Rainy Lake reaches record high; pleasantly cool weekend ahead

Water levels on Rainy Lake reached record levels Friday according to a gauge on the Canadian side of the lake in Fort Francis, Ontario. The image above shows the water level Friday reaching the previous record level of 339.23 meters (above sea level) reached in 1950.

Still rising

Water levels in the Rainy River basin are not expected to peak until late June. The reason is that there is still more water flowing into the basin than there is flowing out.

Take a look at the inflow and outflow levels into Rainy Lake. You can see on the image below that inflow levels Friday are roughly 65,000 feet per second. Outflow levels are around 50,000 feet per second. So there’s a net inflow of about 15,000 feet per second that’s still causing rising water levels.

It’s been a devastatingly wet year across the Rainy River basin in northern Minnesota. Floodwaters several feet deep have inundated homes and cabins. Reporter Dan Kraker and other MPR News staff compiled this detailed account of the flood woes residents of the region are facing.

Pleasantly cool weekend ahead

I’d give this weekend a six out of 10 Weather Lab stars. Expect a mix of sunny and cloudy hours this weekend across Minnesota. The best chance for scattered showers favors southern Minnesota Saturday, but there could be a few pop-up showers in central Minnesota also.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s NAM 3 km resolution model shows showers and thunderstorms favoring southern Minnesota with a few popping up in central Minnesota Saturday. The loop below runs between 1 a.m. and 9 p.m. Saturday.

Sunday looks dry across most of Minnesota, but a brief pop-up shower can’t be ruled out. Highs this weekend will be a mix of 60s and low 70s across Minnesota.