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Des Moines Hydrologic Outlook #2

…SPRING FLOOD AND WATER RESOURCES OUTLOOK NUMBER 2…

THIS OUTLOOK PERTAINS ONLY TO THE NWS DES MOINES SERVICE
AREA…WHICH INCLUDES NORTH CENTRAL…CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL
IOWA. IT COVERS THE TIME PERIOD FOR MID MARCH THROUGH EARLY JUNE
2013. IT INCLUDES PORTIONS THE FOLLOWING RIVERS AND THEIR
TRIBUTARIES…

* IOWA…CEDAR…SKUNK…DES MOINES…RACCOON…NISHNABOTNA…
102…THOMPSON AND CHARITON RIVERS.

FOR INFORMATION CONCERNING LOCATIONS IN IOWA OUTSIDE THE NWS DES
MOINES SERVICE AREA…REFER TO SIMILAR OUTLOOKS ISSUED TODAY BY
THE OTHER NWS OFFICES WHICH SERVE IOWA.

…FLOOD OUTLOOK HIGHLIGHTS…

* THE RISK OF FLOODING FROM MID MARCH THROUGH EARLY JUNE IS
PRESENTLY NEAR OR BELOW AVERAGE.

* THE COMBINATION OF FROZEN GROUND AS WELL AS ICE IN THE UPPER-
MOST LAYER OF THE GROUND HAS PRODUCED A CONCRETE FROST SITUATION
IN NORTH CENTRAL IOWA…ESPECIALLY NORTH OF U.S. HIGHWAY 20.
RUNOFF FROM SNOW MELT AND RAINFALL WILL BE HIGHER THAN AVERAGE
UNTIL THE GROUND THAWS. THUS…THE RISK OF FLASH FLOODING IN
THAT REGION IS HIGHER THAN AVERAGE…AGAIN UNTIL THE GROUND THAWS.

* THIS OUTLOOK IS THE LAST SCHEDULED SPRING FLOOD AND WATER
RESOURCES OUTLOOK FOR THE SEASON. THE NWS IN DES MOINES MAY ISSUE
ADDITIONAL…UPDATED OUTLOOKS IN RESPONSE TO CHANGES IN WEATHER
AND HYDROLOGIC CONDITIONS…OR PARTNER AND USER INTEREST. REFER
TO OUR WEB SITE FOR MORE INFORMATION AT…
HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/DESMOINES .

…CURRENT CONDITIONS AS OF MARCH 6 2013…

THE BELOW INFORMATION PERTAINS ONLY TO THE NWS DES MOINES SERVICE
AREA…WHICH INCLUDES NORTH CENTRAL…CENTRAL AND SOUTH CENTRAL
IOWA.

* SNOW PACK…THE SNOW PACK IS NEAR OR ABOVE AVERAGE.

* STREAM FLOWS…STREAM FLOWS ARE AVERAGING BELOW AVERAGE AT MOST
LOCATIONS.

* SOIL MOISTURE…SOIL MOISTURE IS BELOW AVERAGE ACROSS
THE NORTHWEST TWO THIRDS OF IOWA. IT IS NEAR TO BELOW AVERAGE
ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST THIRD OF THE STATE.

* DROUGHT CONDITIONS…DROUGHT CONDITIONS ARE PERSISTING. THE
WORST CONDITIONS ARE IN THE NORTHWEST HALF OF THE NWS DES MOINES
SERVICE AREA WHERE EXTREME DROUGHT /D3/ CONDITIONS EXIST. ACROSS
THE SOUTHEAST HALF OF THE NWS DES MOINES SERVICE AREA…MODERATE
OR SEVERE DROUGHT /D2 OR D3/ CONDITIONS EXIST.

* FROST DEPTH…FROST DEPTHS WERE IN THE 10 TO 20 INCH RANGE AT MOST
LOCATIONS.

$$

ZOGG