Community Corner

Heavy Rain, Severe Weather Could Be Heading Our Way

Up to four inches of rain could fall by the end of this weekend, the National Weather Service says.

(This post was written by Michael Garlitz.)


This could be the message for today: Batten down the hatches!

The National Weather Service says we are in store for up to four inches of rain, even more in some places, through the end of this weekend. Wind and hail also are in the forecast.

The weather service's hydrologic outlook for the Twin Cities metro area says a slow-moving weather pattern could bring several rounds of heavy rain for the several days.

While there will be a risk of scattered thunderstorms today, severe thunderstorms could be more widespread beginning tonight, according to the hazardous weather outlook issued for central and southern Minnesota and western Wisconsin.

In other words, keep your umbrella and raincoat handy and make sure your gutters are clear.

Here is the text of the hazardous weather outlook:
.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TODAY...MAINLY THIS
AFTERNOON...WITH MORE NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FOR THE ENTIRE COVERAGE AREA. THE GREATEST CHANCE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE OVER CENTRAL MINNESOTA INTO FAR WESTERN WISCONSIN...NORTH OF A LINE FROM CANBY TO NEW PRAGUE IN MINNESOTA TO RICE LAKE IN WISCONSIN...INCLUDING THE TWIN CITIES METRO. GREATEST HAZARDS WILL BE HAIL IN EXCESS OF ONE INCH IN DIAMETER AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.
SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...MAINLY DURING THE EVENING AND NIGHTTIME PERIODS FRIDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS BOTH FRIDAY AND SATURDAY FOR MUCH OF THE COVERAGE AREA. AGAIN...THE GREATEST HAZARDS WILL BE HAIL IN EXCESS OF ONE INCH IN DIAMETER AND WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. IN
ADDITION...PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE WHICH MAY LEAD
TO FLASH FLOODING AND SIGNIFICANT RISES ON AREA RIVERS.

Here is the text of the hydrologic outlook:
...A WET PATTERN IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI
RIVER VALLEY THROUGH LATE THIS WEEK AND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK...

...FLOODING COULD BECOME A PROBLEM ESPECIALLY FOR THIS WEEKEND AND EARLY NEXT WEEK...

A VERY SLOW MOVING UPPER AIR PATTERN WILL ALLOW FOR SEVERAL ROUNDS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS LATE THIS WEEK...THIS WEEKEND AND EVEN INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. WE WILL SEE BREAKS IN THE ACTIVITY AND WE WILL SEE SOME SUN. HOWEVER GIVEN THE UNSETTLED ATMOSPHERE THE SUN WILL LIKELY CAUSE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO REFIRE. THIS WILL BE THE CYCLIC PATTERN FOR AT LEAST THE NEXT FIVE DAYS.

MOISTURE LEVELS WILL BE ON THE RISE ON FRIDAY AND THE WARM AND
HUMID AIR MASS WILL REMAIN ENTRENCHED ACROSS THE REGION INTO
MONDAY. FOR AREAS THAT SEE THUNDERSTORMS...ESPECIALLY THIS
WEEKEND...RAINFALL RATES OF 1.5 TO 2 INCHES AN HOUR WILL BE
POSSIBLE WITH THE EAVIER RAIN CORES. AREAS THAT RECEIVE THESE
HEAVIER AMOUNTS COULD SEE LOCALIZED FLOODING.

WIDESPREAD RAIN FALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES OF RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEKEND WITH ISOLATED HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. AREAS THAT AREADY HAVE NEARLY SATURATED SOILS DUE TO RAIN RECEIVED EARLIER THIS WEEK INCLUDE PARTS OF THE UPPER AND CENTRAL MINNESOTA RIVER BASIN. HENCE LOCALIZED FLOODING COULD
DEVELOP ESPECIALLY IN THE SMALLER CREEKS AND STREAMS AS WELL AS
RIVERS INCLUDING THE CHIPPEWA RIVER IN MINNESOTA...SHAKOPPE
CREEK...BUFFALO CREEK...EAST FORK OF BEAVER CREEK...REDWOOD
RIVER...COTTONWOOD...LITTLE COTTONWOOD...WATONWAN...BLUE
EARTH...COBB AND LE SUEUR RIVERS.

IF WE SEE SIGNIFICANT RAINS...MAIN STEM RIVER FLOODING ON THE
MINNESOTA AND MISSISSIPPI RIVERS AS WELL AS THE CHIPPEWA RIVER IN
WISCONSIN COULD BE A PROBLEM THIS WEEKEND AND INTO EARLY NEXT
WEEK.


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