Soaker will bring several inches of rain to Minnesota over coming days

Raincoats, umbrellas and perhaps galoshes will be accessories of need for the next two days as the Twin Cities and much of Minnesota is getting drenched.

The rain started Wednesday morning, and by noon more than 4 inches of rain had been reported in parts of far western Minnesota, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a flood watch for the area and covering west central, east central and southern Minnesota, including the Twin Cities.

A flood warning is in effect for Renville County where an inch of rain per hour is possible through mid-afternoon Wednesday. At noon, flooded basements were reported in the city of Renville, Minn., the Weather Service said.

The watch is in effect through Thursday morning, but “be prepared to take action should flash flood warnings be issued,” the National Weather Service said.

Rain was falling from Duluth to Brainerd to Alexandria and south to the Iowa border as of midday Wednesday. The metro area could pick up 2-3 inches of rain, with 4 inches not out of the question in some places in western and southern Minnesota, the National Weather Service said.

“My grass seed is thrilled,” said Brent Hewett, a forecaster and meteorologist with the Weather Service in Chanhassen. “This is good news for farmers.”

June is typically one of Minnesota’s wettest months with an average of 4.25-4.5 inches falling annually. As of Wednesday, the month was running behind on precipitation, but “this will get us back closer to normal,” Hewett added.

The Twin Cities has picked up about 2.3 inches of rain this month, according to the Weather Service.

The tropical-like rainmakers will produce a few thunderstorms and bring a slight risk of severe weather across southern Minnesota, the Weather Service said.

But the good news is, all this rain should not cause widespread flooding, Hewitt said. Though the potential remains, particularly near rivers, creeks, streams and other low-lying areas.

“We may see ponding in normal urban areas, but we are not expecting flash flooding,” he said.

Here are some possible precipitation totals, according to the Weather Service:

Twin Cities: Up to 3 inches

Alexandria and Madison, Minn.: 1-1.5 inches

Redwood Falls and Fairmont: 1.5-2 inches

St. Cloud, Mankato Mora, Willmar and Red Wing: 2-3 inches

Albert Lea: 3-4 inches

After the midweek monsoon, heat and humidity are back in time for the weekend, but “it won’t be quite as bad as last weekend,” Hewitt said. Highs will reach close to 90 degrees Saturday and 85 degrees Sunday.