“Right as rain,” my farming Grandma Rose (1885-1979)
would say when she agreed with something.

We are headed toward bad drought here in southern Wisconsin. A major moisture malfunction and the future looks dry as a Taliban tavern. 10% chance of showers Friday, 40% Friday night, and 30% Saturday. That’s it for the next seven days! With temps 93 on Friday and at least in the high 80s for the rest of the next seven days, we’re cooking in dry heat. From the NWS:

• Southeast Wisconsin is in a severe drought
• Southwest and South-central Wisconsin is in a moderate drought
• Drought conditions developed in April and have been expanding and intensifying

These first 10 days of June produced only four-hundredths of an inch of rain, 1.51 inches below normal. And it’s been hot! Ten degrees above the normal temp of 75 F. (Got to feel for anyone working outside.) That follows a dry month of May that received 2.2 inches of rain, significantly below the average of 4.10 inches.

Most of the drought is here in the more agricultural southern part of the state, although the central sands area (especially) is irrigated. Across the state, the Wisconsin crop progress report for the week ending June 6 rates topsoil rated 9% very short, 24% short, 64% adequate, just 3% too wet.

Blaska’s Bottom Line: The sprinkler is going at Experimental Work Farm (and penal colony), so light a votive candle for our farming friends. The weather is their livelihood.