ENJOY SUNSHINE, RAINS FORECAST TO RETURN

Pleasant weather today is expected to give way to a return of thunderstorms in the area Saturday.

In the latest six-to-10-day outlook through the rest of next week, the weather service says Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois can expect above normal precipitation and near seasonal temperatures.

That seems to indicate still no immediate relief from the prolonged wet weather that has plagued much of the Midwest since early spring. In April it rained or drizzled on 20 of the 31 days of the month.

It has rained or drizzled at the airport on eight of the past 13 days. Rain for the first 13 days of May at the airport now stands at 3.85 inches.

The long-term average for May is 4.74 inches. A heavy rain shower fell briefly over most of Cape Girardeau Wednesday evening, but only a few drops fell at the airport and no rain fell in Scott City.

On the plus side, six days of 80- degree-plus temperatures last week helped push the average temperature for the first 13 days of May to 68.4 degrees, compared to the long-term 64 degrees. It's the longest consecutive warm spell so far this spring.

Meanwhile, last week's heavy rains in western Missouri and eastern Kansas will cause the Mississippi River at St. Louis, Chester and Cape Girardeau to crest again this week.

The river is expected to crest later this week at St. Louis at 36.4 feet. At Cape Girardeau, it is forecast to crest on Friday at 39.4 feet. That's the fourth flood crest on the river here since April 10.

The Ohio River at Cairo was at 42 feet on Thursday. It is expected to fall below flood stage of 40 feet by Sunday.

With the river on the rise again this week, the city public works department has closed North Main Street at the Sloan's Creek bridge. The street had been opened last week after the river fell back to 38 feet.

The long-range, 30-day river forecast issued by the National Weather Service is optimistic that things may get better later this month. Forecasters say the Mississippi River could drop below flood stage of 32 feet here by late this month. The Mississippi has been at or above flood stage here since April 3.

The river is expected to drop to 38.4 feet here by May 19, 29.8 feet by May 26, 24.5 feet on June 2, and 22.5 feet by June 9.

The Ohio River at Cairo is forecast to drop to 35.5 feet on May 19, 27.1 on May 26, 20 feet on June 2, and 17.1 feet by June 9. These projected levels assume no significant additional precipitation will occur in the Missouri, Mississippi and Illinois river watersheds above St. Louis after May 12.

When the river finally drops below flood stage here, farmers that work the unprotected river bottoms in Missouri and Illinois will be cheering. That's because the falling river level will allow water now standing in fields to drain so the fields can start drying out for planting.

For those who farm the 8,000 acres of land inside the East Cape Girardeau-Clear Creek Levee District, it means the gravity flow drains that have been closed since early April can be opened as soon as the river drops to between 28 and 30 feet, allowing the surface and seepwater that has backed up inside the levee district to start draining into the river.

Agriculture officials say farmers who have been kept out of their fields this spring because of high water or mud are approaching three critical deadlines. Those planting corn need to have the seed in the ground by next week before chances of a full harvest yield begin to decline. Cotton farmers must get their seed in the ground before the end of the month in order to get a full crop, and those planting soybeans need to have their fields planted by mid-June if they expect to get a full crop this fall.