BRANCH COUNTY, MI (WTVB) – While Friday’s cold and soggy weather put a damper on outdoor activities, the rain was a much needed boost for farmers who have been dealing with a drier than normal spring.
The M.S.U. Extension Service weather station at the Bloom Dairy Farm recorded .87 of an inch of rain between 5:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Friday afternoon. That’s almost as much rain as had been previously recorded there for the month of May. Up until Friday morning, the weather station measured .92 of an inch since May 1.
The latest report from the U.S. Drought Monitor which was released on Thursday shows Branch County is still in an area that has moderate drought conditions.
Rainfall at various times this week hasn’t been enough to move the needle on severe drought conditions in areas of West Michigan. But conditions haven’t become worse either.
The latest update shows all of Allegan, Kent, and Ottawa counties remain in the severe drought category as well as portions of Barry, Ionia, Kalamazoo, and Van Buren counties. The rest of the lower peninsula remains in the Moderate Drought category, apart from some northern areas and a few spots along the Michigan/Indiana border.
After Friday’s soggy weather, the rest of the Memorial Day holiday weekend is expected to be dry.
(Brandon James contributed to this report)
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