🌱 US Weather Warriors GrowCast — Monday, July 20, 2026
Showers and thunderstorms with heavy rain potential move across Delmarva today, cutting into fieldwork and outdoor plans.
Today's Weather Snapshot: Highs 84-88°F, lows near 69-76°F across the peninsula. Widespread showers and thunderstorms likely, PoP 68-88%. Winds near 10-20 mph, gusty near storms. Humid; heavy rainfall possible per WPC guidance.
Soil & Recent Rainfall: 2-inch soil temps ran 70-78°F across DEOS stations (avg 74.7°F). No measurable rain in the past 24 hours at reporting sites. Topsoil reported dry at DTBR, DDFS, DGES, DLAU, and DAGF heading into today's rain.
Best Outdoor Work Window: Skip today — storm and wind risk plus poor workability. Aim for a drier window later in the week once the front clears and soils drain.
Planting & Transplanting: Soils are warm enough for any summer crop, but planting_window is Delay — hold tender transplants until the storm pattern breaks. Once you get a dry 24-hour window, cukes, squash, and succession beans go in fast.
Watering & Irrigation: Hold off — heavy rain is likely today and soils will catch up quickly. No irrigation needed at least through Tuesday; reassess once storms clear.
For Gardeners: Move potted tomatoes and peppers to sheltered spots ahead of gusty storms, and stake anything top-heavy. Harvest ripe tomatoes, squash, and beans before the rain to avoid splitting and disease pressure. Skip mowing wet turf.
For Farmers & Growers: Field access is Poor and thunderstorm risk is Elevated — no spraying today with 20 mph winds and rain washout. Hay on the ground is a loss; hold cutting decisions until the 6-10 day trend firms up. Check drainage in low corners of row-crop fields.
Looking Ahead (6-10 day signal): CPC 6-10 and 8-14 day both lean below-normal temps and above-normal precip; drought monitor shows none across DE/MD/VA.
Bottom Line: Wet, stormy, and unworkable — stand down today and plan around a persistently damp pattern this week.
— US Weather Warriors #DelmarvaWeather #GardenWeather #FarmWeather