The answer is surprisingly...Perhaps yes! It seems rain falls more on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday than any other days according to one new study. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) from NASA and a team of researchers has found that rainfall in the Southeast United States increases midweek versus on the weekends. Rain through the week tends to be more intense and span a larger area.
Average rainfall was measured via satellite from 1998 to 2005. Data was combined with ground-based measurements from rain gauges to come to the conclusion that Saturdays have the least occurrence of afternoon rain.
How Are Rain and Air Pollution Related?
Okay, so you are reading this and wondering why the article is on air pollution and I am talking about rain. Well, the answer lies in the amount of particulates in the air at any given time. Particle pollution (particulates) comes from a wide variety of sources including volcanoes, sea salt from ocean sprays, and just plain dust. From human sources, particle pollution can be released from burning, vehicle emissions, factories, and more. All of the particles in the air can become suspended and create perfect surfaces for cloud seeding and create the ingredients for photochemical smog. These particles in the atmosphere can change the nature of the clouds above us often leading to more rain.
Why Midweek Rain?
If you haven't guessed by now, the work week is part of the problem associated with the increases in rain. Through the week, more cars are on the roads and more factories and businesses are running. The increases in particle pollutants from vehicles may be a leading factor in the midweek rainfall increases in particular.While the data from this study is in its infancy, there are are more studies needed to determine the impact of these pollutants. Some scientists think that an increased number of particulates in the atmosphere can actually inhibit rainfall. This is because the amount of water and ice accumulated on the particles is now more spread out. An increase in particles=More dispersement of the water and ice. Also, a word of caution...Will it always rain more midweek? The answer is no. This is a tendency and a pattern compiled from data, but is not intended to be a prediction of weather to come.
