Rains just keep falling breaking old records

By Reed Anfinson
With 2.05 inches of rain this July, the 2024 total precipitation has reached 25.94 inches. That is more precipitation than was recorded for the entire year in 25 of the 74 years for which Benson has daily records.
There is a considerable way to go before Benson equals its all-time total precipitation record of 39.39 inches, which was set in 2019. To equal the record, the area will have to record 15.5 inches of rain from July until the end of the year, which is just over 2.5 inches a month.
The area averages 16.77 inches of precipitation over the six-month period, so breaking the record would be possible.
Summer rains vary to extreme degrees over short distances. Last Thursday, Benson recorded 75 hundredths of an inch of rain, but there were areas south of DeGraff where up to 5 inches of rain was reported to have fallen.
The April to July precipitation total has now reached 23.5 inches, 13.73 more than the average and there are still 21 days left in the month. Area fields remain sodden with standing water in many low areas.
“Minnesota set a state record with the high amounts of rainfall for the combined months of April, May, and June, according to climatologist and meteorologist Mark Seeley,” Minnesota Public Radio reported. “Over 120 climate stations have reported 25 inches of precipitation at this point in the year. Rice, Faribault, and Wabasha County have all reported some areas with over 30 inches of precipitation so far.

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