Friday’s Heavy Rain Could Ease Drought Conditions Across Minnesota

UNDATED (WJON News) -- A long-duration rainfall event is forecast to begin early Friday morning and persist for much of the day.

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Locations across southeastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin have the greatest chance of rainfall amounts in excess of 2". A narrow axis of heavier amounts (3-5"+) may result in localized flooding.

National Weather Service

Widespread moderate to heavy rain is expected late Thursday night through Friday evening. Several inches of rain are possible, which may lead to flooding. The heaviest rainfall totals are currently expected to fall from portions of west central Minnesota to the southern Twin Cities Metro, to west central Wisconsin and southeast Minnesota.

St. Cloud has officially received 1.54 inches of rain in September, which is .09 inches below normal.

The latest update from the U.S. Drought Monitor shows 94 percent of the state is abnormally dry, 71 percent is in a moderate drought, 46 percent is in a severe drought, and four percent is in an extreme drought.