Good news for the flood-weary Red River Valley

One-week estimated precipitation map of the Upper Midwest (courtesy of intellicast.com). A few towns in far southwestern Minnesota, closer to the storm track, have seen over 1" of rain since last weekend but the northern 1/2 to 1/2 of Minnesota has been bone-dry, with no rain in the forecast until next Thursday at the earliest.

Our dry atmospheric "holding pattern" comes as very good news for residents living along the raging Red River. A gradual warming trend and lack of rain has allowed snow to melt gradually over far northern Minnesota and North Dakota, reducing the potential for flooding disaster. That said, a second crest along the Red River is likely within the next 1-2 weeks; residents living in flood-prone areas should stay alert and still be prepared to evacuate to higher ground if conditions deteriorate.