Rain will be trying to move out of the state today, but still will bring additional totals to eastern locations. We expect rain this morning over the eastern half to third of the state, while clouds will be in over the rest of the region. Those clouds will give way to sun this afternoon, with the last areas to clear coming in the far eastern counties. WE can see an additional .1”-.5” of precipitation this morning in the eastern half of the state. We see some clearing overnight, and that allows a little sun early tomorrow. However, clouds return quickly, bringing scattered showers back by late afternoon. The continue through the overnight tomorrow night and will be done by sunrise Sunday. Rain totals there can be from a few hundredths up to half an inch with 70% coverage across the state. The half inch totals will be limited to the northern third of the state, north of US 24. Sunday turns out partly sunny, but cool.
Wet weather is back for a large part of next week. We have rain in the forecast for most of the state on at least 3 of the 5 days of the work week. Monday moisture runs back into the state with .25”-.75” rain totals and 80% coverage. Tuesday may feature a few lingering showers down near the Ohio river for the morning and midday hours, but generally, we are changing our forecast for the day to a drier one, allowing a nice break in the moisture for about 18-24 hours. That break ends with scattered showers and the potential for a few thunderstorms both Wednesday and Thursday. Rain totals can be from .1”-.75” each day with 80% coverage statewide. This is an increase in coverage and rain totals for this part of the period.
Friday clouds give way to sun and next Saturday should turn out mostly sunny, with no change from our previous forecast. However, the biggest change we see this morning is a strong cluster of thunderstorms that will be trying to develop in the middle Mississippi River valley to start the weekend. Those could lift northeast and move into Indiana from Saturday night through Sunday mid-morning. If that movement develops, that would bring rains of .25”-1.5” to the state with 75% coverage, and the potential for some strong to severe weather. It also would interrupt the dry patter. Partly to mostly sunny skies would be back for Sunday afternoon, Monday and Tuesday, the 6th and 7th. So, the thunderstorm cluster is very important to watch for development or dissipation, because that is what looks like the only thing standing in the way of us seeing about a 5 day dry stretch that finishes the 10 day period and moves into the extended window. The map at right shows cumulative 10 day rain totals for the period from today through May. The map shows the worst case scenario of our daily totals listed above from today forward…but still, even if we get the lower end of each range…that’s a lot of water!!
The rest of the extended forecast has rain returning for Wednesday the 8th, and then rain chances each day all the way through the 11th. That period could end up triggering some half to 2” rain totals combined over all 4 days. That means we still do not see a good enough period of dry down that gets us super excited about major planting progress here in Indiana.
