Ashtabula County awash with rain -- at last

Jun. 15—It was a very dry May across northeastern Ohio, and that weather pattern continued into the first 10 days of June.

In fact, it was the fourth-driest May on record, over the past 129 years, down 2.3 inches from normal, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Additionally, the surplus of rain northeastern Ohio has experienced for much of the year had dwindled to 0.01-inch as of June 7, according to the NOAA.

"As I traveled around Ohio the last two weeks, 'rain' was the topic of utmost urgency," said John Patterson, Ohio Executive Director of the USDA Farm Service Agency. "Thankfully, the recent rains have provided some relief for our farmers."

According to the NOAA, distraught farmers in Ashtabula County worried about the following crops:

—41,344 total acres of soybeans.

—17,593 acres of hay.

—16,503 acres of corn.

Then, on Sunday, it started to rain — the first time since May 20, bringing drought conditions from "abnormally dry" to "moderate drought conditions," according to the NOAA.

Cleveland has received about 2.5 inches of rain, while Youngstown is at .65 inches, as of Wednesday morning, according to Alexis Walters, a meteorologist at Fox 8 news.

The good news is rain showers, thunderstorms and chilly temperatures are expected to continue through Friday, thanks to an area of low pressure hovering over northeast Ohio, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Cleveland.

Come Saturday and Sunday, it's back to summertime, with forecasters predicting sunny skies with highs near 78 degrees, according to the NWS.