Sorry �bout that, don�t know why it posted twice.

We're pretty close to perfect here in the Detroit Metro area today. Sun with some puffy cumulus, temps in the mid 70's, a gentle breeze, and low humidity. Unfortunately, it is also bone dry, as I haven't had a good rain since some time in mid May, although areas to the north and south by 20-30-40 miles have gotten some rains.

Same here-and because it never rains anymore the humidity has been low-usually.

Friday was 86F 48F dewpoint(light wind)humidity in the 20s!

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Last night there were torrential rains with thunder which really cleaned out the atmosphere and contributed the beauty of the day. Soil moisture good here at the current time without the need for watering, except for containerized plants that never can get enough water this time of year. Interesting how so many beach and resort areas rely on truly tropical palms when they could succeed with subtropicals without the need for annual replanting.

How much is your rain deficit and when did the situation begin to develop?

We're down about 4" for the year (total to date should be about 16"). We had been about normal until mid-May. We've had only about an inch of rain so far in June, average should be about 4" by end of the month.

At this point, we are only in a moderate drought situation. We had copious soil moisture going into the winter, and good coming out of it. 2011 was the wettest year on record in Detroit. This year, obviously going to be drier.

Unfortunately, I live right in the center of a band of glacial terminal moraines that are about 500 feet higher in elevation than the land on either side, and this higher elevation for whatever reason, I guess due to updraft patterns, tends to split many storm systems and deflect them either north, south, or both, so I live in a "rain shadow" area that tends to get less than areas on the old lake bottom plains of Glacial Lake Maumee south and north of us.

We average 38.15" per year,we finished May/June last year
at 5.53"/7.73" respectively.

The drought started in July with only an inch for July/August that diappeared in the wicked heat

Temps as high as 106F.

The period of July 2011-June 2012 is almost up-1 year.

During that time we have had 16.60"-deficit of 21.55"

If you add in all the warmth of March(above avg temps more water
is needed to break even)-we are hurting more to the tune of 30"!

We had thunderstorms all around us yesterday and today and picked up .04" ):

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