Rain

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. While last week's rain was a welcome relief for the region's concerns about drought, it played havoc with motorists at the intersection of Creek and Brownsville Roads in Lower Southampton near Neshaminy Creek.

A pedestrian makes her way across Welcome Park, 2nd and Chestnut, today.

Lois Geehr (above) of Flourtown and Erik Johnke (right), representing Planned Parenthood, were among about 200 abortion rights demonstrators who rallied in the rain outside City Hall yesterday. The demonstrators vowed to take the offensive against anti-abortion groups and legislators who would curtail abortions.

Regular visitors to Ninth Street in South Philadelphia know you don't need a special festival to have fun at the Italian Market. Every day is a festival. Yesterday, though, was the official festival, featuring plenty of food, games and other atttractions. Not even the rain - a regular weekend event in these parts, it seems - could keep visitors away from this Philadelphia treasure.

There is no outdoor party more hearty than one deferred by the caprices of Mother Nature and the stupidity of Father Baseball. Thought they had you, did they? Because the back end of Charlie Manuel's bullpen will only need nine Tampa Bay Rays outs to short-circuit the inhibition meter, the biggest block party in Philly history should erupt just after Brad Lidge nails down the 27th out of one of the weirdest Game 5s in World Series history. Certainly the longest. I'm giving short shrift to the weather for Game 5, The Conclusion.

The details seemed overwhelming as Mike English tried to complete preparations this week for Haverford Township Day, a local festival that swelled to nearly 20,000 people last year. As two telephones rang Wednesday, the assistant township manager explained how he was still trying to contact parade marchers and entertainers. And, he added, "I'm praying for rain today and tomorrow, because the key to everything is this storm system going through. " Rain or no rain, the show will go on tomorrow, getting under way with the inaugural 5-kilometer race at 8:30 a.m. Then, at 10:30, comes the day's highlight: a two-hour parade, which will muster at the Manoa Shopping Center and march down Eagle and Darby Roads, rolling past a reviewing stand at the Skatium.

Andy DeVos stoops in his parka on a rain-slick sidewalk near Independence Hall yesterday as he and his horse, Burke, wait for somebody to buy a carriage ride.

At Fischers Park in Towamencin Township, a group of music students studying under the Suzuki method gathered Saturday for a performance, despite the rain. Under the method, a child learns to play along with a parent, and they practice together daily.

More than 65 runners turned out in the rain Sunday to compete in a 10- kilometer race promoting awareness of child abuse. The race, held at Temple University's Ambler campus, was sponsored by the Wissahickon Valley Chamber of Commerce. Games, toys and clothing were collected for the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

In a scene that's all too familiar this month, a pedestrian stands under an umbrella during a shower last week. Snoopy's friend, Woodstock (hanging out at 15th and Market streets), no doubt enjoys the occasional birdbath. But sorry, Charlie Brown, and all you other wet urban dwellers: It's going to rain again today. Weather details on Page 18.

A couple of inches of rain or more could fall between this evening and Wednesday afternoon. The Phillies might luck out for this evening's 7:05 game against the Houston Astros, with the heaviest rain expected after midnight. "There may be delays, but the game shouldn't be called," said meteorologist Tony Gigi of the National Weather Service. More of a worry is Tuesday's 1:05 p.m. game, second of two against Houston at Citizens Bank Park. Heavy rain is possible morning and afternoon, and thunderstorms could make an appearance.

Last year at this time, cousins Karon and Raheen Patterson were out of school, living in North Philadelphia, and, as far as authorities were concerned, without prior contact with the city's justice system. On Friday each left court to begin serving 15- to 30-year prison terms after pleading guilty to strafing a SEPTA bus last June in an assault captured by eight onboard video cameras and later viewed by millions on television and the Internet. Karon Patterson, 20, the man seen firing at the bus with a rifle, and Raheen, 22, standing next to him with a semiautomatic pistol, declined to comment before they were sentenced by Common Pleas Court Judge Willis W. Berry Jr. Each pleaded guilty to 11 counts of aggravated assault, one count of attempted murder, conspiracy, reckless endangerment, 11 counts of simple assault and two firearms charges — all linked to the passengers put in danger as they rode the Route 47 bus late on the afternoon of June 18. Prosecutors say the assault was ordered by a female passenger, Penny Chapman, 20, who phoned friends for a retaliatory strike against a male passenger who had reprimanded her for spanking her young son. The charges to which the two men pleaded guilty could easily have put them in prison for life had they gone to trial and been found guilty.

