Bismarck Bubble Bursts: Insane Area Rainfall Totals

The floodgates opened up for much of the Capital Region of North Dakota yesterday right during afternoon rush time. 

Pounding rain hit the Bismarck Mandan area at about 4:45 pm on Tuesday, August 14 dropping several inches of rain in a very short time. Especially north of I-94.  This caused some streets to look like rushing rivers and parking lots to look like lakes. A Flood Warning was issued.

I had warned people that some weather models were showing as much as 5 inches of rain could fall over parts of North Dakota.  As it turns out, that wasn't too far off.

Meanwhile, in Lincoln, North Dakota southeast of Bismarck, only sprinkles fell.

More rain is expected today, 1 to 2 inches are possible and Burleigh and Morton counties are in a Flood Watch until 10 pm tonight.

You wouldn't know it from all the moisture we've had since spring but extreme western North Dakota is currently in a moderate drought.

Here's a look at the latest drought monitor map for North Dakota from the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Overall the state is in pretty good shape with adequate moisture as we head into the fall.

So, who received the most rain from our most recent round of showers in the Bismarck Mandan area?

I gave the fine folks at the National Weather Service in Bismarck a call and they told me the area near Crown Butte Dam and Harmon Lake area gets the title.

Check out these INSANE area rainfall totals:

Bismarck Airport received .77 inches of rain.

Bismarck National Weather Service office received .34 inches of rain.

North Bismarck (near Space Aliens) received 3.00 inches of rain.

2 miles WNW of Bismarck received 2.44 inches of rain.

5 miles NNE of Bismarck received 4.75 inches of rain.

Wilton received 2.92 inches of rain.

Sterling received 2.31 inches of rain.

Wing received 1.12 inches of rain.

Driscoll received 1.75 inches of rain.

Steele received 1.98 inches of rain.

Tappen received .75 inches of rain.

Menoken received .86 inches of rain.

Mandan's The Strip received 2.75 inches of rain.

Crown Butte Dam and Harmon Lake areas, it's estimated they received 5 plus inches of rain.