Some of the rainfall amount numbers around Sioux Falls are staggering.  Head a bit to the south to the Harrisburg and Canton areas and things are really wet.  According to the National Weather Service Southern parts of Sioux Falls and to the south picked up over 6.5 inches.  (many home gauges are reporting more)

Because of those high rain totals many parts of Southeast South Dakota are under a flood warning and flash flood watch.

Coulvert after May 2013 Rain
Pic by Sprint Sioux Falls
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Whereas some of the rainfall totals are staggering compared to what we've seen over the past year, many of our friends to the west are watching with longing eyes.  I talked with my sister in Presho, SD last night and she said they didn't get a drop.

We made a road trip to the Kennebec-Presho area on Saturday afternoon and you can see a pretty evident cut at about Kimball.  Up to there the ditches and fields are lush and green.  After you get past the White Lake Kimball areas, you can see that much of the state is still trying to catch up from lack of moisture.

More in one 24 hour period than in THREE Months last summer!

If you thought last year was 'dry' you're right.  According to the National Weather Service,

Rainfall diminished greatly across the area beginning in June and the dry conditions continued through the summer and autumn months. 0.74 inches of rain fell during June 2012, the second driest June on record. This was followed by the driest July on record with a total of only 0.24 inches. The previous driest July occurred in 1947 when 0.25 inches fell. A bit more rain fell during August with a total of 1.75 inches, still more than an inch below normal. The rainfall for the months of June through August in Sioux Falls totaled 2.73 inches, which makes the summer of 2012 the driest on record. The previous driest summer occurred in 1894 with 3.55 inches. It was just two years ago the city experienced its wettest summer on record, with 22.64 inches recorded officially at the airport on the north side of town. Rainfall in excess of two feet fell on the south side of the city that summer.

Sunday many people were reporting on Facebook more than 6 inches in the rain gauge on Sioux Falls west side and south of Sioux Falls. For example, check out this Facebook total from Adam Peterson 7.83 inches just off Tea-Ellis road and 12th St.

Doug Folkens At least 11 in my rain gauge since Saturday night here in Harrisburg.

South Dakota seems to be quite resilient.   Old timers say, if you don't like the weather just wait 5 minutes, it will change.

In the area of the Sioux Empire it looks like we already have.

 

 

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