Flood Watches issued for some as heavy rainfall remains possible late Thursday night

 

11pm Update: A line of thunderstorms has developed along and south of I-80 late Thursday evening and will be the focus for potential flash flooding through Friday morning. The area outlined in white is where that greatest potential will be, including parts of Carroll, Whiteside, Lee, Ogle and DeKalb counties. This is where locally two (plus) inches of rain could occur through Friday morning. North of there will be isolated to scattered thunderstorms with locally heavy rainfall. Reminder - Flash Flood Watches are in effect for Ogle, Lee, and DeKalb counties until Friday evening and for Carroll and Whiteside counties until Saturday evening.

A steady rain came down for most Thursday as stronger thunderstorms slipped to our south through the afternoon. Most of the rain has come to an end, but a few showers extend along the Highway 20 corridor - slowly sinking to the south and southeast this evening. While scattered showers remain in the forecast through the evening the rainfall won't be widespread.

Flood Watches have been issued for Ogle, Lee, and DeKalb counties until Friday evening and for Carroll and Whiteside counties until Saturday evening for the potential of heavy rainfall, possibly over two inches, occurring late tonight. But the exact axis of that heavy rainfall is still a little bit in question.

Here is how things look going into Thursday evening:

Widely scattered showers will continue through the rest of the evening with a band of rain moving southeast of Highway 20 towards DeKalb County, and another band of rain developing just north of the Quad Cities. Those showers have developed along an old boundary that stretches across eastern Iowa and into western Illinois and *could be the beginning of the heavy rain threat later this evening. It's still a little unclear as to where exactly that band establishes itself over the next few hours, but if it continues to develop where it is at currently then areas in Carroll, Whiteside, Lee, southern Ogle, and DeKalb counties would stand the best chance for rainfall totals nearing, or exceeding, two inches through Friday morning. The probability for higher rainfall totals to the north of there is a little less with rainfall expected to range from a quarter of an inch up to an inch.

Scattered showers/storms will continue into Friday during the first half of the day with some dry time possible during the afternoon. Although, keep the umbrella handy as rain could occur at any one given point throughout the afternoon. Another round of heavy rainfall will then be possible late Friday night, going into Saturday morning.