBER AT   
DULLES. THE PREVIOUS WETTEST OCTOBER DAY WAS 1 OCTOBER 1979...WHEN   
4.06 INCHES OF RAINFALL WAS OBSERVED.  

A RECORD RAINFALL OF 5.51 INCHES WAS SET AT BALTIMORE MD YESTERDAY.   
THIS BREAKS THE OLD DAILY RECORD FOR THE 29TH OF 1.51 INCHES SET IN   
1973. YESTERDAY'S RAINFALL WAS ALSO THE WETTEST CALENDAR DAY IN   
OCTOBER AT BALTIMORE. THE PREVIOUS WETTEST OCTOBER DAY WAS 10   
OCTOBER 1922...WHEN 4.38 INCHES OF RAINFALL WAS OBSERVED.  

Records were also set at Philadelphia, Atlantic City (more than doubling a 104-year-old record), Wilmington, Avoca PA, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Rochester, and Buffalo. According to the National Climatic Data Center, the records at Wilmington and Atlantic City were also all-time October daily records. The Washington National amount was an all-time October record at the current location (76 years). The NWS reports:

A RECORD DAILY RAINFALL AMOUNT OF 2.68 INCHES WAS SET AT THE   
PHILADELPHIA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. THIS BREAKS THE PREVIOUS RECORD   
OF 1.72 INCHES SET BACK IN 1953.   

A RECORD RAINFALL OF 4.79 INCHES WAS SET AT ATLANTIC CITY NJ   
YESTERDAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 2.33 SET IN 1908.  

A RECORD RAINFALL OF 3.79 INCHES WAS SET AT WILMINGTON DE YESTERDAY.   
THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 2.56 SET IN 1953.  

A RECORD RAINFALL OF 1.64 INCH(ES) WAS SET AT AVOCA PA TODAY.   
THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 1.39 SET IN 1953.  

A RECORD RAINFALL OF 1.72 INCH(ES) WAS SET AT PITTSBURGH PA   
YESTERDAY. THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 1.19 SET IN 1973.  

A RECORD RAINFALL OF 2.93 INCHES WAS SET AT HARRISBURG YESTERDAY.   
THIS BREAKS THE OLD RECORD OF 1.87 SET IN 1935. A CONTINUOUS WEATHER RECORD HAS BEEN KEPT AT HARRISBURG SINCE 1888.  

A RECORD RAINFALL OF 1.44 INCHES WAS SET AT ROCHESTER NY YESTERDAY.   
THIS TIES THE OLD RECORD OF 0.71 SET IN 1935.  

A RECORD RAINFALL OF 1.42 INCHES WAS SET AT BUFFALO NY YESTERDAY.   
THIS TIES THE OLD RECORD OF 1.21 SET IN 1917.  

Original post:
The unofficial total rainfall today of 3.85" at Washington not only breaks the record for October 29 (2.69" in 1885) by over 1", but it is also the highest precipitation so late in the season. It's the second highest daily amount for any day in October, and it's the only time over 3" has been observed later in the year than October 25, except for the 3.10" on December 7 last year.