IEM Daily Feature
Tuesday, 17 July 2012

Lack of overnight rainfall

Posted: 17 Jul 2012 05:47 AM

In the summertime, overnight thunderstorms provide a majority of the total rainfall in Iowa. The featured chart presents the hourly total rainfall for this year and the climatological value for the past 70 years or so. There has not been much rainfall during the midnight to 8 AM period. This rainfall typically comes from thunderstorm complexes that develop over Nebraska and South Dakota in the late evening and roll into Iowa overnight dumping heavy rainfall over wide areas. Instead, most of our rainfall this summer has come from mid-afternoon thundershowers that have been hit or miss for many in the state. If there is any good news, it is that some areas have seen some much needed rain, but much more is needed to save the corn crop.

Voting:
Good = 86
Bad = 12

Tags:   2012