National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Heavy Rainfall Continues in South Florida, Southern Rockies, and the Northern Plains

A stationary front will continue to bring heavy to excessive rainfall to South Florida into Saturday with localized and urban flooding possible. Heavy to excessive rainfall is forecast through Saturday over the southern Rockies into the northern Plains. Instances of flash flooding are possible, especially in higher terrain and burn scars. Read More >

Overview

For multiple days, the region was in a heavy rainfall pattern that brought waves of showers and storms to the Upper Mississippi River Valley. Amazingly, Mother Nature hit different areas each day with heavy rain swaths, lessoning the impact somewhat. These swaths can be seen in the multi-day rainfall graphic to the right. 

The most significant flooding came on the last day (Monday, August 18) in the pattern from the very early morning into the afternoon. A band of 3 to 6 inches of rain fell from about Decorah to Charles City, Iowa. 

Many area rivers rose into minor flood stage with the worst flooding on the upper reaches of the Turkey river drainage and the Upper Iowa river. 

The cooperative observer in Decorah, IA measured 8.64" between 5 PM on August 17 and 5 PM August 18. This was their wettest August and wettest day. Previous record was 8.06" on August 23-24, 2016. They have been taking daily precipitation records since 1893.

The greatest rainfall during this period was in Decorah, IA with a total of 12.54".

Image
Precipitation Totals from 7am August 15 to 7 am August 19, 2025  

Spring Valley, MN (cooperative observer) set daily rainfall records on 3 consecutive days.

The following cooperative observing sites had one their 5 wettest days...

  1. Decorah, IA - 8.64" - August 17-18 - Wettest Day - Previous record was 8.06" on August 23-24, 2016.
  2. Elma, IA - 6.48" - August 17-19 - 2nd Wettest Day
  3. Grand Meadow, MN - 6.30" - August 16-17 - 3rd Wettest Day 
  4. Ionia 2W, IA - 4.27" - Augst 17-18 - 4th Wettest Day

Rainfall Records

ASOS 24-Hour Rainfall for August 17...

                         New                            Records
    Location            Record         Old Record        Began
    --------            ------         ----------       -------
Rochester, MN       1.17 inches    0.87 inches in 1940    1886          

Cooperative Rainfall Records...

1) 24-Hour Rainfall Records for August 15-16...

                         New                            Records
    Location            Record         Old Record        Began
    --------            ------         ----------       -------
Mondovi, WI          2.85 inches   1.70 inches in 1954    1908
Rochester AP 2NE, MN 1.18 inches   0.88 inches in 2004    2000
Spring Valley, MN    1.95 inches   0.82 inches in 2009    1886
Wabasha, MN          1.19 inches   0.71 inches in 2004    1892

2) 24-Hour Rainfall Records for August 16-17...
                         New                            Records
    Location            Record         Old Record        Began
    --------            ------         ----------       -------
Decorah, IA          2.90 inches   1.59 inches in 1938    1893
Friendship, WI       1.63 inches   1.24 inches in 2000    1930
Grand Meadow, MN     6.30 inches   1.54 inches in 2000    1887
    3rd wettest day - only 8/13/1911 (6.41 inches) and
                      9/15/2004 (7.20 inches) were wetter 
Lynxville Dam 9, WI  2.85 inches   2.33 inches in 2018    1936
Preston, MN          2.68 inches   1.78 inches in 1998    1952
Spring Valley, MN    1.59 inches   0.81 inches in 2017    1886

3) 24-Hour Rainfall Records for August 17-18...
                         New                            Records
    Location            Record         Old Record        Began
    --------            ------         ----------       -------
Alma Dam 4, WI       1.32 inches   1.26 inches in 1940    1936         
Austin WWTF, MN      2.65 inches   2.09 inches in 2015    1937
Charles City, IA     3.60 inches   2.33 inches in 2005    1893
Decorah, IA          8.64 inches   1.02 inches in 1954    1893
     Wettest August and calendar day
Elma, IA             6.48 inches   1.08 inches in 2005    1907
     2nd wettest calendar - only 8/28/2021 (8.74 inches) was wetter
Ionia 2 W, IA        4.27 inches   4.18 inches in 2005    2002
     4th wettest - only 8/9/2021 (11.25 inches), 7/22/2017 (9.30 inches), 
     and 9/22/2016 (6 inches) were wetter
Minnesota City, MN   2.32 inches   1.11 inches in 1954    1939
Nashua 2 SW, IA      0.88 inches   0.68 inches in 2019    2001
Preston, MN          2.35 inches   0.71 inches in 1954    1952
Spring Valley, MN    3.10 inches   0.74 inches in 2006    1886
Trempealeau Dam, WI  0.95 inches   0.90 inches in 2006    1936
Wabasha, MN          2.86 inches   0.70 inches in 2014    1892
Waukon 3 NNE, IA     2.65 inches   2.31 inches in 2005    1934
Winona Dam 5A, MN    1.71 inches   0.90 inches in 1954    1939

4) Wettest August Day...

                         New                                Records
    Location            Record         Old Record            Began
    --------            ------         ----------           -------
Decorah, IA          8.64 inches  8.06 inches on 8/24/2016    1893
                    on Aug 17-18

5) Wettest Calendar Day...

                         New                                Records
    Location            Record         Old Record            Began
    --------            ------         ----------           -------
Decorah, IA          8.64 inches   8.06 inches on 8/24/2016  1893
                    on Aug 17-18

                                        

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