Midwest Overview - June 22-30, 2003

The precipitation picture in the Midwest the last ten days of June was one of feast or famine.  Rainfall in Minnesota, Iowa, and along the mid Mississippi River Valley exceed 200 percent of normal, while much of Indiana and Ohio received less than 25 percent of normal rainfall (Figure 1).  A large portion of the upper Midwest has received only 50 to 75 percent of normal rainfall this month (Figure 2).  June was very cool across most of the region, with temperatures more than two degrees below normal across more than half of the region, and near normal elsewhere (Figure 3).  This June ranks as the 23rd coolest in the Midwest (based on preliminary June data). It was the 7th coolest June in Kentucky, 9th coolest in Missouri, 11th coolest in Illinois, 14th coolest in Indiana, and 17th coolest in Ohio.

Heavy rain and severe weather developed across Minnesota early in the period. Slow moving thunderstorms deposited copious amounts of rain in central and northeast parts of the state, prompting the issuance of flash flood watches for a large number of counties (Figure 4).  The 24-hour rainfall in Pine County, MN ending on the morning of June 23 ranged from 4.00 to 5.30 inches, and amounts from northeast Minnesota into northwest Wisconsin exceeded 2.00 inches.  June rainfall in Little Falls, MN totaled 9.89 inches, and Alexandria received more than 7.00 inches during the month, more than twice the average.

On June 24th a tornado struck Buffalo Lake in south-central Minnesota, causing extensive damage to the town and injuring five people. An estimated 75 percent of the town suffered some damage. It was one of four tornadoes reported in the state that day. In Barrett, MN lightning striking a home shot from an electrical outlet leaving scattered minor burns on a 7 year-old girl.

By June 25th a cold front had swept through most of the Midwest bringing cooler and drier conditions. High pressure dominated the Midwest through June 27th. Scattered thunderstorms popped up along an upper level disturbance and weak cold front on June 28-29 as it moved slowly south.  Most of the heavy rain fell from northern Missouri across central Illinois, with scattered showers and thunderstorms in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin.  On June 30th scattered thunderstorms developed along the weak frontal boundary from southern and central Missouri through central Illinois.  Some of these slow moving storm prompted flash flood warnings to be issued for a number of Missouri counties. There was serious urban flooding in Springfield, MO, with some roads reported to be under 2 to 3 feet of water. There was one unofficial report of 1.75 inches of rain in 45 minutes. Some wind damage and one inch hail was also reported from the storms.  St. Louis received 1.48” from an afternoon thunderstorm that remained nearly stationary for more than an hour (Figure 5).  The storm brought the June rainfall total for St. Louis to 12.35 inches, a new June record. The previous record was 10.84 inches in 1875.