Today, like the rest of the past week there hasn’t been much to say about the weather. Our last measurable rain in Otsego was on the 7th with .70 of an inch and .97 so far this month. We have had to water the gardens and grass the past few days, one of the reasons being the persistent ant problems we have had this summer. I had to put down another application of granular bug killer yesterday on the lawns and flowers, I don’t like putting it on the garden because I don’t want it on the food we will be eating.
We have had ant issues in the past, but not like we have had this year. We have pretty much kept them out of the house they are however running rampant all over the yard. I have to wonder if they are becoming resistant to the poisons used in the past.
This will be a hot and humid week with highs near 90° every day, quite a reversal from June. Today appears to be the most tolerable with slightly less humid air in place. We have ample moisture streaming up from the gulf for the humid air to increase the rest of the week though not much in the way of systems to set off any wide spread rain. Night time lows will be in the low 70s.
Rain percentages are at 20 to 30% Monday through Friday with the best chances on Wednesday as tropical storm Barry moves northward into the Ohio Valley. Latest model runs have brought the system further northward – as of now the best chances of ran from Barry will be across the southern counties.
I am not looking forward to the heat. We’re having to water a lot. Hard to believe considering how wet it was not too long ago.
Today is the 20th day in a row of temperatures of 80 or better and here in Grand Rapids we have only had 3 thunderstorms since May 25th, There were 4 in May and 3 in April and that is is for the year so far. We did not have very many last year either here in GR we are in a thunderstorm drought for sure.
Slim
Are there records kept for Holland or other lakeshore areas regarding thunderstorms? I think 1 or 2 of them for GR were days when they fired along the lake breeze so it never even rained (or thunder stormed) out this way. My PWS for July is only at about 0.3” of rain for the month, and zero since a trace last Monday. The blotches of corn we do have growing are now looking spiny and thin from lack of moisture. It’s like right at the Summer solstice the rain abruptly stopped and it got hot out.
What NWS counts are not “thunderstorms” but instead the days when thunder or lightning is detected so it might be just one lightning strike or one rumble of thunder and that would could as a thunder reported day. Anyway here is the count for Holland July 2, June 2, May 5 and April 4. Our area on average has around 35 thunder reported days a year. Not sure how many of them are true thunderstorms vs a single lightning bolt or rumble of thunder but we have not had very many thunderstorms the past few years
Slim
Ants in the house (more so then outside) can be a problem. We get them here from time to tome and a good dose of Raid or Black Flag usually will do the trick. I had several of my neighbors cut their grass today but I will let mine grow as I think with the warm to hot temperatures and being dry it is better not to cut the grass until we get some good rain. I do water the front yard but not the back yard.
Slim
MV we put down a liquid by Spectracide Triazicide we put in a sprayer (He triples the formula) and my husband puts the granules down when the liquid is dry. We do a foot barrier around our place. We do this twice a year. In the house we put down Home Defense. We had ants one year but our problem is centipedes. I hate them.