Planting Forecast: Rains Continue Through Early June with Only Tiny Windows

Scattered showers and thunderstorms will be here Saturday with a rain range of a few hundredths to nearly 1 inch. The upper end of the range will be triggered by thunderstorms, but those thunderstorms can happen anywhere. We expect rain coverage for the event to be around 60%. For Sunday we have scattered showers back with 50% coverage, and rain totals of .25”-.5”. Then on Memorial Day itself, Monday, we see likely our smallest threat of rain, a few hundredths to .25” of scattered showers, but coverage only at 30%. A large part of the state should see a mix of clouds and sun for Monday…we just can’t completely rule moisture out at this time.

Tuesday continues to be our partly to mostly sunny, completely dry day. We expect good drying and excellent evaporation for that day. However, the problem is that we only get that one day. Rain and thunderstorms return on Wednesday the 29^th, bringing .25”-1” rain totals over 80% of the state. There can be a few lingering showers into Thursday with an additional few hundredths to a tenth or two, but dwindling coverage. Without that, the state turns out partly sunny for Thursday. Friday goes partly sunny, but clouds will be on the increase late.

We finish next weekend with scattered showers for Saturday June 1. Again, like previous chances, the showers are not all that impressive, a few hundredths to .3”, but any moisture impedes drying. We see clouds give way to sun for Sunday the 2^nd. The map below shows rain totals through the next 10 days.

Temperatures generally stay normal to above normal here through the next week, but we do turn cooler next Thursday and Friday behind next week’s strong cold front. Temps there could be below normal each day.

Extended Period:

For the extended period, we have rains back over the area for Monday the 3rd with potential for .25”-1.25” rain totals and 100% coverage. Thunderstorms become more likely for Tuesday the 4^th with 1-2” rains and 100% coverage. It should be dry for 2 days from Wednesday the 5^th through Thursday the 6^th with a lot of sunshine and warmer air. Then clouds increase again for Friday the 7^th as scattered showers arrive from the south. Those continue to move north through the overnight into Saturday the 8^th. However, coverage will be minor enough to also allow for mixed clouds and sun Saturday midday and afternoon. Temps return to near normal levels for the extended forecast window.

Weeks 3 & 4:

Wet weather continues into week 3, but we may start to see some drying in week 4…going into the latter part of June.

Week 3

Precipitation (green: above normal, brown: below)

Week 4

Precipitation (green: above normal, brown: below)

Soil temps as of Friday (5/17)