Areas of Showers Across the US This Week

In the Midwest, a front swept through the region over the weekend, bringing widespread areas of showers and thunderstorms and moderate to heavy rainfall. Another system will move through for the front half of the week but with lighter showers. Another system will move across the south with showers for late week. And yet another system is forecast to move through this weekend into next week with more rainfall. Recent and forecast rain should help with the ongoing drought situation.

In the Northern Plains, scattered showers fell over the weekend as one system left and another moved in. Showers may last into Tuesday before leaving, with drier conditions for several days afterward. Another system will move into the region this weekend with showers, though.

In the Central and Southern Plains, scattered showers and some areas of heavy rain moved through the southeast over the weekend, helping the drought situation somewhat. Some isolated showers may go through Nebraska on Monday, but drier conditions are forecast until a compact little system moves into the region with showers and thunderstorms for Thursday and Friday. Some areas of heavy rain will be possible with that system. Another system will move in over the weekend and could produce scattered showers as well.

In the Delta, widespread showers and thunderstorms moved through over the weekend, producing areas of heavy rain that should benefit the ongoing drought conditions. Though rain here and in the Midwest was heavy, water levels on the Mississippi River are not finding a huge benefit. Instead, the water is soaking into soils instead of running off. Only some limited benefit to the river will occur.

In the Southeast, though a front swept through the region over the weekend, rain went from heavy in the northwest to non-existent in the southeast. Rain was heaviest where drought was the most intense, however, which should be a benefit. Though systems and fronts are forecast to move through the country this week, the Southeast is forecast to be very dry.

In the Western U.S., a system went through the Northwest with scattered showers over the weekend. An upper-level system will move through the Southwest this week, but with limited showers. A larger system is forecast to move through the region this weekend into early next week that may produce areas of heavier precipitation, but more likely across the north. Though precipitation has been increasing in recent weeks, drought is still widespread across the region and will take some time to improve.

John Baranick can be reached at john.baranick@dtn.com