Torrential rains are expected across Northwestern Wisconsin tonight and Friday, and the National Weather Service in Duluth has issued a flash flood watch for Douglas, Bayfield, Ashland, Iron, Burnett, Washburn, Sawyer and Price counties. Rain already is spreading into northern Minnesota and some areas could see 2-4 inches of rain tonight and early Friday, especially under heavy thunderstorms.
With the ground already saturated from Wednesday's rain, and with rainfall expected to fall very fast and hard, flash floods could occur near creeks and rivers, highway underpasses and culverts. Even more rain is expected to hit later Friday, but a bigger threat will be development of "super-cell' thunderstorms with potentially high winds, large hail and even tornadoes possible. Yet another disturbance is forecast for Saturday when even more storms could develop, especially in Minnesota's Arrowhead and Northwestern Wisconsin. The threat includes severe thunderstorms.