If you're planning on visiting Minnesota this weekend, check road conditions first. No, there have been no blizzards yet. Floods in the southern parts of the state have closed parts of the two main roads into Minnesota from the south, US Highway 52 and Interstate 35. Pine Island has become barely an island and Owatonna looks like Venice. At least it's September and not yet cold enough for a quick freeze.
The rain has ended and now there are winds gusting to 45 mph, which is an unwelcome addition with the saturated ground. That's a combination that often means lots of uprooted trees. Water levels are expected to subside fairly rapidly, but road washouts could make travel difficult for a while.
Located about fifteen miles south of the metro Twin Cities, my rain gauge indicated 6.61 inches over about a twenty-four hour period. The creek overran its banks, the first time since 2004, and the garden is floating. If I knew what was coming I would have planted rice.
Comments(5)