Cold Temps Help Reduce Flood Threat Temporarily
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Water levels in Minnesota rivers expected to crest in the next few days should be lower thanks to recent cold temperatures, but the extended chill could increase the risk of flooding later this spring, the National Weather Service said Friday.
Warmer weather will melt the snow the state got this week, increasing the risk for a rapid rise in rivers when temperatures hit the 50s or even 60s in April, said Steve Buan, a hydrologist with the National Weather Service.
"The area just really can't take a lot more moisture. We need a very tranquil couple of summers here in the Upper Midwest to kind of even this moisture imbalance out," Buan told Minnesota Public Radio's Morning Edition.
The weather service said ice jams could cause localized flooding over the next couple of weeks. Some rivers will be covered in ice longer because of the colder temperatures.
"Looks like it's going to be a prolonged situation this year," Buan said.
Southern Minnesota is more susceptible to flooding because of the extra moisture the area has had, Buan said. Forecasters also remain concerned about the flood risk on the Red River in the Moorhead and Fargo, N.D. area.
Flooding projections released Friday show the Red River has a 50 percent chance of reaching 40.5 feet in Fargo. That's close to the record crest of 2009.
The previous outlook called for a one-in-three chance of the river reaching 41 feet. The weather service says a storm earlier this week affected central and southern portions of the Red River Valley.
Flood stage for the river is 18 feet in Fargo. The city plans to deliver about 1.7 million sandbags to neighborhoods.
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