Mysterious Moisture Measurements

I had some choke cherry that I had cut into 18" logs and stacked early April - I split it about 3 weeks ago with the intent to save it for next year but found the moisture in the middle of the splits to be 21%. Decided to use it now and noticed some smokey burns when running in the low air mode. I have a regency I3100 insert that I run 15 min at full air then 15min at 1/2 air before I choke it down to the low burn setting.
Split some of the largest pieces and verified the 21% in the middle but as I move to the outside of the piece I notice moisture at 27 % and above. I thought that wood seasoned from the outside-in mine seems to be seasoning from the inside- out.
Whats going on ??

I would guess the wood was wet on the outside from rain or moisture picked up from the ground.

Was that cherry standing when you cut it or was it already on the ground? In the past we've cut cherry in the late winter/early spring and burnt it the following winter with no problem.

This serves as sort of a reminder that wood should be split in the spring and then seasoned during the warm summer months.

A few weeks before burning season I like to get my wood inside the barn. I don't think rain does you any good. Next thing I am going to make is a wood shed.