Wet, White, and Wild Weather

Surface map at 7:00 CDT April 18

This has been an interesting week for spring weather from the Rockies through the Midwest. In the last 24 hours there have been flooding rains, heavy snow, severe thunderstorms, and tornadoes, all related to the same weather system

Much of Colorado got more snow in the past 24 hours, with as much as 15 inches in south-central Colorado near Pueblo. Snow also accumulated 2 to 3 inches in western South Dakota and 2 to 4 inches in northern Minnesota. Snow also occurred in Nebraska and northwestern Kansas.

24 hour snowfall ending the morning of April 18

On the warm side of this system. severe weather was reported from Oklahoma to Indiana. Two tornadoes touched down in Oklahoma, baseball size hail pummeled locations in Missouri, and thunderstorm winds gusted to 90 mph in western Illinois.

The heavy rain produced by this weather system has caused flooding from the southeastern half of Iowa through northern Missouri and across the northern third of Illinois.

24 hour precipitation ending at 7:00 a.m. CDT April 18

Many rivers and streams are in flood, and record flooding is possible for some rivers in northern Illinois.  As of 10:00 a.m. CDT this morning 170 CoCoRaHS observers reported more than 4 inches of rain, and of those, 54 reported more than 5 inches of rain. Below are the highest rain amounts in the last 24 hours from CoCoRaHS observers.

CoCoRaHS reports for April 18, 2013

 It's not over, either.  More heavy rain is expected today ahead of the cold front as it sweeps through the Midwest, and severe weather is likely from Indiana eastward. Winter weather advisories are in effect from northern Kansas to Lake Superior and a winter storm warning is in effect for portions of Minnesota into northwestern Wisconsin and the Michigan U.P.

24-hour expected precipitation from 7am CDT 4/18 to 7am CDT 4/19

Watches, warnings, and advisories in effect aas of 10:00 a.m. April 18