Heavy Rains Over Southern and Central Minnesota:
August 24, 2006

Warm moist air out ahead of a deep low pressure area over southeast South Dakota was the catalyst for not only severe weather but also heavy rains over southern and central Minnesota. Thunderstorms developed in the vicinity of a warm front draped across southern Minnesota during the day on August 24. The storms with the heaviest rains began in the afternoon hours over west central Minnesota. They moved to the southeast along Interstate 94 across the Twin Cities during suppertime and continued over southeast Minnesota after dark. The primary problem with these storms was the intensity of the rains over a short period of time. The rain fell at the rate of .89 inches in 15 minutes at the U of M St. Paul Campus Climate Observatory. One inch fell in 20 minutes in North St. Paul.

Street flooding was reported in the Twin Cities and other urban areas were the storms hit. Water was up to car windows on Broadway Street and Interstate 94 in Minneapolis during the height of the storm. Some minor flooding was also reported in Ramsey in Anoka County and Mahtomedi in Ramsey County. At Austin in Mower County, many streets were flooded and water was across parts of I-90 during the storm. The highest 24 hour total found was 5.35 inches at Kasson in Dodge County. 4.75 inches fell at Dodge Center in Dodge County. See the radar-based precipitation estimates provided by the National Weather Service.

Heavy rains fell on parts of the state still suffering under the effects of the drought, especially over Grant, Douglas, Todd, Stearns, Benton, Kanabec, and Pine counties. St. Cloud saw 2.35 inches of rain on August 24, equal to what would normally fall in two weeks during the summer. Unfortunately, the rains missed the Mississippi Headwaters region. Bemidji for instance, is now eight inches below normal since May 15th.

Listed below are rainfall totals from the National Weather Service.


MAX/MIN TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION TABLE FOR 
CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL MINNESOTA AND WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
1011 AM CDT FRI AUG 25 2006

 VALUES REPRESENT YESTERDAYS HIGHS...LOW OVER THE LAST 12 HOURS
 AND PRECIPITATION OVER THE LAST 24 HOURS ENDING AT 6AM


.BR MSP  0825  C DH00/TX/DH06/TAIRZP/PP
:
:
:          STATION              MAX    MIN      24-HR
:           NAME                TEMP   TEMP     PCPN
AXN  :  ALEXANDRIA MN ARPT    :  71  /  62  /   2.46
EAU  :  EAU CLAIRE WI ARPT    :  69  /  63  /   1.07
STC  :  ST CLOUD MN ARPT      :  69  /  62  /   2.35
MIC  :  CRYSTAL MN ARPT       :  67  /  65  /   0.86
MSP  :  MINNEAPOLIS MN ARPT   :  70  /  65  /   1.26
STP  :  ST PAUL MN ARPT       :  68  /  66  /   1.31
FCM  :  EDEN PRAIRIE MN ARPT  :  71  /  65  /   0.39
RWF  :  REDWOOD FALLS MN ARPT :  79  /  64  /   0.00
.END

