La Crosse, Wisconsin – Anyone with travel plans across western Wisconsin and southeast Minnesota should prepare for periods of heavy rain beginning late tonight and continuing through Friday. The greatest concern is along and south of Interstate 90, where repeated rounds of showers and thunderstorms could produce 1 to more than 2 inches of rainfall, increasing the risk of localized flooding and hazardous travel.
According to the National Weather Service in La Crosse, the heaviest rainfall is expected from late tonight through Friday evening, with the highest probabilities centered on communities including La Crosse, Prairie du Chien, Viroqua, Platteville, Rochester, Decorah, and Austin. Forecast guidance shows a 50 to 60 percent chance of receiving at least 1 inch of rain across much of the region south of I-90.
The primary impacts include water-covered roads, urban street flooding, and rising rivers and streams where thunderstorms repeatedly track over the same locations. While forecasters continue to refine where the heaviest rainfall will occur, localized flash flooding is possible, especially in flood-prone and low-lying areas.
Travel along Interstate 90, U.S. Highway 14, U.S. Highway 61, and other regional routes could become difficult during periods of heavy rain. Motorists should slow down, allow extra stopping distance, and never drive through flooded roadways.
Temperatures will remain seasonably warm ahead of the rain before cooler conditions accompany Friday’s widespread showers and thunderstorms. Residents should secure outdoor items, monitor updated forecasts, and be prepared for rapidly changing weather conditions through the day.
Additional flood advisories or warnings may be issued as rainfall develops and the location of the heaviest bands becomes more certain.
