October 10-16, 2001

The period of October 10-16 was very wet in the Midwest. A total of more than 4 inches of rain fell in most of the Illinois/Indiana border region, and a larger area received more than 3 inches (Figure 12). Precipitation totals reached up to 5 inches more than normal for the week (Figure 13), and were above normal throughout the entire Midwest. The core of the rainy area received more than 700% of normal precipitation for the week (Figure 14). Temperatures were well above normal for the first two rain events during the period, leading to means 2-4°F above normal in the eastern Midwest (Figure 15). Sharply colder conditions swept in at the end of the period, inducing below normal temperatures for the week in the western Midwest. The cool temperatures and excessive rains greatly hindered harvest activities in the Midwest during this week.

The week started with a low pressure system entering the southwestern Midwest late on the 9th and continuing northward along the western edge of the Midwest on the 10th. Heavy rain and severe weather hit southwestern Missouri. A frontal boundary swung through much of the Midwest the next day, and a minor disturbance along the front brought heavy rain to southern Illinois and western Kentucky, and relatively moderate rains north and east. The largest rain producer arrived in Iowa on the 13th and also found a path leading north to James Bay. This storm tapped Gulf of Mexico moisture, and a plume of moderate to heavy rain extended all the way from the Gulf to Canada (Figure 16), UIUC Dept of Atmospheric Science). Stream flow reached record levels for October 14th and 15th over most of Indiana, northeast Illinois, and southern Michigan (Figure 17, USGS), and flooding occurred in some parts of Indiana and in the Chicago area. The Wabash River near Montezuma, IN, reached 6 feet above flood stage at the end of the period (Figure 18, USGS), when a final low pressure system quickly moved through the region from west to east, dropping moderate precipitation in already saturated locations. The flooding Wabash was located under an area that received 4-6 inches of rain between October 10 and 16 (Figure 19), NWS). Flooding affected mostly rural areas and farm fields, delaying field work indefinitely in these zones.