Our periods of rain over the long holiday weekend didn't really do anything to help drought conditions. In fact, they're worse according to the most recent U.S. Drought Monitor Update.
But if you're looking for a bright side, you might be able to put down the DEET. The lack of rain also means a lack of those pesky mosquitos.
After a spring where dormant mosquito eggs hatched in bunches, we are now getting a bit of a reprieve. That might be short lived.
Metropolitan Mosquito Control District spokesperson Alex Carlson says when the rain does come, it's likely to bring them all back to life in droves.
"Mosquito eggs can lay dormant for about five to seven years before they hatch," explains Carlson. "So, if we have a couple of days of heavy rain, with more than an inch of rain, all those eggs will hatch and they'll be back about a week after when they come out of the water. That's when we'll see a big surge."
Carlson says the the Twin Cities are currently below the 10-year average for mosquito numbers, though Anoka County and western parts of Hennepin County have higher counts than the rest of the metro area.
Craig Schmidt, a senior hydrologist with the National Weather Service, spoke with News Talk 830 WCCO about the current drought conditions.
“Looking at the long-range, we don’t see anything major that is moving us into a wet pattern over the next few weeks. If anything, it looks fairly benign,” Schmidt said. “We might see more scattered showers.”
That means not much of that heavy rain needed to hatch mosquitos is in our near future, which is good news for those heading outdoors. Schmidt also says wetlands, marshes, and rivers are getting low once again, like what was seen last year and that also could keep mosquito numbers down.