Another day of sloppy weather lies ahead for Twin Cities metro

Sloppy, wet weather will continue to hang over much of Minnesota on Thursday while the northwestern part of the state recovers from a blizzard that is expected to shut down parts of North and South Dakota.

A flood watch remains in effect for much of eastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin until 7 p.m. Thursday, the National Weather Service said. The watch primarily refers to street flooding and ponding of water as snow melts and rain falls, not the river flooding that may come later this month or in early April.

In the metro area, rain will continue through Thursday, which will also be cloudy and blustery. By Friday, the weather will be dry, and the weekend will be sunny and mild.

Also Wednesday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, said it was continuing to lower water elevations within its six Mississippi River Headwaters reservoirs to accommodate more of the spring snowmelt.

Patrick Loch, a corps spokesman, said it was a routine practice. The corps also has been releasing water from reservoirs along the Red River of the North, he said. Leech Lake and Winnibigoshish Lake were lowered earlier.

STAFF REPORTS