National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Extreme Fire Weather Concerns; Severe Thunderstorms from the Plains to Mississippi Valley

Extremely critical fire weather concerns for portions of the southern High Plans as strong wind and very dry conditions could result in rapid spread of any fires. Meanwhile, severe thunderstorms are expected once again across areas of the Central and Southern Plains, then spreading in the Mississippi Valley regions on Monday. Damaging winds, very large hail and strong tornadoes are possible. Read More >

Precipitation reports from volunteers are used daily to assess the quality of precipitation forecasts but also to help improve both weather and hydrologic forecasts. The Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS) consists of volunteers who measure rainfall once each morning using a simple, manual plastic gauge and who also take snow measurements in the winter. These volunteers have measured anywhere from 6"-10" of rain this month in southern Michigan, with higher amounts further north. One volunteer near Wellston has recorded 13.74" of rain so far.