Modest Midwest Flood Reprieve Didn't Last Long; More Rain Pouring Down

It's relentless.

Here we go with the wet national forecast map again. Red areas
on this map can expect to get three or more inches of
rain over the next seven days. 

Downpours are once again striking parts of the Midwest this weekend, and that state of affairs will probably keep going all week.

This mess continues a wet drama in the nation's middle that began in March, or in some places earlier.

Through May, it was nation's wettest 12 month period on record. May was the nation's second wettest month since they started keeping track in 1895.

June is looking almost as soggy.

The heaviest rains this weekend and continuing into the week are mostly hitting the areas that already saw the most torrential downpours in April and May. Flash flood warnings were up this morning in parts of Kansas, Missouri, Indiana and Ohio.

During the course of this week three to seven inches of rain, with local higher amounts, are likely in a wide band from Kansas and Oklahoma east and northeastward through the Tennessee and Ohio valleys and on into the Middle Atlantic states.

The wet weather continues to vex Midwestern farmers, who have struggled to get soggy fields planted. Not all the expected corn is planted yet, and it should have been. CNBC reported that Chicago-traded July corn futures contracts jumped by 2.5 percent Friday to $4.53 per bushel. That's the highest level since the middle of 2014.

Since corn and corn syrup goes into so much of our food, I would expect to see higher prices at the grocery store later this year. This is on top of the tariffs with the current trade wars. Ugh.

As has been the case this stormy year, we in Vermont will get our share of rain, but it generally won't be super heavy. I would want to watch southern Vermont in particular, especially by the end of the week, as rains could turn out to be pretty excessive there.  It's not a sure bet, but something to watch.

It appears northern Vermont will be mostly dry until Thursday, but far southern Vermont will get a good dousing today, then remain under a risk of showers until Thursday. It looks like the end of the week will be the wettest period for the Green Mountain State.

I'll also give my usual statement when it comes to excessive rain. I can't say with any certainty if climate change is causing or influencing this relentless rain. I can say these super rains are consistent with climate change.

Warmer air can hold more water vapor than chillier air. So if a storm bumps into air that is a little toastier than it would otherwise be without climate change, chances are the associated precipitation would come down harder than it would in a cooler world.