Tracking Severe Thunderstorms and Excessive Rainfall in the Southern U.S.; Winter Storm to Impact the Northern U.S.

A storm system will shift from eastern Texas into the lower Mississippi Valley Monday with additional threats of severe thunderstorms and heavy to excessive rainfall which may bring flooding. A Flood Watch remains in effect. In the northern U.S., a storm will bring heavy snow and gusty winds over parts of the northern Rockies, northern Plains, and Upper Midwest Monday into Wednesday. Read More >

It was a very dry July across the Northland. Nearly every place observed below normal rainfall, and in many cases several inches below normal with totals only 25% to 50% of normal! It should come as no surprise that drought conditions have worsened regionwide, with widespread moderate to severe drought and a few pockets of extreme drought. Temperatures were generally a degree or two below average for the month. There were some hot days mixed with average and below average temperature days.

The CPC outlooks for August and the next three months do not suggest a clear trend for temperatures or rainfall. There are equal chances for above, below, or around normal temperatures and precipitation. With that, drought conditions are expected to persist into the foreseeable future even if rainfall trend towards average.