A MORE ACTIVE BRAND OF WEATHER BREWING...

Here's a refreshing map. Snow is expected to fall over much of NW Canada in the coming days. Certainly a sign of the approaching fall season and what's to come in a couple months.

No issues with snow in the United States but some of us could still use some rain. Here's the 30 day rainfall

departures. In Iowa and Ilinois lots of areas have seen only 25 to 50 percent of their normal rainfall.

There are signs we might be able to do something about dryness in the next 10 days. Look at the upper air pattern today and what it shifts to by August 23rd.

Today

The change come August 23rd.

This looks to be a much more active pattern for my region and the central Midwest as we reside on the northern periphery of a building heat dome. This area known as the "ring of fire" should see thunderstorm clusters on a frequent basis starting Friday and continuing into the following weekend.

You can see how the precipitable water vapor increases so that by Friday August 23rd PWAT's are close to 2" over much of eastern Iowa and southern Wisconsin. The moisture pooling near a boundary positioned on the edge of late season heat.

That looks to be the breeding ground for storms and the reason the pattern should become wetter. Here's what the EURO shows for 10 day rainfall.

Note how these amounts are above normal by 1 to 2 inches.

The GFS also looks wet but a bit further south. Here's its 16 day rain totals. Some hefty amounts in SE Iowa and WC Illinois.

It's a bit early to get cute with placement but beginning this weekend and on again off again through next week I look for periods of showers and storms with the potential for some generous rains in spots. Temperatures and humidity levels will take a jump too as the instability increases Sunday. Thursday however looks pleasantly cool once again with highs in the 70s to near 80. Roll weather...TS