Council Rock South and Council Rock North, Bucks County neighbors and fierce rivals, will have to wait at least another day to decide their latest Suburban One League National Conference baseball showdown. With no score in the top of the fifth inning, Tuesday's clash in Newtown was suspended because of poor playing conditions caused by a steady rain. "This is unique," C.R. North coach Matt Schram said. "For us to start the game and then have to start another day, it's crazy.

Keep those jackets and umbrellas handy. Today's high in the upper 60s might be the warmest temperature for a week, and several days could see rain. After some warm, dry weeks, spring should behave more normally. "We'll have a pretty good chance of showers and even thunderstorms on Thursday," said meteorologist Kristin Kline of the National Weather Service. Rain could be on and off during the morning, followed by a threat of afternoon or evening thunderstorms, perhaps with downpours.

Much-needed rain fell across the region over the last three days, although storms also brought strong gusts that led to some toppled trees and downed wires. A downed tree closed Lincoln Drive in East Falls this morning, and several thousands Peco customers lost power Sunday in Philadelphia. Gusts of more than 40 m.p.h. were reported all along the Jersey Shore. Philadelphia got about two inches of rain over the weekend, as recorded at the airport, according to meteorologist Dean Iovino of the National Weather Service.

On a thoroughly miserable afternoon, with rain pelting their plastic ponchos and a penetrating cold turning their fingers blue, thousands of Ron Paul supporters stood for hours on Independence Mall Sunday, cheering and chanting for their candidate, as undeterred by his long odds of winning as they were by the weather. Though all the other candidates in the Republican presidential primary, except Mitt Romney, have risen to prominence and then tripped, fallen, or withdrawn, Paul has remained at the back of the pack.

DOVER, Del. - Even the top stock-car racers in the world won't drive 160 mph in the rain. So while Wednesday's intermittent showers did not deter the usual crowd of white-haired retirees from taking their favorite spots at the slot machines and blackjack tables in the adjacent casino, Goodyear technicians gazed up at the skies over Dover International Speedway and decided to halt their 2-day tire test more than 4 hours early. Kurt Busch, Ryan Newman, Martin Truex Jr. and Kevin Harvick had all parked their cars and cleared out of the state capital by noon, leaving only A.J. Allmendinger and Marcos Ambrose to spend a sliver of their lunch break with the media.

DOVER, Del. - Even the top stock-car racers in the world won't drive 160 miles per hour in the rain. So while Wednesday's intermittent showers did not deter the usual crowd of white-haired retirees from taking their favorite spots at the slot machines and blackjack tables in the adjacent casino, Goodyear technicians gazed up at the skies over Dover International Speedway and decided to halt their two-day tire test more than four hours early....

Leap Day will be marked by heavy rain moving in later this morning, bringing a soggy end to February. A storm moving eastward from Ohio should bring rain the heaviest rain by about 1 p.m., with the potential for thunderstorms. Rainfall is expected to continue throughout the day with a high of 46. Precipitation could amount to between three-quarters of an inch to an inch. The rain will continue through midnight and ending by early morning. There seems to be little chance of it changing to snow in the Philadelphia area, with lows only dipping to 44. But Thursday, the onset of March, should see some clearing.

Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe says nothing is "set in stone," so there's some faint hope of altering the sweeping cutbacks planned for the U.S. Postal Service. But time is running out, and congressional action is critical. The postmaster's plan to save $15 billion over three years by closing or merging more than 200 mail-handling facilities could slow first-class mail, throw up to 35,000 people out of work, and risk even greater erosion in post office business. Among the facilities affected in eastern Pennsylvania are Altoona, Erie, Greensburg, Lancaster, New Castle, Reading, Scranton, Washington, Paoli, and Williamsport.