By Jolene Fairly
Over the last three days much of the region has received one to three inches of rain. This is a weather pattern that will likely continue through August, according to meteorologist Phil Schumacher of the National Weather Service in Sioux Falls, SD.
"It does look like we are entering a pattern that will produce more rain," he said.
Schumacher attributes the extended period of dry weather over the last few months to a combination of two factors.
Drought across the western plains has increased in the area causing the air in the Rocky Mountains to warm and spread over our area. Along with that came a pattern of high pressure or an upper level ridge in the upper atmosphere.
"Thunderstorms just aren't developing, or we have scattered thunderstorms," he said.
Schumacher dispelled some explanations for the lack of rain that were circulating around the area as having little impact on weather patterns.
The premise that storms and moisture tend to follow the Buffalo Ridge has some truth but in the end, the ridge has little influence.
"Actually the Buffalo Ridge can be an area were rainfall can be enhanced," he said. "It can have a small influence but it's usually not the dominant reason."
Air lofting over the ridge, in certain situations, may be enough to make clouds and thunderstorms develop, but he said it is fairly rare.
Some believe the heat created by the concrete, pavement and houses of Sioux Falls creates a warm area causing storms to scatter. Schumacher said studies on the "heat island effect," as the phenomenon is called, have been conducted in Minneapolis and on the east coast.
Sioux Falls is not considered a large city, and the heat island effect should have only a small influence, Schumacher said. He added that last year our area had a wet year and the effect didn't seem to matter.
"We'd actually have to study it to really see," he said.