Midwest Weekly Highlights - July 1 - 9, 2007

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Seasonal Start to July ...

July started the month with very seasonal temperatures across the Midwest. The only area that was more than a few degrees from normal was northwest Minnesota at 4° to 6° above the mean (Figure 1). Precipitation, however, was the real story with very sharp differences between the haves and have nots (Figure 2).

 
The Haves Have It

Western Missouri began the month with flooding that carried over from heavy rains during the end of June. Waters that drained out of Kansas along the Marmaton, Osage & Marais des Cygnes rivers flooded areas of Vernon and Bates counties in Missouri. Near the community of Virginia, in southwestern Missouri, at least six homes were destroyed by the rising Marais des Cygnes River (Figure 3). Water also cut off exit routes for several rural homes near Amoret and Rich Hill in Bates County leading to their evacuation. However, by the end of the first third of the month, most gauges had dropped below flood level (Figure 4).

Just in time to dampen 4th of July festivities, a cold front moved southeast across the area from late on the 3rd through the 5th and several of the storms associated with its passage turned severe (Figure 5). Severe weather reports were received for areas of Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin on July 3rd, including preliminary storm reports of a tornado in Jolley, IA (Calhoun County). In Albert Lea, MN (Freeborn County), the storms swamped streets, knocked out power, downed trees and cancelled the 3rd of July parade for first time in city history. On the 4th, the frontal system brought much needed showers and thunderstorms to southeast Missouri, southern Illinois, southwest Indiana and western Kentucky with some areas receiving substantial rainfall, including 5.10 inches in Marion, KY (Crittenden County). On the 5th, additional storm reports were received for in Minnesota, Wisconsin & Ohio. In Kohler, WI (Sheboygen County), storms halted play at the US Senior Open at Whistling Straits late Thursday afternoon.

After a brief spell of high pressure (Figure 6) and clear skies for most of the midwest, severe storms again formed along a cold front that moved through the northern states on July 7-8. As the system crossed Delta County in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, it dropped walnut and golf ball sized hail in Rapid River and triggered flash flood warnings in Escanaba. Even larger hail was reported in Clearwater, MN (Wright County) at 2.50 inches and Andover in Anoka County, MN reported stones of 2.75 inches (SPC storm reports). As the slow moving cold front crossed northern Michigan on Monday, July 9th, the storms it spawned became severe as they crossed Gladwin and Arenac Counties, including an EF0 tornado near Standish, MI. Illinois, Iowa and Missouri were also hit by severe storms associated with this same frontal passage with one fatality occurring in St. Louis due to lightning.
 

And Then the Have Nots ...

Many of the storms associated with the above frontal passages were hit or miss in their extent and dryness continues to expand across areas of the upper and eastern Midwest (Figure 7). Near Lake Superior in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan, conditions are moving from moderate drought (D1) into severe criteria (D2). In Michigan, the topsoil has worsened from the start of the month at 71% short to 83% short on July 8. Additional soil moisture concerns have also also resulted in expansion of drought in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin. In Kentucky, where the majority of the state is in moderate to severe drought, 55% of pastureland is reported as poor or very poor. And in Indiana, where much of the state is abnormally dry, 54% of pastureland is poor. Conditions in Ohio are also worsening, especially along Lake Erie in the rain shadow area. In Cleveland, precipitation was 5.57 inches below normal during May-June and they have not yet received measurable precipitation in July. Elsewhere in northern Ohio, Findlay had the second driest May-June on record.
 

Daily Records during July 1-9

Date	Location	Record Type	New Record	Old Record & Year
July 2	Mansfield, OH	Low Min	45°	47°/1988
July 4	Moline, IL	Precip	3.56"	2.06"/2000
July 5	Alpena, MI	Precip	2.57"	1.83"/1986
July 8	Madison, WI	High Min	76°	76°/1936

MCP