Image credit: National Weather Service, Twin Cities/Chanhassen
Rain developed across southern Minnesota on Thursday October 12, and then continued to fall moderately to heavily over the next 18-36 hours, with showers continuing into Saturday. This was mostly a steady rain, although there were occasional embedded thunderstorms in far southern Minnesota. Rainfall totals generally reached an inch or more over the southern half of Minnesota, with totals in excess of two inches covering much of that area. Pockets of the western Twin Cities area, western, and southwestern Minnesota received three inches or more.
The highest rainfall totals from National Weather Service cooperative observers included 4.18 inches at St. James, 3.80 inches at Lakefield, 3.69 inches at Marshall, and 3.55 inches at the National Weather Service office in Chanhassen. Observers with the CoCoRaHS network across the southern half of the state measured 2.50 to 4.5 inches of rain, with some unconfirmed higher reports as well. The the official Twin Cities and Rochester airport stations both finished lower than the many other southern Minnesota stations, with 1.94 and 1.19 inches, respectively.
This rain soaked into the ground and produced little runoff, suggesting that it was badly needed by the still-dry soils, which may have been able to take in even more rain at that intensity. Despite this helpful rainfall, most of Minnesota remains 4-8 inches short of normal precipitation since May 1.
October 19, 2023