My goal is to control/eliminate the broadleaf weeds such as dandelions. I'd like to apply a Weed and Feed type fertilizer tonight but the weather forecast is calling for 3 days of light rain - is this good in that it'll help the fertilizer to get into the soil or is it bad because the rain may wash away the fertilizer application?

The weed and feed works on the plant, not the soil.

The various products will have various ranges of time that it should be applied before rain. Typically, the granules can handle rain earlier than the liquid.

Typically the packaging will give the recommended "pre rain" time for the particular brand and mixture that you've got.

We use liquid and use it when we expect rain no earlier than 48 hours after the application. The company that applies it, though, says that 24 hours is OK.

... so somewhere between those two should be a good rule of thumb.

Sorry man, forgot to thank you for this info. I'll have a look at the packaging of the product I'm considering.

Cheers!

No thanks needed. Do you have the address to send me the check? :p

Another thing that will help get rid of the weeds without too many chemicals is over seeding. If you sprinkle some grass seed the baby grass will choke out the weeds. I have heard that this works with most unwanted plants, like dandilions and crab or quack grass, etc. It's what I am trying and I have to tell you my dandilions are definitely not coming back.

I am trying:
1. weed and feed
2. over seed
3. mow

Good luck