Storm, Lingering Front Producing Heavy Rain This Week

In the Midwest, a stalled front and system moving through brought areas of severe weather and heavy rainfall over the weekend. Another system will push through on Monday into Tuesday with more of the same. The front will push south out of the region on Wednesday with a couple of drier days behind it. However, another system will bring showers through the region for late this week and weekend. Heavy rain may produce flooding in some areas, but improve or maintain soil moisture.

In the Northern Plains, scattered showers went through the region over the weekend, producing some areas of moderate to heavy rain. Another system moving through on Monday will continue that in the Dakotas. Additional scattered showers will move through midweek as well. Overall, soil moisture is improving in much of the region and some of the drought in the west and south is being reduced as well.

In the Central and Southern Plains, rounds of showers and thunderstorms moved through the north over the weekend, producing areas of heavy rain and severe weather. Another system will move through on Monday with more of the same, but probably extend farther south through the Plains as well. The front to the system will move down into Texas and stall, producing areas of showers there throughout the week. Meanwhile, another system will move through midweek with more scattered showers farther north. Overall, soil moisture is improving, especially for northern areas. And the extremely dry areas in the west are getting multiple opportunities to get some rain as well.

In the Delta, it was largely dry over the weekend with a few isolated showers dotting the south on Sunday. A front will move into the region by Tuesday and stall. That will produce daily rainfall across the region through the weekend and maybe through next week as well. Though the last week has been dry, soil moisture is much improved in the region, and the rain this week will aid further reductions in drought.

In the Southeast U.S., scattered thunderstorms moved into Georgia and Florida on Sunday, but most of the region was dry this weekend. After a couple of drier days, a front will move into the region and stall. Where that occurs will be important because daily showers and thunderstorms are forecast to develop near it for the rest of the week and weekend. Showers may increase in coverage next week as this boundary lingers around the region and moisture comes up from the Gulf to support widespread shower development.

In the Western U.S., a system moved through the northern half of the region over the weekend, producing areas of showers and some heavier rainfall in Utah into Wyoming. That should help to reduce drought a bit. Showers will leave on Monday. A smaller system will move down through the Rockies on Wednesday and Thursday with scattered showers, but little will fall in the nearby valleys in drought. Dryness in the southwest will continue to build drought there.

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