Southern Minnesota remains on alert for flooding after day of heavy rain

After a day of relentless rain and flooding in southern Minnesota, sunny, drier weather is on tap for the weekend.

Thursday brought a flurry of warnings and watches, some of which were canceled earlier than expected. But several inches of rain took a toll in southwestern Minnesota and southeastern South Dakota, where streets, fields and basements were underwater. A flood warning is in effect in those areas until 1:15 p.m. Friday.

Cities reporting several inches of rain after the 24 hours ending Thursday morning, when rainfall was heaviest, included Marshall and Pipestone. Near Sioux Falls, S.D., some fields resembled lakes, even with whitecaps. West of Windom, Minn., in eastern Murray County, 8.74 inches of rain fell in the 24 hours ending at 8 p.m. Thursday, said Caleb Grunzke of the National Weather Service.

As of midnight Wednesday, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport had received 33.5 inches of rain this year, Grunzke said. Thursday brought 1.17 inches more, a total of 34.67 this year. The record for the most rainfall by this time any year was set in 1892, when 35.08 inches had fallen by Sept. 12, he said.

The record for the most rain in a year at the airport was in 2016, at 40.42 inches.

Rain may linger into Friday in the metro area with a high of 62 degrees, while the weekend looks warmer and drier. Highs will be in the 70s Saturday and Sunday, and rising into the 80s Monday and Tuesday with sunny skies, the Weather Service said.

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