Flood warnings along I-90: Heavy rainfall again Thursday

Posted at 11:10 PM on September 22, 2010 by Paul Huttner
Filed under: Rainfall, Severe weather

Update 11:10pm:

Persistent heavy rainfall swamped southern Minnesota with 2" to more than 4" of rain Wednesday night. NWS has issued flood warnings for several counties along and north of the I-90 corridor in southern Minnesota.

Doppler radar shows heavy rain bands in southern Minnesota late Wednesday evening.
(Click for bigger image)

Waves of rainfall will continue to develop and lift north through Thursday. Expect periods of rain, sometimes heavy. There is a slight risk for a few severe storms as well.

This may be a situation where we see some incredible rainfall totals as the slow moving storm pushes north into Minnesota Thursday.

1 2 stp.gif
NEXRAD storm total rainfall loop shows 2" to 4" rainfall totals in southern Minnesota.

Some locations will see a month's worth of rainfall in a day or two. The latest indications are that some areas in southern Minnesota could see over 5" to 7"+ rainfall by Friday morning.

Stay tuned for updated warnings here.

(original post 3:25pm)

Forecast: Flood Watch

Get ready for some really big puddles.

A powerful fall like storm system is taking aim for Minnesota. We're on track for a potentially heavy rainfall event in much of Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin through Thursday and into Friday morning.

The lead wave of rainfall is already here, and by the time wave number two rolls through Thursday, some areas may have rain gauges brimming with 2" to 4"+ rainfall totals.

The Twin Cities NWS has issued a flood watch through Friday morning for the metro and much of central Minnesota and northern Wisconsin.

It appears the first wave may come through without severe weather, but as warm and humid and increasingly unstable air is drawn north with the system, there is the potential for some severe storms into Thursday.

Bottom line: get ready for some potential heavy rainfall over the next 36 hours, and keep an eye out for possible severe weather, especially in southern Minnesota.

-Twin Cities radar
-NWS watches and warnings