Weather chats with Mark Seeley

Rain and warmth prevail as we head into mid-April

A rainbow
A rainbow forms over south Minneapolis on Thursday.
Kerem Yücel | MPR News

Total rainfall in the last week was generally less than 1 inch, with some spots around the state recording fractions of an inch.

Importantly, the rate at which the rain fell was closely matched to the rate at which soil absorbs water, meaning much of the soil actually absorbed nearly all the moisture brought on by recent rainfalls.

However, according to climatologist and meteorologist Mark Seeley, Minnesota’s drought conditions remained about the same. And with the added warmth, soils are expected to dry out, meaning farmers will begin planting crops sometime within the next week.

MPR News host Cathy Wurzer spoke with Seeley about the fresh rainfall in their weekly weather chat, along with tips on the best time to seed your lawn.

Listen to the full conversation by clicking the player above.