Grand Island, according to the National Weather Service in Hastings, Grand Island received 1.96 inches of rain, as of 7 a.m. Tuesday.  On Monday, the NWS reported Grand Island receiving 1.03 inches, and since midnight to 7 a.m., 0.93 of an inch had fallen.

Other area rainfall amounts, as of 7 a.m. Monday through 7 a.m. Tuesday, included Aurora, 1.29 inches; Ord, 0.65 of an inch; Kearney, 1.48 inches; and Hastings, 0.60 of an inch.

Scattered showers and thunderstorms will continue this morning through 1 p.m., according to NWS. Today’s high will be a cool 74 degree with tonight’s low around 54 degrees with patchy fog.

The forecast Wednesday morning is for patchy fog before 9 a.m. otherwise, mostly sunny, with a high near 86.

Rain is in the forecast for Thursday and Friday with highs in the upper 80s to near 90.

August had been hot and mostly dry up to Monday’s rain with temperatures averaging nearly 4 degrees above average highs. Several 100+ degree days were recorded.

The rain brings some welcome relief to a maturing crop, which last week was forecast to be of record or near-record quantity and quality.

The USDA reported that corn conditions in Nebraska were rated 83 percent good or excellent, which is above last year’s condition at this time. Irrigated fields were rated 85 percent good or excellent with dryland fields at 82 percent good or excellent. The rain will be helpful to dryland crops.

Another excellent sign was that 32 percent of the corn was rated in the dent stage, which is well ahead of the five year average of 24 percent. Eighty percent of the corn was in the dough stage, also well ahead of normal averages at this stage of development.

Soybean conditions were rated 79 percent good or excellent with sorghum at 81 percent good or excellent.