In latest flood outlook, NWS issues warnings for metro
MINNEAPOLIS -- The latest flood outlook shows parts of the Mississippi around the metro could reach flood stage as early as this weekend.
For the past few weeks, WCCO has been keeping a close eye on the Stillwater area with the rising waters of the St. Croix River, but if you live in Hennepin and Anoka counties, this latest flood warning affects you.
The National Weather Service is forecasting parts of the Mississippi near Champlin and Brooklyn Park to rise above flood stage as early as Saturday morning, and it will continue to crest to around 15 feet sometime Tuesday.
The last time Brooklyn Park saw similar levels was back in 1975, but Champlin hasn't seen this kind of potential flooding in more than 70 years.
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Flooding is also a concern up north in St. Louis County, where the St. Louis River is also forecasted to reach flood stage by midway Saturday.
They've already seen quick rises on area creeks and rivers that have caused overflow on the roadways, but officials say there is something that's helped this season.
"One factor to spring flooding that is very different from last year, however, is our current frost depth -- so how frozen the soil is," Ketzel Levens with NWS Duluth said. "Due to a fairly warm winter we have little to no frost on the ground across St. Louis County and across much of the north land as a whole. This will allow soils and trees and plants so soak up some of the melt water."
St. Louis County officials still caution that, while the milder winter has helped, eventually the soil will become too saturated to take on any more water, especially if the melt is 24 hours a day like what they've been experiencing.
Gov. Tim Walz is expected to share an update on the state's flood preparations Thursday.