Sunday-Tuesday system to help drought conditions

Over the past 6-9 months, there has been a lot of talk of how badly we need the rain, or snow depending on the time of year, to help out with drought conditions. With southeast Minnesota and northeast Iowa in being a very rural area, this rain and snow will be vital in helping drought conditions. It will not completely reverse them (we are too far behind at this point), but it’s the closest thing we will have had to relief in a couple months.

Not only do we have multiple inches of snow in the forecast all across southeast Minnesota and northeast Iowa, but this snow will also be very wet. As a result, when you melt this snow down into liquid, it will equate to more water than if the snow was dryer outside. Wet snow tends to take place in warmer temperatures because the atmosphere is able to hold more moisture when it is warmer outside. When it is colder, the snow is much fluffier and blows around easier. The snowflakes, themselves, are also larger.

Rain in the forecast on Monday and lingering rain and snow showers on Tuesday are also expected to contribute to aiding our ongoing drought.