Warmer Sunshine Returns After This Morning's Showers

Milder Air Settles In, But a Soaking Rain Awaits Tomorrow

A welcome shift to milder conditions is gracing the region today, offering a temporary break from recent chills. However, forecasters are closely monitoring a developing system poised to deliver a round of widespread, potentially heavy rain by Wednesday.

Today's Pleasant Interlude

Residents can finally stash the heavy coats, at least for the day. High temperatures are expected to climb into a comfortable range, significantly above recent readings. Skies will feature a mix of sun and clouds, with a light breeze making for a decidedly pleasant late-season day. It’s an ideal opportunity to get outside before the weather pattern turns.

Wednesday's Washout

The dry reprieve will be short-lived. A low-pressure system gathering strength over the Midwest is set to push a shield of moisture into the area overnight. Rain is forecast to develop from west to east after midnight, becoming steady and at times heavy through the Wednesday morning commute.

The bulk of the precipitation will fall during the daylight hours on Wednesday. Forecast models suggest the potential for a solid, soaking inch of rain across much of the state before the system begins to taper off Wednesday evening. Commuters should anticipate slower travel times and allow for extra space on the roads.

Looking Beyond the Rain

Once the system departs, cooler and drier air will filter back in for the latter part of the workweek. Thursday and Friday are expected to be seasonable with a return to sunshine. The overall pattern, however, remains active, and the weekend forecast is still coming into focus, with another chance of showers possible.

"The ground is already saturated in many areas from recent events," noted a BNN meteorologist. "This upcoming rain won't help. While significant flooding isn't the primary concern, we could see some typical poor-drainage issues during the height of the rainfall Wednesday."

What do you think?

• Do you think municipalities do enough to prepare drainage systems for these predictable, soaking rains, or is traffic chaos an inevitable result?


• With more frequent heavy rain events in recent years, is it time to seriously reconsider where and how we build our infrastructure and homes?


• Given the disruption, should employers be more flexible with remote work options on days with forecasted severe weather warnings?


• Do you find that modern weather forecasting has become *too* cautious, leading to public complacency when a truly dangerous event is imminent?