Front and Systems Active for Central US This Week

In the Midwest, it was dry for most areas this weekend, but a front moved into the west and produced some areas of showers, especially in Minnesota. That front will be stuck across the region this week and showers will form near it throughout the week. The front will push through the region this weekend with more widespread showers and some areas of moderate or heavy rain. Drought continues to build over the east, though, and the coming rain likely will not help in too many areas.

In the Northern Plains, a system went through with heavy rain and a little snow in Montana and moderate rain in the eastern Dakotas this weekend. A couple of systems will move through the region with widespread showers this week as well, but heavy rain is not in the forecast for too many locations. Some areas of dryness will see beneficial rainfall this week.

In the Central and Southern Plains, some isolated showers moved through over the weekend, but most areas stayed dry. That is despite a front moving into the region that will be a focal point for systems to develop on throughout the week. A pair of them are forecast and showers should become more widespread. Areas of drought in the south will get some rain, while the rain should keep other areas from drying out too much.

In the Delta, it was dry over the weekend and will be dry throughout the week. The next chance for showers will come through with a front this weekend. Though rain from early last week gave a slight bump to water levels on the Mississippi River, that is passing south into the Gulf this week while water levels return to low levels. The coming rain is not forecast to improve that to any significant degree.

In the Southeast, a system formed off the coast and brought rain to the Carolinas and eastern Georgia over the weekend, being heavy in some spots that should improve or eliminate the drought in these areas. The rest of the region was dry, though, and continues to be dry throughout the week as drought momentum continues to grow. The next chance for rain comes with a front sweeping through the region this weekend and probably won’t be enough to limit the expanding drought.

In the Western U.S., a system moved through the Pacific Northwest over the weekend and drew up moisture from a decayed tropical storm to produce heavy precipitation in the Four Corners area as well. A trough in the region will continue showers throughout most of the week, benefiting many areas by increasing soil moisture and reducing drought. Another trough moving in this weekend and early next week should provide more widespread precipitation.

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