Pittsburgh region's rainfall above average in 2019, but behind 2018 pace

If it seems to have been wet for a solid week, it wasn’t your imagination.

The Pittsburgh area saw rain for six consecutive days, with about an inch of rain recorded at Pittsburgh International Airport from Thursday through Monday, according to the National Weather Service Pittsburgh office in Moon. The region again saw periodic showers on Tuesday.

Despite the wet weather, Western Pennsylvania is still well below the rainfall of 2018, said meteorologist Myranda Fullerton.

Since January, the area has had more than 15 inches of rain, which is about 2.50 inches above normal, she said. This time last year, the area had already received nearly 20 inches of precipitation.

“Although we’re still above average in terms of rainfall, we’re nowhere close to where we were last year,” Fullerton said.

Still, at least a trace of rain was measured at Pittsburgh International — where the NWS records the region’s official totals — on 20 days in April and another 10 days so far in May, records show.

The rain, however, has not been a damper on farmers’ planting season in Western Pennsylvania.

Hay crops have already been planted, but there’s still plenty of time for field corn and soybeans, said Rachel Milliron, agronomy extension educator for Penn State Extension, Armstrong County.

“I wouldn’t say there are going to be definite delays. Some people wouldn’t even be planting yet. It all depends on the weather,” Milliron said. “The rain may have delayed them a couple of days, but at this point, it’s too soon to say we’re behind on planting.”

Although the trees seemed to “pop” over the weekend, garden planting has been at a standstill, said Linda Hyatt, Penn State Extension assistant for the Master Gardener Program, Westmoreland County.

“It’s good for pulling weeds but not much else,” she said. “When we’re having wet weather and the ground is this soggy, its not a good idea to work in wet soil like that.”

Although annuals don’t normally get planted until closer to Memorial Day, the program is behind with some other plantings, she said.