August 1-14, 2001

The first two weeks of August started with a slow moving cold front edging southeastward from the Great Plains. Northeastern Minnesota experienced heavy rains on the 1st, with the heaviest precipitation sweeping southward through Wisconsin and northern Illinois on the 2nd. Up to six inches of rain fell in southern Wisconsin, while Chicago experienced an incredible 4 inches in a three hour period (Figure 5, NWS). The front sagged across the region on the 3rd and 4th, with heavy rains falling on a narrow band from northwest Iowa to eastern Kentucky. However, many areas missed the precipitation, and after the 4th, conditions turned dry and hot in much of the Midwest. A serious heat wave killed people in a number of states, as well as stressing the row crops and pastures. Another cold front moved through the area August 8-10, bringing isolated heavy rain and high winds capable of damaging crops to much of the Upper Midwest. The rain was spotty over the region, with some places receiving copious amounts and others nothing. At the same time, the remnants of Tropical Storm Barry also brought beneficial rain to the southern Midwest drought areas (Figure 6). Almost all of the Midwest, except for northern Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the southern edges received less than the normal amount of rain for the first 2 weeks of August (Figure 7). Temperatures averaged 3-7°F above normal for the period, with the extreme heat wave days tempered by the two cold front passages (Figure 8).