Soaker: Periods of rain into Thursday

Minnesota seems like a low-pressure magnet on the weather maps. And right on schedule, the next mid-latitude cyclone tracks through Minnesota overnight with more locally heavy rainfall in tow.

Heavy rain zone

Our latest soaker brings yet another shot of locally heavy rainfall. The surface low track favors laying out the heaviest rain bands across Minnesota through Redwood Falls, St. Cloud, Brainerd lakes, Iron Range into the Arrowhead.

I still think a general zone of 1 to 3-inches looks likely. Slow moving downpours could produce some heavier rainfall totals.

Drier and warmer

The overall forecast trend favors drier weather from late Thursday through the weekend. A weak atmospheric ripple brings slight chance for spotty showers Friday. Temperatures rebound into the 80s in southern Minnesota with 70s up north this weekend.

Southern Minnesota floods 10 years ago this week

I remember this was my first summer working at MPR News. The Aug. 18-19, 2007 southern Minnesota flash flood event was the first of several 1,000-year flood events to follow in Minnesota over the past 10 years.

Here's a great summary of that devastating flood event from the La Crosse, Wis., National Weather Service office.

Rainfall and flooding of historic proportions struck parts of the Upper Mississippi River Valley on Saturday night, August 18th, continuing through Sunday, August 19th. Rainfall in excess of 15 inches fell in some areas, with the main swath of heaviest rain centered along a line from Claremont and Rochester, Minnesota to La Crosse, Viroqua and Muscoda, Wisconsin.

A 24-hour rainfall record was set for the state of Minnesota near Hokah, MN (Houston Co.) with 15.10 inches, while unofficial readings may have exceeded 17".

There were numerous mud slides, roads washed out, and flash flooding that killed 7 people. The community of Rushford, MN was flooded by Rush Creek and infrastructure remained damaged for months.  Damage costs likely exceeded $200 Million.

Devastating Louisiana flood event 1-year later

It's been a year since the devastating Louisiana flood event. Still thousands of people are displaced or without work. Disaster aid is slow to reach the hard hit areas. Here's an excellent read from John Upton at Climate Central on why this may be our future as climate change-driven extreme rainfall events continue to increase.

I talk with John about where we stand a year after Louisiana tomorrow on MPR's Climate Cast on MPR News stations at 3:20 p.m. and 6:20 pm.

I hope you can join us.