Midwest Flooding Concerns Outlined
The combination of rain and melting snow will lead to minor flooding problems from the western Great Lakes to the central Plains through the end of the week.
Rainfall on the order of 0.50 to 1.00 of an inch is expected from parts of northeastern Nebraska to southern Wisconsin, northern Illinois and southern Michigan, combined with partial melting snow will lead to standing water in fields, flooding of some small streams and perhaps minor lowland flooding along the lesser rivers.
There is over 6 inches of water locked up in the snow cover in parts of northwestern Iowa and southern Minnesota.
Fortunately, not all of this snow will melt, but snow cover in some areas will disappear the next few days.
This map shows the amount of water locked up in the snow cover. It is the northern fringe of this area at greatest risk for minor flooding into the weekend.
Temperatures are not expected to surge into the 50s and 60s with the rain over a large area, minimizing the flooding potential in the short term.
Concerns remain for major flooding in the coming weeks farther north over the Red River basin and others over the northern Plains and the Upper Midwest.
Most of the current storm's rain and thaw will slide south of this area, where over 2 feet of snow remains on the ground in some locations of the Dakotas.
The same storm will grow stronger and wetter in the Northeast this weekend, where the threat of moderate to severe flooding exists in and downstream from areas with a deep snow cover.
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Daily U.S. Extremes
past 24 hours
| Extreme | Location | |
|---|---|---|
| High | 113° | Death Valley, CA |
| Low | 30° | Bellemont, AZ |
| Precip | 9.70" | Miami, FL |
WeatherWhys®
A large, horrific tornado struck the city of Joplin, Mo., last year on this date. The twister cut a deadly path across the south side of the city, leaving over 159 dead and at least 1,150 injured. The Joplin tornado currently ranks as the 7th deadliest tornado in U.S. history.
This Day In Weather History
New Hampshire (1814)
A tornado crossed Merrimac, Litchfield, Londonderry and North Chester. The same storm produced hailstones that had an 11-inch circumference and weighed 1/2 pound.
Northeast (1989)
More rain in an already wet month. Monthly totals topped 11 inches at New York City, 9 inches at Bridgeport, Conn., and 8 inches at Baltimore (all three totals set records for May).
Rough Weather
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