:             COOPERATIVE OBSERVER REPORTS
:VALUES ARE FOR THE PREVIOUS 24 HOURS ENDING BETWEEN 6 AM AND
:        8 AM LOCAL TIME UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED
:
:          STATION                MAX    MIN    24-HR
:           NAME                  TEMP   TEMP   PCPN
CLSM5 : CARLOS (ALEXANDRIA AREA) :    M  /   M  /    0.69  /
MPXM5 : CHANHASSEN  MN  WFO      :   71  /  64  /    1.05  /
FIRM5 : FAIRMONT                 :   89  /  67  /    0.00  /
FRBM5 : FARIBAULT                :   79  /  66  /    2.93  /
FORM5 : FOREST LAKE              :   68  /  62  /    2.65  /
FDYM5 : FRIDLEY                  :    M  /   M  /    1.00  /
GWDM5 : GLENWOOD                 :    M  /   M  /    0.55  /
HSTM5 : HASTINGS L/D 2           :    M  /   M  /    0.21  /
LSTM5 : LESTER PRAIRIE           :    M  /   M  /    0.26  /
LCHM5 : LITCHFIELD               :   68  /  63  /      T   /
LTFM5 : LITTLE FALLS             :    M  /   M  /    0.51  /
MWDM5 : MAPLEWOOD                :    M  /   M  /    1.96  /
LSAM5 : MINNEAPOLIS LOWER ST ANT :    M  /   M  /    1.70  /
MGMM5 : MONTGOMERY               :    M  /   M  /    0.63  /
NYAM5 : NORWOOD YOUNG AMERICA    :    M  /   M  /    0.83  /
REWM5 : REDWOOD FALLS            :    M  /   M  /    0.00  /
RFDM5 : ROCKFORD                 :    M  /   M  /    0.15  /
SCOM5 : ST CLOUD SCSU            :    M  /   M  /    1.87  /
SNTM5 : ST PAUL 3SW              :   68  /  64  /    1.36  /
STIM5 : STILLWATER 2SW           :   67  /  64  /    2.51  /
SWRM5 : STILLWATER               :    M  /   M  /    3.37  /
WACM5 : WACONIA                  :    M  /   M  /    0.46  /
WASM5 : WASECA                   :   84  /  67  /    0.09  /
WTTM5 : WATERTOWN                :    M  /   M  /    0.36  /
WLDM5 : WILD RIVER STATE PARK    :   68  /  63  /    1.20  /
WNNM5 : WINNEBAGO                :    M  /   M  /    0.51  /
ZBRM5 : ZUMBROTA                 :   73  /  65  /    3.42  /
:WISCONSIN
AGSW3 : AUGUSTA RANGER STATION   :   66  /  62  /    1.25  /
BMRW3 : BLOOMER WI               :   69  /  62  /    0.69  /
BALW3 : BALDWIN WI               :    M  /   M  /    2.95  /
CHPW3 : CHIPPEWA FALLS           :    M  /   M  /    0.56  /
ELRW3 : EAU CLAIRE 3SW           :   67  /  63  /    1.80  /
JIMW3 : JIM FALLS WI             :   69  /  62  /    0.54  /
STAW3 : STANLEY WI               :   68  /  61  /    1.95  /
WEYW3 : WEYERHAEUSER 1N          :   69  /  56  /    0.45  /


TEMPERATURE DATA REPRESENT THE HIGHEST AND LOWEST
TEMPERATURES REPORTED ON A STATIONS OBSERVATIONS
TRANSMITTED THREE TIMES AN HOUR AND MAY NOT NECESSARILY
BE THE HIGHEST OR LOWEST TEMPERATURE THAT OCCURRED AT THE
SITE.  THE PRECIPITATION VALUE AT THESE SITES IS AN ESTIMATE
BASED ON THE P-GROUP IN THE OBSERVATION.  SNOWFALL AND SNOW
DEPTH ARE REPORTED WHEN CURRENT DATA IS AVAILABLE.

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LA CROSSE WI
10 AM CDT FRI AUG 25 2006

 24 HOUR RAINFALL TOTALS ACROSS THE AREA


LOCATION                   COUNTY              RAINFALL

...MINNESOTA...
AUSTIN-TURTLE CREEK        MOWER                 2.42
AUSTIN-DOBBINS CREEK       MOWER                 3.32
AUSTIN AWOS                MOWER                 2.58
AUSTIN - KAAL TV           MOWER                 3.10
KASSON-PUBLIC REPORT       DODGE                 5.35
BROWNSVILLE                HOUSTON               2.97
DAKOTA                     WINONA                1.25
LAKE CITY                  WABASHA               2.26
LANSING-CEDAR RIVER        MOWER                 3.11
ROCHESTER-PUBLIC NW SIDE   OLMSTED               4.30
ROCHESTER - CASCADE CREEK  OLMSTED               3.80
ROCHESTER INTL AP          OLMSTED               3.09
ROCHESTER - SILVER CREEK   OLMSTED               2.90
ROCHESTER BELTLINE         OLMSTED               2.86
ROCHESTER - BEAR CREEK     OLMSTED               2.78
PRESTON AWOS               FILLMORE              0.98
WINONA AWOS                WINONA                0.69
DODGE CENTER               DODGE                 4.75
DODGE CENTER AWOS          DODGE                 3.49
BYRON 3N                   OLMSTED               4.62
CALEDONIA                  HOUSTON               2.14
CALEDONIA 6S               HOUSTON               1.15
ST. CHARLES                WINONA                3.55
CHATFIELD                  FILLMORE              2.35
DOVER 2NE                  OLMSTED               3.22
WHITEWATER STATE PARK      OLMSTED               2.79
EYOTA 2NE                  OLMSTED               2.84
ELGIN 2SSW                 OLMSTED               4.49
GRAND MEADOW               MOWER                 1.53
HIGHLAND 2SE               FILLMORE              1.10
HARMONY                    FILLMORE              0.87
HOKAH                      HOUSTON               2.80
LA CRESCENT DAM 7          WINONA                1.57
LAKE CITY-COOP             WABASHA               2.88
LANESBORO                  FILLMORE              0.96
MINNESOTA CITY DAM 5       WINONA                0.65
MANTORVILLE                DODGE                 4.42
PRESTON                    FILLMORE              1.34
SPRING VALLEY              FILLMORE              1.44
SPRING VALLEY 3W           FILLMORE              0.84
THEILMAN 1SSW              WABASHA               1.62
WINONA DAM 5A              WINONA                1.18
WEST CONCORD               DODGE                 4.56
ZUMBRO FALLS               WABASHA               1.92


