Another perfect day of weather another day without rain.  Our fine stretch of nearly flawless weather is about to undergo a big change for the rest of the week and into the weekend.  A block in the atmosphere has prevented any rain from reaching the area for several weeks.  January and February had very close to normal precipitation, but since that time we have had only about half the amount of rain needed this time of year.  Some areas have had even less rain than that and this is one of the driest April and early Mays I can remember.

 

Deficits of rainfall can be made up very quickly, but rain over an extended period of time is much better than heavy rain in a few hours.  The ground is so dry it will take a bit of water to get the ground wet and start absorbing c the rain.  When the soil gets this dry it becomes what is called hydrophobic meaning it is actually repelling water.  Eventually, as the rain continues the soil will again start to absorb water.

 

Showers will cross through the region from late Wednesday afternoon through the overnight hours. This first in a series of rain events will bring about a quarter to half inch of rain to the region.  Those areas that see heavier downpours could get a bit more in the way of rain and other areas that miss the heavier showers see less.  

 

We are entering a time of year when showers are the primary way we receive our rain.  All day rain events will become less likely the deeper into May and June we go.  Summer time rain can be highly variable with one area seeing wet ground and another nothing at all.

 

On Thursday we will be between weather systems.  I don’t expect a bright clear day, nor will it rain the entire time.  A few showers can occur, but most of the day is dry.  Another round of showers is likely later Friday with even more rain at night.

 

Temperatures are going to be mild the next few days with highs mostly in the 60s.   Without much sunshine I don’t expect us to reach the 70F mark for a while.

 

The weekend isn’t looking so great as another series of fronts passes through.  Saturday appears right now to be the dampest of the two days with Mother’s day not looking great, but not a washout.  It will be a bit cooler with highs mainly in the 60s. Next week turns cooler and dry with more sunshine.