[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmLD-85HRHw&hl=en&fs=1]

QUIET/WARM: The next two days will be calm, dry and warm with readings around 6-11° above the climatic average for this time of year. This will help in storm cleanup from the weekend’s storms and the river flooding ongoing.

MESSY END: The end of the week will be rather messy across the state with precipitation beginning as early as late Wednesday night across the western counties and Thursday elsewhere. Enough cold air will filter into this storm that some “snow!” may mix in with the precipitation, especially in the northern counties late Friday night into Saturday morning. Along with the possibility of wintry precipitation returning will be wintry temperatures. Highs Friday and Saturday may not make it out of the 30s north of US Hwy 20, a far cry from the 80s this past weekend. Also a lot of precipitation is forecast to fall with 2-3″ of liquid possible over the next 5 days. This will not help in the flooding along the Mississippi River over the next few weeks.

FLOODING: River flooding continues, with the main focus now turning to the Mississippi River where some moderate to major flood stages may be approached in coming days. For example, the Mississippi River at McGregor in northeastern Clayton county is expected to reach 22.2 feet on Monday the 18th. That would make it the third highest crest at this location and just over major flood stage (22 ft). Dubuque will reach Major Flood stage there Sunday night passing 22ft there. Flood stage at Dubuque is 17 feet.