Relief in sight for parched Lansing area; rain is finally in the forecast

LANSING — It's been awhile since you've heard these words, but rain is in the forecast.

Mid-Michigan will get a pretty good shot of it beginning Saturday night or Sunday morning and continuing into next week, forecasters said. And that could go a long way toward alleviating the dangerously dry conditions that have prompted burning bans throughout the Lansing region.

"We'll have a lot more moisture in the air and it will be a lot cooler during the day, with clouds and everything and, obviously, the rain," said Ernie Ostuno, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. "Add some rain and clouds and you're in much better shape in terms of mitigating that (wildfire) threat."

Lansing could get close to an inch of rain from early Sunday into Monday morning, compliments of a low-pressure system that should move out around Tuesday, Ostuno said. There's a 90% chance of rain in Lansing on Sunday, he said.

Another low is expected to follow, potentially bringing more rain to parched Greater Lansing, the agency said. There's a 50% chance of rain on Monday, and showers are likely on Tuesday and Tuesday night.

The Lansing area could get a total of about 1.25 inches of rain over the next next week or so, according to the Weather Prediction Center, and temperatures probably won't break the 70-degree mark on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Saturday should be nice, with sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-80s.

Of course, rain this weekend isn't necessarily good news to those attending outdoor events.

The 9th Annual Lansing Beer Fest is scheduled from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday on Washington Avenue in Reo Town. The St. Johns Soap Box Derby is set for Sunday. The rain date for the event is June 17.

The state Department of Natural Resource's Three Free Weekend is Saturday and Sunday. Fishing, off-road-vehicle riding and state park entry is free on those days.

If there's a positive aspect to Michigan's unusually dry late spring, it's that farmers were able to plant their crops on time, Ostuno said. In some recent years, wet conditions delayed planting.

"This year, they were able to plant," he said. "They just need some rain to get stuff growing."

Contact Ken Palmer at kpalmer@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @KBPalm_lsj.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Rain in the forecast for Lansing, finally