Rain ahead (and boy do we need it)

Despite what we always say about “April showers,” this is typically not one of our wetter months of the year.  However, our meager rainfall totals over the last few months are starting to concern us.  Less than four months into the year, we’re already nearly five inches behind.

The bulk of our yearly rainfall comes in the summer.  It’s those drenching afternoon thunderstorms in June, July and August that really fill up the rain gauge.  But the rain we get now helps to “prime the pump.”  The hot summer sun will bake the earth, causing pockets of moist air to rise into the atmosphere, form clouds and eventually thunderstorms.  But dry spring weather can leave the ground too dry to provide much fuel for those thunderstorms.

So we’re not going to complain about a few rainy days now, even if they do fall on the weekend.  Right?

Here’s a look at Wednesday’s hour-by-hour rain forecast.

Chief Meteorologist Patrick Rockey