Some metro-east areas have been ‘abnormally dry’ lately. Here’s when rain could come
If you’ve noticed your lawn has become brown and you haven’t needed an umbrella recently in southwest Illinois, you’re not alone.
Several Illinois and Missouri areas have received less rain lately than what’s typical, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, which uses five categories to describe areas experiencing relatively dry conditions.
“D0” refers to areas where it’s been abnormally dry but there isn’t quite a drought, and “D1” to “D4” denote increasingly severe drought conditions.
St. Clair County does not have a dry designation as of Oct. 7, but several other southwest Illinois areas do. Part of Washington and Randolph counties are in the D0 category, along with Jefferson and Perry.
Jackson County is primarily in the D1 range, but a sliver has managed to stay D0. Much of St. Louis County is at D0.
When does the National Weather Service forecast rain?
There’s about a 20% to 30% chance of rain in the greater St. Louis region Tuesday to Wednesday, but National Weather Service St. Louis meteorologist Chris Kimble said it’s likely to present as stray showers and isolated thunderstorms.
“We have about a 30% chance of rain, it’s not looking like heavy rain,” Kimble said.
NWS only expects a few hundredths of an inch of rain to fall, Kimble said, and there’s still no widespread forecast of heavy rain.
Besides heavier, localized rains in Cahokia and some other areas recently, much of the St. Louis region hasn’t gotten significant rainfall since Labor Day weekend, Kimble said.
If you notice your lawn getting a little brown during particularly dry periods, you might consider watering it along with any trees you have that typically need more attention.
