🌱 US Weather Warriors GrowCast — Tuesday, July 21, 2026
Flood Watch is up as a wet, stormy pattern parks over Delmarva with heavy rain and gusty winds today.
Today's Weather Snapshot: Lows in the mid 70s, highs from the mid 80s to near 89°F. Showers and thunderstorms likely, PoPs running 74-95% across the peninsula. Winds near 15-25 mph, strongest along the coast. Dewpoints and humidity are tropical — RH already 90-99% at DEOS sites this morning.
Soil & Recent Rainfall: DEOS 2-inch soil temps range 73.6°F to 79.8°F, averaging 77.1°F. No measurable rain in the last 24 hours at reporting stations, but topsoils are saturated-feeling with near-100% humidity and heavy rain incoming.
Best Outdoor Work Window: Skip today — thunderstorm risk and flooding potential make it a wash. Watch for a drier window later in the week once the front clears.
Planting & Transplanting: Soils are plenty warm for tomatoes, peppers, squash, and beans, but planting_window is Delay. Hold tender transplants until the rain trend passes and the ground firms up — setting them into soaked soil invites root rot and transplant shock.
Watering & Irrigation: Hold off on irrigation. With PoPs above 90% for most of the peninsula and a flood-related headline active, natural rainfall will more than cover the crop today and likely tomorrow.
For Gardeners: Move potted plants and hanging baskets away from wind exposure, and stake tomatoes and dahlias before the storms hit. Check that raised beds and container drains are clear. If you have ripe tomatoes or berries, pick before the downpour to avoid splitting.
For Farmers & Growers: Field access is Poor and spray windows are shot — wind is marginal and storms will wash off anything applied. Push hay cutting to later in the week when a drier slot opens; standing water in low spots will linger. Scout for disease pressure once things clear, especially in cucurbits and tomatoes.
Looking Ahead (6-10 day signal): CPC 6-10 and 8-14 day both lean above-normal temps and above-normal precip; no drought across DE, MD, or VA.
Bottom Line: Wet, stormy, and unworkable — let the weather run its course and plan real fieldwork for later in the week.
— US Weather Warriors #DelmarvaWeather #GardenWeather #FarmWeather