KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The month of May saw 12 straight dry days in a row. The last time that happened was in the fall of 2017.
Now, with impending rain, we're hearing words in the forecast like "soaking" and "scattered."
But what do they actually mean, and how will it impact you?
Open the weather app of your choice and you'll see a bunch of little rain clouds ready to burst.
Good news, right? Well, it depends what kind of rain they're holding.
We're about to enter an "unsettled" pattern. That means the atmosphere is getting wetter, and rain chances are going up. That's one word you'll hear in the forecast for the next few days.
Another word is "soaking".That's when heavy showers hit the area for several days in a row.It's also intense storms that leave at least an inch or two of water.
"Scattered" means even though that rain cloud is on your phone, you won't see the rain the same time your neighbor across town does.
This weekend expect both showers and thunderstorms.The first is just rain, the second includes lightning.
One thing begging for this rain? The ground.
"An inch would be really nice, two inches would be even better," said Monte Stanley, co-owner of Stanley's Greenhouse.
Stanley said farms, gardens and plants are all feeling the heat.
"Usually it's not a problem this early in the season," said Stanley. "It's usually August and September."
Soil is cracking, flowers are wilting. Stanley said a good soak is necessary for the plants to make it through the summer.
"Every two to three days when it's this dry, your plants, your annuals and your vegetables and your herbs will need to get a good thorough watering," said Stanley.
Chances are looking good that the sky will take care of that very soon.
Stanley said for gardeners, if you have mulch around your plants, that'll keep in moisture longer even in these drought periods.