This May, Lawrence has seen almost twice the amount of rain it normally receives, and more showers are expected to dampen the last two days of the Memorial Day weekend.

Shawn Byrne, meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Topeka, said rain is expected to start Sunday evening and continue through Monday morning and early afternoon. He said the Lawrence area could see another 1 to 1.5 inches of rain. Temperatures will also remain cooler than normal through Memorial Day; the highs on Sunday and Monday are expected to be in the mid-60s.

As of Saturday afternoon, a total of 8.31 inches of rain had been recorded at the Lawrence Municipal Airport weather station in the month of May, Byrne said. The average precipitation in Lawrence for May 1 through May 29 is 4.26 inches, and Lawrence saw 4.3 inches in that time period in 2020, Byrne said.

Byrne said June would start off with warmer temperatures. Highs are expected to reach the 80s late in the coming week, and there is a chance for showers or thunderstorms Wednesday.

Lawrence entered 2021 in a moderate drought. The city saw a total of 38.55 inches of rainfall in 2020, which was about 5 inches less than normal. A dry spell that started in September and persisted through the end of the year accounted for the shortfall. But this year, thanks to the wet May, Lawrence has now received 18.3 inches of rainfall, or 5.3 inches more than normal for this time of year, Byrne said.

If Lawrence receives another 1 to 1.5 inches Sunday night and Monday, rainfall amounts will approach or exceed the 9.27 inches recorded in May 2019.

On May 30, 2019, the Army Corps of Engineers told the Lawrence Journal-World that Clinton Lake had risen to a new record of 893.28 feet above sea level. Although Clinton Lake was still well below its flood stage in May 2019, the Corps was forced to start releasing water from Perry Lake at that time when it filled to its flood-control capacity of 920.6 feet above sea level.

The lakes haven’t yet risen to those levels this year. Clinton Lake was at 883.05 feet above sea level on Saturday, and Perry Lake was just under 894 feet above sea level, according to the Corps of Engineers website.

The Corps’ Clinton Lake website said that all boat docks were open to the public, with the exception of ramp No. 4 in Bloomington West Park.