RAIN ON THE WAY?

Good evening! Thanks for stopping by the blog. The intense heat has backed off over the past few days, but the dry ground is still helping warm our temperatures up in the 90's each afternoon.

First, let's talk about the drought. It just continues to get worse, and it's sad to see all the crops dying so early! This is the driest stretch to hit Indiana in 104 years!! The drought is even causing some trees to shed and lose their leaves! If you haven't heard, the mayor has banned all lawn watering in Indy. It's no wonder considering how deep we have gotten into the drought! Check out the latest drought monitor, as the area is under a severe to extreme drought, and as you will notice on the map, we are not alone!

Beneficial Rain Friday through early next week?  The same front that teased us on Sunday will move back north again, and will have a second chance to make us happy.

The models keep hinting that there will be a band, or "blob" of heavy rain moving along a vort max from Nashville, TN almost due north to Indiana. After this wave passes by on Friday, there will be more thunderstorms off and on through early next week. The weekend does not look like a total washout, but there will be showers/storms to dodge from time to time. Here are the totals I am expecting by Monday evening....

For a comparison, here is the HPC's thinking on the rain totals through Monday...

The two maps are similar, but I tended to be a little more conservative than HPC, given the dry conditions likely to affect the totals. However, I would not rule out a 3" total or two in southern Indiana, where heavy rains set-up.

Bottom Line: It looks like a nice wave of heavy downpours/thunder Friday, then off/on for the weekend through early next week. The weekend will not be a washout, but the radar will be a great tool this weekend! Even if rain comes during a weekend, I don't think anyone would mind the rain at this point! While this won't end our drought, this could provide a dent in the drought across the area, especially across the southern half of Indiana. 

These rainfall amounts still need to be tweaked over the next 24 hours, and I will have another update out tomorrow. Have a great night, and do a rain dance!