I've always wondered how far away a typical dark cloud with potential rain 

would actually be

I may have a farm 5-10 miles in that direction

Sure looks to be blowing up a storm

How far away are the actual storm clouds

2-5 miles more or less

This side, the other side of my farm???

Also

 moving storms that roll across several miles or counties

When do you 1st see them

Is my farm in line with the approaching rain clouds, is it moving or will it fizzle out before it gets "here" on my farm

Of course summer pop up storms seem to have no rhythm nor reason with 2" and 2 miles away lucky to get 2/10"

I seem to be mostly in the 2/10" group if we get any rain at all

Our July/Aug rain comes by way of pop up summer storms which seems to wait until mid to late Aug before we get wide spread rain the covers several counties and last most of the nite

Other wise it is a pop up shower and several days of rolled up corn leaves

Some times part of the field just gives it up and dies

If rain lasts for more than 30 minutes we consider that a good rain

Trying to guess location etc of rain clouds must be on a farmers mind more than just me

Maybe I am the odd man out

I dunno because all I can do is hope

Praying seems to me to be a bit selfish so I hope, as I have been blessed with a wonderful family as have many others

I have been known to stand on the front steps in my nite clothes, [underwear] just to hear it rain after  4 weeks of dry, end of July

Can't see any rain clouds at nite but is sure wonderful to hear that rain falling

Can't figure it out

When I bought the farm we used to get enough summer rain all the time

Now rain splits at Detroit and most goes south of Lake Eries

Sure is disapapointing to watch a large orange cell move across from Chicago and then go south of us at the last minute

Just some week end non political rambling