If the forecast held true, Northland residents heading into work and school this morning will be dodging lots of puddles -- with more heavy rain on the way today.
On Wednesday afternoon, the National Weather Service issued a flood watch for a large part of the region, including Duluth and the Iron Range, through this evening. A slow-moving frontal system was forecast to become stationary over the Northland while tapping into moisture streaming northward from the Gulf of Mexico, creating the possibility of total rainfall by tonight of 2 to 3 inches, and possibly in excess of 4 inches in some areas.
As of late Wednesday afternoon, the Duluth International Airport had received 0.85 inches for the day, with more moving in for the evening. A round of storms in the afternoon dropped half-inch hail near Proctor, according to a spotter report relayed by the Weather Service.
While local rivers and streams have not been running particularly high lately, the latest round of rainfall may be enough to cause significant rises in water levels, along with ponding on local roads.
The flood watch issued Wednesday covered the following counties: St. Louis, Lake, Carlton, Aitkin, Pine, Crow Wing, southern Itasca and northern Cook. A flash flood watch was issued for points farther south, including the Twin Cities.
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