Where's the rain?

DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - We need rain! At this point you have probably heard us talk a lot about the drought conditions developing across our communities. In Decatur it has been 13 days since any measurable rain has fallen. So where is the rain?

Mainly, it's west of us, but there are a few factors working against us. First, an area of high pressure has set up north of here. High pressure creates sinking air in the atmosphere which leads to clear sky and quiet conditions.

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You need rising air to get rain and storms. The placement of that high pressure center means our air is moving in from the northeast today, a place that is also dry.

That is the other big factor keeping the rain away from us—dry air. Dewpoints in our area are in the 50s today which would feel comfortable if it was not so hot outside. But those dewpoints tell us the air above our heads is fairly dry.

The air will need more moisture in it before we have a chance to see rain fall and reach the ground. Thursday night and Friday more moisture will move in to do exactly that, so it is most likely we wo not see much rain until late Friday or Saturday.