North-central US to endure cool, rainy pattern through much of this week
Frequent bouts of wet weather will keep the north-central United States unusually cool for early September for several days this week.
Residents from the Dakotas to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan will need to keep jackets and umbrellas close at hand during the pattern.
"It will be wet and cool over the northern Plains and into the Upper Midwest as frequent storms from the Pacific cross the region through early week" according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Bob Smerbeck.
The rounds of storms will track from the Pacific Ocean and along the northern and western periphery of record heat over the southern states.
The rain that started dampening portions of the region over the weekend was only the start of the wet pattern.
Into Monday night, a storm system will spread soaking rainfall and a few thunderstorms from southwest to northeast across the region. Commuters in Minneapolis could endure slower-than-normal travel times for the evening rush hour.
After a brief break between storms on Tuesday, more wet weather will roll in by Tuesday night and linger into Thursday.
Along the southern periphery of the steady rain, locally severe thunderstorms can rumble through portions of the central Plains into the middle of the week.
Motorists with short- and long-term travel plans should anticipate times of reduced visibility when the rain pours down on sections of interstates 29, 35, 90 and 94. The rain will also create a heightened risk of hydroplaning while traveling at highway speeds.
While the rainfall will largely be a nuisance to travelers and those with outdoor plans, there will be a small risk of localized flooding, mainly in low-lying and poor drainage areas that get hit with steady rainfall more than once. This risk may be greatest in portions of the Dakotas and Minnesota.
Farmers may struggle to find times to work in the fields during the rainy pattern. AccuWeather's 2019 crop production analysis released on Friday affirmed the belief that corn and soybean production will be down this year.
Accompanying the clouds and rain will be temperatures more typical of levels experienced in late September and early October across the northern tier of the central United States.
"Temperatures will be held in the 60s and in some cases, the 50s F during the daytime," AccuWeather Long-Range Meteorologist Max Vido said. This includes in Bismarck and Fargo, North Dakota; Minneapolis; and Marquette, Michigan.
Such highs are 5 to as much as 20 degrees Fahrenheit below normal, according to Vido.
"Warmth may begin to nose farther north into the Midwest around the middle part of the week," Smerbeck said. During this time, temperatures will likely return to the upper 70s and lower 80s in Minneapolis, with highs in the 90s expected over the central Plains.
However, the warmup will be short-lived as cooler conditions are forecast to move at week's end.
Download the free AccuWeather app to see how temperatures will trend in your area and keep track of the timing of rain using exclusive MinuteCast®. Keep checking back for updates on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
