Wednesday night soaker, surfing world record storm driven waves?

The soil and water gurus call it 'recharge.' My dad used to call it a good soaker.

Whatever you call it, a decent soaking rain is on the way.

A late October "Panhandle Hook" type weather system is making a beeline from the Texas-Oklahoma Panhandle toward to Upper Midwest. It's dragging along plenty of warm air and a good soaking rain for Minnesota. The bulk of the rain -- and maybe even a flash of lightning and clap of thunder -- will come late Wednesday and Wednesday night.

The Global Forecast System model lays out a wide swath of half-inch rainfall with this system.

Drought Buster?

To the south, multi-inch rainfall totals may help erase drought in parts of Missouri and southern Iowa.

Notice how the forecast for rains of 2 inches or more lay out nicely over drought areas in southern Iowa and northern Missouri. Location, location, location.

Drier by Halloween Night?

I do think the bulk of the rainfall will slide off into Wisconsin for Halloween Night, but it's going to be close. The GFS keeps the notion of a few renegade lingering showers Thursday evening near the Twin Cities metro area and into western Wisconsin.

Easing Into Winter?

The longer range outlook for early November looks relatively tame. Right now, I don't see any biting polar plunges ahead, or any scary looking Gulf Storms winding up with a foot of heavy wet concrete snowfall on the horizon into early November. NOAA's Climate Prediction Center seems to agree, with a slight mild bias through next week.

Weather fingers crossed for an easy first half on November this year.

Europe produces record wave surfer?

This one s just too good to pass up. 'Saint Jude' has been blasting Europe with hurricane force winds and cranking out waves approaching 90 to 100 feet. This Brazilian surfer may have set a new world record for the highest wave ever surfed. Don't try this at home.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?list=UUqt4BRFOqI3z6Sjw6W6gtMQ&v=vQjzJEN_xtQ

Here's more from The Guardian.

While many Europeans were battening down the hatches and heading indoors until the storm known as Saint Jude had passed, a group of surfers in Portugal made their way out into the ocean to catch what may be some of the biggest waves ever ridden.

But it was also a day of high drama as a legendary Brazilian surfer nearly died, only to be rescued by a friend, who then went on to ride one of the biggest waves ever seen – possibly even topping the mythical 100 feet.

The coastline of Praia do Norte, near the fishing village of Nazaré, is known as a surfing paradise, but during the swell whipped up by Monday's storm it seems the British surfer Andrew Cotton and the Brazilian Carlos Burle surfed waves that may yet break the all-time record, which currently stands at 78ft (23.8m).

Eddie Aikau would be proud.

And by the way if you're into the whole 'big wave' thing, I highly recommend watching ESPN's 30 for 30 documentary on Hawaiian big wave riding legend Eddie Aikau. Eddie was a bro, so much more than a big wave surfer. It's a visual feast that's well worth the time.