Moderate rain totals are now possible for all area counties to close out the work week.
After sunshine and high temperatures around 50 degrees Wednesday, rain moves in early Thursday and stays possibly as late as lunchtime Friday. There are high chances of rainfall all day Thursday before chances diminish after sunrise Friday. Thunderstorms are also possible early Thursday morning and late Thursday afternoon.
The National Weather Service expects half an inch to an inch of rainfall areawide, up slightly from prior forecasts.
The rain comes with snowfall still on the ground in some spots after two different winter weather events earlier this month: half an inch of ice and 5-plus inches of snow Jan. 4-5, followed by 2-3 inches of snow Jan. 9-10.
The rain also comes with most of the KVOE listening area listed as abnormally dry, or the first level of drought, by the US Drought Monitor. Southwest Chase County is currently the only area that is drought-free. The Drought Monitor’s next update is Thursday, so any rainfall this week will come too late to make an impact on Thursday’s report.