State Climatologist Pat Guinan says we need another good soaker to start enjoying drought relief. He says unfortunately the long-range forecast for the summer is not promising. It calls for equal chances of below normal, above normal, or normal precipitation…and temperatures slightly above normal.

Guinan says in parts of Missouri the moisture shortfall since May first is more than five inches. Here in Saint Joseph it’s not that bad, but bad enough, at a shortfall of nearly four inches. The 1.76 inch soaker we enjoyed Sunday night and Monday morning was more rain than we received in all of May combined, and May is normally our wettest month.