…FLOODING DUE TO SNOWMELT AND ICE JAMS MAY OCCUR THIS WEEKEND AND EARLY NEXT WEEK…

THE VERY GRADUAL SNOWMELT THAT HAS OCCURRED OVER THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS WILL INCREASE IN MAGNITUDE BY THE WEEKEND AND EARLY NEXT WEEK WHEN TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO REACH THE 40S IN MANY LOCATIONS…AND EVEN THE LOWER 50S SOUTH. THE WATER CONTENT OF THE SNOW VARIES FROM AROUND AN INCH TOWARD THE MISSOURI BORDER…UP TO BETWEEN FOUR AND EIGHT INCHES IN AREAS ALONG AND WEST OF INTERSTATE 35 AND ALONG AND NORTH OF HIGHWAY 30.

THIS WATER WILL BE RELEASED INTO RIVERS AND STREAMS GREATLY
INCREASING OUR RISK OF FLOODING. POTENTIAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS FROM A HALF INCH TO AN INCH OR MORE MAY ALSO OCCUR FROM THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK ADDING TO THE RUNOFF AND FLOOD POTENTIAL. WITH MANY RIVERS STILL FROZEN OVER…SOME LOCATIONS MAY ALSO EXPERIENCE MORE RAPID RISES AND FLASH FLOODING DUE TO ICE JAMS.

THE SEVERITY OF FLOODING AT ANY PARTICULAR LOCATION IS DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE AT THIS TIME. MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS…OUTLOOKS AND POTENTIALLY WATCHES LATER THIS WEEK FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS.