The Mississippi River broke its banks in places as heavy rain saw flood warnings issued early Saturday from Illinois to Mississippi and Florida.

The National Weather Service said early Saturday that there had been “moderate flooding” of the Mississippi at Burlington, Iowa.

Warnings were in place for rivers in Missouri, Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, Wisconsin, Illinois and  Iowa.

“Deep moisture getting pulled northward out of the eastern Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic will fuel moderate to heavy rains along a wrapped up cold front edging through the Tennessee valley and Southeast on Saturday,” the weather service said.

“Early Sunday, the front will pivot northward and heavy precipitation will begin spreading into the southern Appalachians and southern Mid-Atlantic states.  Some rumbles of thunder will be possible, but given the slow progression of the front and upslope flow against the Appalachians flooding and flash flooding will be the primary threat with this system,” it added.

The NWS said temperatures could be low enough for snow over southwestern Tennessee and northern Alabama late Saturday.

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A rare May snowstorm that's hit the Plains and Upper Midwest was expected to continue into Friday and even Saturday in places, the National Weather Service said.

However, it added that the “rather unusual weather pattern” was “beginning to abate over the Upper Midwest.”

A number of winter storm advisories were in place early Friday for parts of Missouri, Montana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Wyoming, and Oklahoma.

The worst affected areas in the mainland U.S. -- southern Montana and northern Wyoming -- could see 5 to 9 inches of snow from Friday morning to the time it finally stops early Saturday evening.

The weather service said the other areas could see anything from freezing rain and sleet in northwestern Michigan to up to 3 inches of snow in northeastern Oklahoma.

There was also a winter weather notice for Alaska, where Denali National Park and other areas could see up to 10 inches of snow.

The weather service said “widespread showers and thunderstorms” were expected to develop over the Deep South and into Florida through the end of the week.

“Rainfall amounts of several inches are possible where heavy rain persists the longest,” it said.

On Thursday, weather.com reported that the storm had "dumped up to 13 inches of snow in Owatonna, Minn.,” while up to 14 inches of snow was measured in Ellsworth, Wis. Up to nine inches fell in Dodge County, Minn., on Thursday.

“This is a record for me,” Brian Wagstrom, director of public works in Minnetonka, Minn., told NBC station KARE. “This is the latest that we have ever put plows on this time of the year.”

Jim Eulberg, director of public works in the South Dakota town of Worthington, had to tell his crews to give up spring street sweeping and ready the plows.

“When you’re looking at the calendar, you’re thinking this is the stuff we should be doing. Not dealing with ice storm damage and plowing,” Eulberg told NBC station KDLT.

NBC News' Matthew DeLuca contributed to this report.

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This story was originally published on Fri May 3, 2013 6:25 AM EDT

A late-season storm that brought bands of heavy, wet snow to the Midwest and Plains states moved slowly eastward on Thursday.

Parts of southeastern and eastern Minnesota into western Wisconsin were expected to get more snow, the National Weather Service predicted. While about five inches of snow fell in Denver, Colo., other parts of the state got more than a foot. Parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming also saw upwards of fifteen inches of unseasonable snow, the weather service reported.

Weather.com reported that the storm had "dumped up to 13 inches of snow in Owatonna, Minn.,where I-35 was closed early Thursday due to snow and downed power lines. Up to 14 inches of snow has been measured in Ellsworth, Wis."

Snowfall was expected to continue through the upper Midwestern states through Thursday night before dissipating on Friday, the weather service reported.

And up to nine inches had already fallen in Dodge County, Minn., on Thursday.

The snow looked ready to melt away fast after hitting the ground even in the areas that saw the most accumulation on Wednesday.

The unwelcome powder still managed to cause disturbances in towns and cities that had thought it was safe to put away their shovels and ice salt.

“This is  a record for me,” Brian Wagstrom, director of public works in Minnetonka, Minn., told NBC station KARE. “This is the latest that we have ever put plows on this time of the year.”

Eric Johnson / Austin Daily Herald via AP

Mike Gregg trudges through the snow Thursday morning in Austin, Minn., to walk his dog Jake. Heavy, wet snow impacted driving and all-around travel abruptly interrupting spring.

“We are anticipating maybe 2 to 3 inches of slush on the roadways,” Wagstrom added. “Depending upon the heat of the roadway, it might melt off.”

Residents of Des Moines, Iowa, and even Kansas City, Mo., could get a last-minute visit from winter with some accumulation before the storm’s over, according to weather.com.

Jim Eulberg, director of public works in the South Dakota town of Worthington, had to tell his crews to give up spring street sweeping and ready the plows.

“When you’re looking at the calendar, you’re thinking this is the stuff we should be doing. Not dealing with ice storm damage and plowing,” Eulberg told NBC station KDLT.

Melt and move on, other residents of South Dakota said as 3 to 4 inches fell over Sioux Falls on Wednesday.

“It’s May 1. We are supposed to be out delivering May baskets,” Debbie Tams of Sioux Falls told KDLT as the city saw its first May snow in nearly four decades. “Not shoveling snow.”

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This story was originally published on Thu May 2, 2013 7:52 AM EDT

A blast of cold air being dragged southward by a dip in the jet stream dumped snow in the Rockies, Plains and parts of the Midwest on Wednesday in a snowfall that meteorologists said could be “historic” for this time of year.

Up to 18 inches of snow is forecast for the mountains of Colorado and Wyoming, where heavy snow started falling Tuesday. Several inches could also fall by the end of the week in a band from Texas to Wisconsin, according to the National Weather Service.

Some portions of the Plains and upper Midwest regions, including Wisconsin and sections of Minnesota, could see a flurry of wet snow on Wednesday night into Thursday, Weather.com reported. A light early May dusting may even be seen as far south as the Texas Panhandle and western Oklahoma.

Cheyenne, Wyo., had already received more than 6 inches of snow early Wednesday morning, Weather.com reported.

The National Weather Service reported winter storm warnings were in effect for portions of north-central Colorado, southern Wyoming and southern Minnesota.

AP

Snow clings to flowers in Denver on Wednesday. As much as a foot of snow is forecast for some areas of Colorado.

With the jet stream bowing to the south, cold air is being sucked deep into the country, bringing temperature changes that may seem downright cruel to many, according to meteorologists at Weather.com.

Amarillo, Texas, is the perfect example. On Tuesday it hit a high of 97 degrees.

“By tomorrow morning we have … Amarillo at 30 and probably snowing,” Weather Channel meteorologist Kevin Roth said. “So in Amarillo we’re projecting a 67-degree drop from Tuesday afternoon to Thursday morning – so summer to winter.”

Minneapolis, Kansas City and Des Moines, Iowa, have been basking in the 70s and 80s. They’ll be lucky to see 40 through the end of the week, weather.com said. And Chicago just had its first 80-degree day of the season. It should have another on Wednesday before highs drop to the 50s and low 60s through the weekend.

The heaviest snowfall will be along the Front Range of the Rockies, with an area from central Colorado to southeastern Wyoming under winter storm warnings that call for up to 20 inches of fresh snow through Wednesday night. Just to the east, cities in the foothills, including Denver, could see five to eight inches of accumulation during the period, and roads could become icy and snow-packed, the weather service said.

Further east, where the cold air meets the warm, severe thunderstorms are likely Wednesday in parts of Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas, according to weather.com, which adds that the threat diminishes Thursday, with “marginally severe” storms possible in parts of Texas and southern Louisiana.

Travel disruptions could come with the worst parts of the storm, with Interstates 25 and 80 between Wyoming and Colorado in line for possible snow and ice, Roth said. But as of Wednesday morning, FlightAware.com listed only 16 canceled flights in the region, all at Denver International Airport.

“That will probably go up during the day,” Roth said.

While the storm may set some snow records, May is often a fickle month. Heavy snow is fairly rare, but temperatures in different parts of North America can range radically, Roth said.

Montreal, Quebec, and Ottawa, Ontario, for example, will be 30 to 40 degrees warmer on Thursday than normally toasty Oklahoma City, he said.

Cheyenne, Wyo., which hit 70 degrees Tuesday afternoon, was on the verge Wednesday of breaking its May snowfall record of 14 inches, Roth said.

“Cheyenne had eight inches as of midnight their time, and it’s been snowing steadily since that,” he said. “We think they’re going to end up with a good 12 to 18. … Welcome to May, right?”

NBC News’ Matthew DeLuca contributed to this report.

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This story was originally published on Wed May 1, 2013 6:00 AM EDT

Flood-weary residents in parts of the Midwest were still trying to stem the tide of murky river water Friday, as late snow-melt combined with days of spring rain sent rivers toward high-water records.

Floodwaters had begun an inch-by-inch retreat in inundated Peoria, Ill., after the Illinois River crested Tuesday at 29.35 feet, eclipsing a 70-year record. In central Indiana, more heavy rain through Wednesday morning prompted a request for voluntary evacuation along the Tippecanoe River near Lafayette.

The Grand River at Grand Rapids, Mich., which reached record levels, began to fall below flood stage Thursday and some of the hundreds of people evacuated were starting to return home.

Along the Mississippi, the biggest concern was that the flood is expected to linger into May, potentially straining longstanding earthen levees and hastily-built sandbag walls. No towns were in imminent danger.

Rain-soaked Chicago had its wettest April on record, the National Weather Service said, according to NBCChicago.com.

In tiny Dutchtown, Missouri, flooding from the Mississippi has become such a fact of life that residents expressed hope that the Federal Emergency Management Agency would buy them out of their homes.

Reuters

Local residents work with soldiers of the 1140th Engineer Battalion to build a sandbag wall near Dutchtown, Missouri, on Wednesday.

Thousands of sandbags were at the ready in anticipation of a crest Thursday.

Doyle Parmer, who doubles as town clerk and emergency management chief, told The Associated Press that residents had been "jumping through hoops" for three years seeking a buyout from FEMA as part of a federal program that sees flood-prone areas set aside for green space or a park. The AP said:

In order for that money to arrive, towns must prove that flooding is frequent and devastating enough for a buyout to be cost-effective, and Dutchtown hasn't filed a suitable one yet, said Melissa Janssen, mitigation branch chief for the FEMA region that includes Missouri.

Parmer said he and other residents were ready to get out.

"Sell the house, cut the grass and get the hell out of Dodge," he said.

For 40 years, Shirley Moss has lived in the same home in the town, but as the sandbags piled up yet again, she didn't hesitate when asked if she would take a government buyout.

"In a New York minute," Moss said from her double-wide mobile home. "I'm 75 years old — I can't fight this."

Meanwhile, in North Dakota residents got their first touch of good news on Wednesday when officials said the swollen Red River would crest at lower than anticipated levels next week, the AP reported.

Residents in Fargo and neighboring Moorhead, Minnesota, have been filling sandbags ahead of the expected fourth major Red River flood in the past five years after unseasonably cold weather delayed the annual thaw.

But the river was still expected to peak at possibly its second-highest level on record, and flood preparations in the north-central United States follow major flooding on rivers in Illinois, Missouri, Indiana and Michigan caused by heavy rain, the AP said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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This story was originally published on Thu Apr 25, 2013 5:39 AM EDT

Flood-weary homeowners and sandbaggers across the Midwest were braced for record-level river crests Wednesday amid forecasts that rain would add more water to already-swollen rivers.

Possible snow flurries were also predicted for some flood-hit areas.

Showers and scattered thunderstorms were expected to move through the lower Great Lakes, Ohio Valley and Kentucky with a cold front into Wednesday afternoon, dumping between half-an-inch and one inch of rain onto ground already soaked by spring moisture and snow-melt, Weather.com meteorologist Kevin Roth said.

Another storm will drop into the northern Plains and upper Mississippi Valley producing rain and snow showers,

However, no significant snow accumulations are forecast. NBCChicago.com reported that early low temperatures were likely to rise following an extended period of sunshine.

Floodwaters were rising to record levels along the Illinois River in central Illinois late Tuesday, according to The Associated Press. In Missouri, six small levees north of St. Louis were overtopped by the surging Mississippi River, though mostly farmland was affected.

Officials in Peoria on Tuesday said the Illinois River finally had crested, but not without destruction. In Peoria Heights, population 6,700, roads and buildings were flooded and riverfront structures were inundated. Firefighters feared that if fuel from businesses and vehicles starts to leak, it could spark a fire in areas that could be reached only by boat.

Seth Perlman / AP

Jennifer Rock uses her cell phone to take photos to send to a friend of flooding from the Illinois River on Tuesday in Spring Bay Ill.

"That's our nightmare: A building burns, and we can't get to it," Peoria Heights Fire Chief Greg Walters said. "These are combustible buildings, and we have no access to them simply because of the flooding."

Among those still in their homes was Mark Reatherford. The 52-year-old unemployed baker has lived for decades in the same split-level home with a gorgeous view: a small park between him and the Illinois River. But by Tuesday afternoon, as a chilly rain fell, the river had rolled over the park and made it to Reatherford's home, creating a 3-foot-deep mess in the basement. Reatherford had cleared out the basement furniture and was hopeful the main floor would stay dry.

Now, he's considering moving.

"I'm getting too old to deal with this," he told The Associated Press.

In Saginaw County, Mich., water topped the dyke at Misteguay Creek in Spaulding Township. Businesses and homes were flooded along the Tittabawassee River, a Saginaw River tributary. Part of Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge also was under water.

The National Weather Service predicted that the Red River in Fargo, North Dakota could set a new record when it crests, possibly later this week, weather.com reported. A cold spring has delayed snow melt in the area.

A rise in temperatures later this week will accelerate the snow melt across the region, Weather.com said.

It was a very different picture fort the Northeast Wednesday, where thunderstorms were forecast to give way to sunshine and warm temperatures in metropolitan New York - possibly into the 70s.

Meanwhile, a storm system was expected to bring thunderstorms through the Southwest Thursday and into the southern Plains and Texas Friday, Roth said. Severe thunderstorms are possible in southern Oklahoma and northern Texas with this storm Friday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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This story was originally published on Wed Apr 24, 2013 6:20 AM EDT

Ed Andrieski / AP

Two women share an umbrella to ward off snow as they walk the 16th Street Mall during the noon hour in Denver on Wednesday, April 17, 2013.

Severe thunderstorms, large hail and possible tornadoes menaced a swath of the country from northern Texas to St. Louis, Missouri, on Wednesday, while heavy rains in northern Illinois caused delays at Chicago-area airports and snow made for messy travel in Colorado.

The National Weather Service issued advisories of all types as harsh weather pelted the middle of the country throughout the day. 

Much of Oklahoma was under a tornado watch until late Wednesday as intense storms ravaged the Texas-Oklahoma border. That tornado watch extends north through St. Louis and central Illinois.

"There could be really strong storms later tonight, and that's always scary. That could be the case in central Oklahoma," said Carl Parker, a storm specialist for The Weather Channel.

A flash flood warning was in effect in northern Illinois, causing airport delays and cancellations. O'Hare International Airport reported delays averaging almost one hour, with more than 300 flight cancellations due to weather, according to the Chicago Department of Aviation.

At Chicago Midway International Airport, airlines were reporting some delays of 30 minutes or more, with a few flight cancellations.

Meanwhile out west, Colorado was still dealing with the lingering effects of heavy snowfall, which had created messy driving conditions. Multiple accidents Wednesday afternoon led the state's Department of Transportation to shutdown westbound traffic for a portion of Interstate 70.

Inbound flights to Denver International Airport were delayed an average of 2 hours 16 minutes Wednesday evening, according to tracking site FlightAware.com. Outbound flights were experiencing delays of about 45 minutes.

Areas around Denver were expected to receive 3 to 6 inches of new snow by the end of Wednesday.

It’s the winter that wouldn’t die.

Five days into spring, a winter storm raked the Midwest and Northeast on Monday, turning commutes messy and threatening to dump up to 4 inches of snow around Philadelphia and Washington.

The good news: Temperatures hovering at or just above freezing should hold accumulations down.

“The roads are in pretty good shape this morning because, after all, it is March,” Weather Channel meteorologist Mike Seidel said from Frederick, Md.

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During the morning drive, the storm was dropping snow across a curlicue swath of the country, from the Mid-Atlantic coast back through the southern Great Lakes and down into the Appalachian Mountains in Kentucky and Tennessee.

In New York and parts of New Jersey, a winter weather advisory was in effect for most of Monday, and snow and rain showers continued through late afternoon and wind down by early evening.

"I'm ready for flip flops," said Jessica Cunitz, 24 of Westchester County, N.Y., who stopped at a gas station along Interstate 78 in Pennsylvania to fill her overheating car with antifreeze. "It's supposed to be spring."

In Philadelphia, rain during the morning commute was expected to change to a wintry mix that will last for most of the day. Untreated roads could turn slippery, said Brittney Shipp, a meteorologist for NBC affiliate WCAU.

And in Hamburg, Pa. — which has seen three here-and-gone snowfalls in little more than a week — carpet installer Seth Hanna drank coffee and surveyed the slush from a covered front porch.

"We got these warm days a few weeks ago, and everybody got their hopes up. March is supposed to be out like a lamb but it's not doing it," said Hanna, 30. "I love the snow, but I'm ready for some warm spring weather."

Jewel Samad / AFP - Getty Images

A woman removes snow from her driveway Monday in Silver Spring, Md. A messy Monday is in store for millions along the East Coast.

Inside the Washington Beltway, forecasters called for a mix of rain and snow, with accumulations of less than an inch. North and west of the capital, 2 to 4 inches of snow was expected — and perhaps as much as 8 inches west of Interstate 81.

Over the weekend, the same storm system pounded parts of the Rocky Mountains east to the Ohio Valley. Denver got almost a foot of snow, and Goodland, Kan., reported 15 inches.

On Friday, a qualifying match for the 2014 World Cup outside Denver was played in near-blizzard conditions — so much snow that officials had to bring in a yellow-and-purple soccer ball.

The United States beat Costa Rica 1-0, and Costa Rica has asked the governing body of soccer to order a replay.

At the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, people waiting in line for tickets to this week's arguments on gay marriage held umbrellas or put tarps over their belongings as the snow fell. Darienn Powers wore a trash bag from the waist down to keep dry, but said the snow still made everything "a little wet and uncomfortable."

The spring snow was not expected to affect Washington's famous cherry blossoms. National Park Service spokeswoman Carol Johnson said the flowering trees are still expected to reach peak bloom between April 3 and April 6.

Mitchell Gaines, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Mount Holly, N.J., said colder-than-normal temperatures the past few weeks had created conditions ripe for snow.

"It's fairly late in March to see a system like this," he said.

And the untimely blast of cold and snowy conditions could also harm parts of the U.S. winter wheat growing area, with widespread freeze damage feared in some of the more mature fields, experts said.

"I think we'll certainly have some (freeze damage)," said Travis Miller, an agronomist at Texas A&M University. "We did not dodge a bullet. It is a mess out there, both from freeze and drought."

It will take several days after the freeze passes to determine the extent of plant-tissue damage, wheat experts said, with areas where wheat fields were maturing quickly seen suffering the most harm. 

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this story

This story was originally published on Mon Mar 25, 2013 8:57 PM EDT

The first day of spring didn't feel very spring-like for many Americans.

With snow totals topping 16 inches in parts of New England and temperatures only forecast to reach the teens in parts of the Midwest, Wednesday was decidedly wintry, regardless of the date of the calendar.

Snow and sleet slammed the Northeast, with lingering snowfall on Wednesday leaving 7 inches in winter-weary Boston, according to weather.com. Parts of New Hampshire saw 16 inches; Maine got a foot.

Nina Walker, who lives in the Boston suburb of Woburn, told The Associated Press she shoveled about 8 inches of snow off her driveway on Tuesday. Having lived in New England her whole life, she said late-season snowstorms were fine -- but only until March 31.

"Once I hear the word 'April,' I am really offended when I hear the word 'snow,'" she said. "So this is OK today, but a couple of weeks from now, it had better not happen."

Read more from weather.com 

 Temperatures battled to get out of the single-digits in Minnesota, reported KARE11.com, an NBC affiliate in Minneapolis-St. Paul. It was the coldest start to spring for Minneapolis in 48 years, the station said.

 In Michigan, 15 inches of snow were reported, which included both lake-effect snow and snow from the same system that had made its way to the Northeast, weather.com said.

 One to six inches more were possible in Michigan and Wisconsin -- which got 11 inches in the north-central part of the state -- and one to three inches were forecast for northern Indiana and northeast Ohio, which were already pummeled by freezing rain and ice this week.

Winslow Townson / AP

A pedestrian walks through the campus of Phillips Academy during a winter storm in Andover, Mass., on Tuesday, March 19. Winter went out with a blast in the Northeast on Tuesday, snow and sleet closing schools in some areas and making roads an icy, slippery mess a day before spring starts.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.