Sunshine, Dry Weather across Flood-Ravaged Midwest
A much-needed reprieve from stormy weather has arrived across flood-ravaged portions of the Midwest.
Cooler air was filtering down from Canada along with bright sunshine this morning, offering cities such as Milwaukee and Chicago ideal conditions for drying out from recent heavy rains.
Still, officials warned that flooding is still ongoing across many locations. Some roadways remain closed as well.
Many river gauges continue to run high in the wake of the flooding. Others, mainly farther north, were beginning to slowly fall.
The major rivers could take a few days to recede as runoff from swollen streams and creeks drain downstream.
The flood situation stemmed from numerous thunderstorms that inundated southeastern Minnesota, southern Wisconsin, eastern Iowa and northern Illinois Thursday through Saturday.
Rainfall totaled at least 3 to 6 inches across most of the aforementioned area, with localized reports of over 10 inches.
Double-digit rainfall totals over the course of about 12 hours led to a major dam failure in northeast Iowa.
The Lake Delhi dam, located along the Maquoketa River about 45 miles north of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, suffered a major failure Saturday, unleashing a torrent of water.
Rural farmland and homes downstream were inundated by floodwaters, which eventually began to recede later Saturday. Iowa Governor Chet Culver declared the flood zone a disaster area, according to CNN.
Overall, conditions for both the sky and river will continue to improve as we head into the upcoming workweek with dry weather forecast through Tuesday.
Another round of storms could arrive Tuesday night and Wednesday.
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Daily U.S. Extremes
past 24 hours
| Extreme | Location | |
|---|---|---|
| High | 86° | Borrego Springs, CA |
| Low | -18° | Flag Island, MN |
| Precip | 1.60" | West Palm Beach, FL |
WeatherWhys®
The "Dead of Winter," the one-month period when normal temperatures reach their lowest levels, has come to an end for much of the United States. Some people may find it odd that the "Dead of Winter" does not encompass the darkest day of the year (the first day of winter). That is due to a seasonal lag in temperatures. More heat continues to be lost than is gained from the start of winter until this time of year.
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