...WISCONSIN...
BLACK RIVER FALLS          JACKSON               1.79
BURTON                     GRANT                 0.17
DIAMOND LAKE RAWS          TAYLOR                0.91
LA CROSSE-1ESE             LA CROSSE             1.84
LA CROSSE-RIVER GAGE       LA CROSSE             1.18
LA CROSSE ASOS             LA CROSSE             1.21
LA CROSSE 5SE              LA CROSSE             1.10
LA CROSSE 4NNW             LA CROSSE             1.23
LA CROSSE WFO              LA CROSSE             1.46
NECEDAH RAWS               JUNEAU                0.76
STEUBEN                    CRAWFORD              1.06
ONTARIO                    VERNON                1.06
NEILLSVILLE                CLARK                 0.73
ROCKVILLE                  GRANT                 0.15
READSTOWN                  VERNON                2.58
BOSCOBEL ASOS              GRANT                 1.25
BOSCOBEL RAWS              GRANT                 1.15
PRAIRIE DU CHIEN AP AWOS   CRAWFORD              0.43
SPARTA - FT MC COY         MONROE                0.39
MEDFORD AWOS               TAYLOR                0.60
ALMA DAM 4                 BUFFALO               2.00
FOUR CORNERS               MONROE                0.49
BLAIR                      TREMPEALEAU           1.62
BLACK RIVER FALLS WWTP     JACKSON               2.17
CUBA CITY 2NW              GRANT                 0.07
ELK MOUND                  DUNN                  1.10
ETTRICK 5SE                TREMPEALEAU           0.38
FRIENDSHIP                 ADAMS                 0.74
GAD 6E                     TAYLOR                1.11
GALESVILLE 1S              TREMPEALEAU           0.84
GOODRICH 1E                TAYLOR                1.17
GENOA DAM 8                VERNON                2.05
GAYS MILLS                 CRAWFORD              1.35
HILLSBORO                  VERNON                1.08
HIXTON 5W                  JACKSON               2.60
LA FARGE                   VERNON                1.09
LANCASTER 4WSW             GRANT                 0.15
LUBLIN                     TAYLOR                1.05
LYNXVILLE DAM 9            CRAWFORD              0.85
MATHER 3NW                 JACKSON               0.84
MEDFORD TAYLOR CO AP 2S    TAYLOR                1.25
MEDFORD-COOP               TAYLOR                1.12
MONDOVI 6S                 BUFFALO               2.85
MONDOVI 2W                 BUFFALO               2.64
NECEDAH 5WNW CRN           JUNEAU                0.67
NECEDAH 2SE                JUNEAU                0.61
NEILLSVILLE 3SW            CLARK                 0.70
ONALASKA                   LA CROSSE             1.29
ONTARIO                    VERNON                0.95
OWEN 2N                    CLARK                 1.32
PRAIRIE DU CHIEN           CRAWFORD              0.48
PORT ANDREW                RICHLAND              1.21
READSTOWN-COOP             VERNON                3.70
RICHLAND CENTER            RICHLAND              2.07
STEUBEN 4SE                CRAWFORD              0.78
SPARTA                     MONROE                0.53
TAYLOR                     JACKSON               3.15
TOMAH RANGER STATION       MONROE                0.89
TREMPEALEAU DAM 6          TREMPEALEAU           1.05
TUNNEL CITY 1S             MONROE                0.70
VIROQUA                    VERNON                2.34
MONDOVI 2W                 BUFFALO               2.64
MONROE CENTER              ADAMS                 1.10
VOLK FIELD                 JUNEAU                1.65
WARRENS 5WSW               MONROE                0.50
-

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URL: http://climate.umn.edu/doc/journal/heavyrain060824.htm
Last modified: August 25, 2006