Ironwood may set June rain record

IRONWOOD — A June precipitation record might be broken in Ironwood following nearly 8 inches of rain over the weekend.

Ironwood’s rain total for the month stood at 8.73 inches as of Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service office in Marquette. The record through June 20 stands at 9.05 inches set in 1939.

For June of 1939, Ironwood ended up with 11.32 inches of rain, according to the NWS, which keeps weather records that date to 1901.

Ironwood’s normal monthly precipitation through June 20 is 2.17 inches.

In a 1907 drought, there had been only a trace of rain for the month through June 20, the lowest total on record.

The weekend deluges also increased the yearly precipitation total to 18.52 inches, well above the 117-year average of 13.12 inches. The record amount through this time of year is 23.14 inches set in 1939.

The 3.64 inches of rain that fell at the wastewater treatment plant off Cloverland Drive on the Montreal River for the 24-hour period to 7 a.m. Sunday set a 117-year record for that date. It will likely stand for years to come, as that’s about the normal total for the entire month.

The Ironwood forecast calls for continued drying weather through Sunday, when there’s a 40 percent chance of rain. Highs in the 80s are forecast for next week.

—Ralph Ansami