Warmer-than-normal temperatures occurred across much of the Midwest this week, especially around the Great Lakes, where temperatures were mostly 6-12 degrees above normal. Heavy rains brought widespread amounts of 2-8 inches from portions of central and northern Iowa to southern Minnesota and central and west-central Wisconsin. Separately, heavy rains (mostly in the 2-6 inch range) fell west of Chicago eastward to southeast Michigan. Much of this rain fell in areas already free of drought or abnormal dryness, but some one-category improvements occurred northwest of Chicago, and one- and isolated two-category improvements occurred in northwest and north-central Iowa, southeast Minnesota and far western Wisconsin. Recent dry weather led to a few areas of abnormal dryness in the Michigan Upper Peninsula, northeast Minnesota and Isle Royale National Park, while similar recent dryness also led to expanding abnormal dryness and short- and long-term moderate drought south and southeast of St. Louis.

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