The incoming storms have been quite a site the last few days. The dramatic clouds, sheets of rain, sudden crack of lightening and peaks of the sun have all been quite exciting.  But, where are we?  It would normailly be in the 80's and dry as a bone at this time of year!

The National Weather Service predicts waves of moisture -- including afternoon and evening thundershowers -- will keep piling into northern Utah this week. Wildfire season is delayed, farmers have a green outlook and you might not have to water your lawn for awhile.

When will the sunshine come back?

The weather service expects the pattern of wet days and stormy afternoons or nights to persist into next week.

"We will dry out and warm up by the end of the month," Pete Wilensky of the National Weather Service says. "In a few weeks, we're going to be complaining about the heat and the dryness."  Yes but not me!  I like hot summer days!

Do you need to water the yard?

No need to water more than once this week in Salt Lake or Utah counties or at all in the rest of northern Utah, according to the Utah Department of Natural Resources' online outlook.

But in individual yards and gardens it's possible that no watering is needed. Salt Lake City water conservation specialist Stephanie Duer suggests sticking a screwdriver into the soil to check. If it goes in easily, it's plenty wet for most lawns and plants. Visual inspection also works: If the lawn takes on a silvery cast or blades don't bounce back in footprints, it probably needs water.

For now, Duer recommends turning off the automatic sprinklers and checking for moisture every morning. And don't get hose-happy just because garden plants wilt a bit in the afternoon. Wait to see if they still are droopy come morning.

Will this help the fire season?

Utah already was looking forward to a normal wildfire year, and the recent rains have pushed back the blazes.

The range might have been burning in places now if not for the rain and cool temperatures, says Rick Ochoa, a meteorologist with the Interagency Fire Center in Boise. The extra moisture could grow enough greenery to intensify late-season flames, he says, but on the whole Utah shouldn't have more than the average fire severity.

What about flooding?

There has been a little flooding  like a few homes out in Herriman where there is so much new builing that errosion is quite possible.

Utah's annual snowmelt has been orderly, so the extra rain doesn't portend floods, says Brian McInerney, a National Weather Service hydrologist. It has filled all of Utah's major reservoirs, except for Lake Powell and Bear Lake, each of which would require several normal to wet years to fill.  Even so, Lake Powell has been rising about 8 inches a week!

"The soils aren't saturated, so this is infiltrating [the ground]," McInerney says. "There really isn't any threat of flooding unless there's a flash flood from a thunderstorm that just perches over an area."

Whereas farmers and homeowners were drawing down reservoirs for irrigation by this time last year, McInerney says, this year they are storing more for later.

What About Home Showings?

If you are selling your home and getting concerned about the lack of showings lately, not to worry.  Once the storms back off later this week, buyers will be anxious to see their potential new home.  Now is a great time to get a few touch ups done to make it look perfect!

There is a lot of free information available to you about buying, selling or investing in Greater Salt Lake City/Park City real estate. For complete information about the Greater Salt Lake City/Park City real estate market including current homes for sale, property values and more please visit the most complete website online dedicated to everything Greater Salt Lake City real estate at www.KathyOHomes.com. Please feel free to contact me with any of your real estate or mortgage related questions and I will be more than glad to answer your questions. Call me on my cell at 801-518-4599 or email me at kathyo@kathyohomes.com.

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