Flooding Rain Returns to the Plains and Midwest, Then Heads Northeast

Persistent heavy rain will raise the risk of flash flooding across the Plains and the Midwest this week before pushing into the Northeast by the weekend. While the moisture will help areas dealing with drought conditions, the repeated nature of the rain events will put a wrench in outdoor plans and travel.

Flooding Rainfall Back in the Forecast for the Central and Eastern U.S.

It was a stormy start to the week for much of the Midwest and the central Plains. For instance, the community of Atlantic, Iowa, saw 5 inches of rain over a period of 72 hours. The Omaha metro area recorded nearly 3.5 inches of rain through midday Wednesday.

The weather maker is forecast to strengthen on Thursday, taking aim at Nebraska, South Dakota, the western flank of Iowa, and southwestern Minnesota. This system will stretch farther east late Thursday and into Friday, impacting many areas that have already been hit with heavy rain this week.

A large swath of land from central South Dakota to central Wisconsin is expecting 2 to 4 inches of rain over the next few days. Higher localized amounts of 4 to 8 inches are possible within this zone.

Motorists using portions of Interstates 35, 90, and 94 in Minnesota and Wisconsin should be prepared for travel disruptions. This impact zone includes the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area.

Lastly, agricultural interests could see additional delays to the fall harvest because of the soggy fields.