Spring flooding expected to worsen through April

Spring flooding is underway over portions of the United States and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasters are warning the worst is yet to come. Almost half the country, from the North Central U.S. through the Midwest and the Northeast, has an above-average risk of flooding over the next few weeks, according to the annual spring outlook released by NOAA’s National Weather Service.
The highest spring flood risk areas include the Red River of the North, which forms the state line between eastern North Dakota and northwest Minnesota, the Milk River in eastern Montana, the James and Big Sioux Rivers in South Dakota, the Minnesota River, the upper Mississippi River basin from Minneapolis southward to St. Louis, and a portion of lower New York, eastern Pennsylvania and northern New Jersey. Many metropolitan areas have a greater than 95% chance of major flooding, including Fargo, Grand Forks, St. Paul, Davenport, Rock Island, Sioux Falls and Huron. Devils Lake in North Dakota has an 80% chance of reaching 2 feet above last year’s record of 1,452.1 feet.
Warm temperatures could cause much of the snowpack to melt across South Dakota and southern Minnesota, setting off moderate to major flooding in eastern South Dakota. Minor flooding could begin on the Mississippi River and its tributaries over southeastern Minnesota and southwestern Wisconsin, leading to moderate to major flooding by early April.
In addition, a series of storm systems are forecast to move across the region, which could bring additional snow or rain on top of the remaining snowpack. These systems may cause substantial runoff and the beginning of minor flooding in the southern headwater portion of the Red River of the North, eventually leading to major flooding sometime from the last week of March through early April.

Pictured: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has forecasted that almost half the country, from the North Central U.S. through the Midwest and the Northeast, has an above-average risk of flooding over the next few weeks.