WeatherFanatics: Heavy Rain to Soak Great Falls, Bismarck, Winnipeg

Friday, August 22, 2014

Heavy Rain to Soak Great Falls, Bismarck, Winnipeg

By Brian Lada, Meteorologist

August 22,2014; 9:13PM,EDT

A swath of steady, soaking rain will slowly shift from the northern Plains to the Canadian Prairies this weekend, making people reach for their umbrellas and heightening concerns for flooding.
Raincoats and pants may be the preferred choice over shorts and t-shirts for people in Billings, Montana, Bismarck, North Dakota, Regina, Saskatchewan and Winnipeg, Manitoba, as the rain and thick cloud cover is accompanied by temperatures well below normal.
Highs will run as much as 20 degrees below normal in areas impacted by the rain, making it feel more like October rather than August. Some locations in southern Saskatchewan may even fail to climb out of the 40s on Sunday.
This storm will produce so much cold air that it will generate some snowfall for the highest elevations of northern Montana. Upwards of 3 to 6 inches of snow is possible above 6,500 feet in elevation, with up to a foot of snow on the highest mountain peaks through Saturday.
The heavy rain will evolve Friday night and continue through Sunday.

This rain may have negative impacts on events across the region this weekend, including the Great Saskatchewan Mustard Festival set to be held in Regina on Sunday.
Rumbles of thunder may also be embedded in the rain closer to North Dakota. Across the eastern Dakotas and western Minnesota is where strong thunderstorms with hail, damaging winds and isolated tornadoes will erupt Saturday afternoon and evening.
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Flooding should be anticipated across the zone where the heaviest rain is expected to fall.
With over 2 inches of rain forecast to fall over such a large area, rivers will rise and likely remain above normal for the days following the rain.
Areas closest to creeks and rivers should prepare now in the case that river flooding does occur.

Looking ahead to the upcoming week, the heavy rain is projected to shift to the north and east, but the cooler weather will remain.
A few showers may still linger around the area in the wake of the rain; however, the showers will not be long lasting with most of Monday and Tuesday being dry.

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