Locals may have literally had it up to here with rain, but it's too soon to put those umbrellas away.

That's because Mercer County and surrounding areas can expect an extension of showers and thunderstorms throughout this week, according to Accuweather meteorologist Carl Babinski.

The lingering wet weather isn't typical for this time of year, Babinski said, but jet stream winds are flowing slower than normal, causing rains to linger.

The rainy weather can be blamed on a pool of cold air, or an upper level disturbance. The disturbance continues to circulate over the same areas and has cut off the jet stream flow that helps push weather systems, such as this, across the continent, Babinski said.

Babinski couldn't say for sure if the Sharon-area in particular would see rain every day this week, but said to allow for the chance of showers and thunderstorms. Humidity is also going to be constant, he added.

"Sharon could get a downpour, but two counties away might get hit harder. It's hard to predict weather patterns in the summer," he said.

On Sunday temperatures in Mercer County reached no higher than 72, when it normally lingers around 82, he said. Residents can expect temperatures to be in the mid-70s at most this week, something that comes along with frequent rain and clouds, he said.

Systems such as this are more common in late winter months like November, or in the transitional ones like in March.

"Normally the air over our heads is a lot warmer this time of year. This year it isn't," Babinski said. "But this is something that does happen. It's not a sign of the Apocalypse."

Storms are flaring up over northern Illinois, Michigan and Indiana and heading in this direction. Those storms are also moving very slowly, Babinski said.

"The environment is favorable to heavy storms. We'll probably see more episodes of heavy rain, but not downpours," he said.

Because the weather systems are rotating such a tremendous amount of moisture, some communities east and west of Sharon may see heavier flares of rain. Babinski said Mercer County and surrounding areas are also in a bad location because of tropical moisture from Louisiana, Tennessee and other Gulf Coast states.

"This has been the pattern and unfortunately it is going to persist for awhile."

People should also be cautious of fog, which forms in very moist and excessive weather patterns and can become a problem anytime the weather begins to clear, especially at night.

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