National Weather Service Text Product Display

Flood Potential Outlook
Issued by NWS Duluth, MN
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FGUS73 KDLH 291805
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MNC001-001-017-021-031-035-061-071-075-115-137-WIC003-007-013-031-051
-113-129-301830-

HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
1259 PM CDT MON APR 29 2013

...SNOWMELT RUNOFF AND FLOODING POTENTIAL INCREASING ACROSS THE
NORTHLAND EARLY THIS WEEK...

THIS OUTLOOK COVERS THE DULUTH HYDROLOGIC SERVICE AREA...WHICH
INCLUDES NORTHEASTERN MINNESOTA AND NORTHWESTERN WISCONSIN.  THE
AREA ENCOMPASSES THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER HEADWATERS TO FT. RIPLEY...
LOCATED JUST SOUTH OF THE CONFLUENCE WITH THE CROW WING RIVER.
ADDITIONAL RIVER BASINS INCLUDED IN THIS OUTLOOK INCLUDE: THE ST.
LOUIS RIVER WITHIN THE WESTERN LAKE SUPERIOR DRAINAGE. THE SNAKE
RIVER WHICH FLOWS INTO THE ST. CROIX RIVER DOWNSTREAM OF PINE CITY.

AREAS OF NORTHERN MINNESOTA AND NORTHWESTERN WISCONSIN CAN EXPECT
ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES THROUGH TUESDAY APRIL 30TH...WHICH WILL
LEAD TO SNOWMELT AND RAPID RUNOFF OF MELT WATER. THE SOIL WILL
LIKELY THAW THE SAME TIME AS THE SNOW MELTS...WHICH WILL ALLOW A
PORTION OF THE MELT WATER TO BE ABSORBED INTO THE DEEPER LAYERS OF
THE SOIL.

PONDING OF WATER IN YARDS AND FIELDS WILL BE COMMON.  RUNOFF WILL
QUICKLY FILL DITCHES...STREAMS AND CREEKS...AND FLOOD PRONE AREAS
ADJACENT TO STREAMS MAY BECOME INUNDATED.  EXPECT GREATER THAN
NORMAL PONDING OF WATER IN POORLY DRAINED AREAS AS THE SNOW PACK
CONTINUES RELEASING ITS WATER CONTENT EARLY THIS WEEK.  RAPID RUNOFF
WILL FILL DITCHES AND SMALL STREAMS TO BANK FULL AS THE WATER IS
ROUTED TO LARGER STREAMS AND THEN THE MAIN STEM RIVERS.  PONDING OF
SNOW MELT WATER MAY OCCUR ON LOW LYING ROADS.  HOWEVER...IF YOU SEE
WATER RUNNING OVER THE ROADWAY DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS IT AND PLEASE
CONTACT YOUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT.

THROUGH MONDAY APRIL 29TH...SNOWMELT WILL BE THE MAIN DRIVER OF
INCREASING STREAMFLOW. AN ACTIVE PERIOD OF WEATHER IS EXPECTED
DURING THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS.  THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING...RAIN WILL
MOVE ACROSS THE RED RIVER VALLEY INTO NORTHERN MINNESOTA. THE
HEAVIEST RAIN...AROUND ONE HALF INCH...WILL FALL NORTH AND WEST OF
THE MINNESOTA IRON RANGE. DURING WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY OVER 2
INCHES OF PRECIPITATION IS POSSIBLE OVER NORTHERN WISCONSIN. AT THIS
TIME TEMPERATURE FORECASTS SHOW TEMPERATURES COOL ENOUGH TO
PRODUCE WET SNOW OR COLD RAIN. MANY RIVERS WILL BE CRESTING FROM
SNOW MELT AT THAT TIME SO ANY RAINFALL WILL INCREASE THE THREAT OF
FLOODING.

AS OF MONDAY MORNING...APRIL 29TH ONE TO TWO FEET OF RIPENING SNOW
REMAINED IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS SURROUNDING LAKE SUPERIOR.  ALONG
THE NORTHSHORE OF LAKE SUPERIOR...15 TO 20 INCHES OF SNOW WAS
COMMON.  EXPECT SIGNIFICANT RISES ON THE RIVERS AND STREAMS ALONG
THE NORTH SHORE OF LAKE SUPERIOR AND ALONG HIGHWAY 61 EARLY THIS
WEEK...AND WILL REMAIN ELEVATED DURING THE UPCOMING COOL DOWN.

THE NEMADJI RIVER AND TRIBUTARIES...WERE RUNNING HIGH AS OF NOON
MONDAY.  SOME ICE IN THE CHANNEL MAY OBSTRUCT WATER RUNNING UNDER
BRIDGES CAUSING BACKWATER TO ACCUMULATE IN TYPICAL TROUBLE AREAS.
DOUGLAS COUNTY HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT REPORTS TWO ROADS CLOSED DUE TO
SNOWMELT RUNOFF.  COUNTY ROAD A BETWEEN MILCHESKI RD AND TRI LAKES
ROAD. COUNTY ROAD D JUST NORTH OF HIGHWAY B IS CLOSED DUE TO
HIGH WATER ON THE POPLAR RIVER.

ON THE BAYFIELD PLATEAU AND THE BAYFIELD PENINSULA...SNOW WAS
MELTING RAPIDLY AND 10 INCHES OF SNOW WAS COMMON. THE WHITE RIVER
NEAR ASHLAND AND WHITTLESEY CREEK BOTH HAVE DISPLAYED STRONG SNOW
MELT CYCLING...CRESTING IN THE EVENING AND FALLING THROUGH MID-DAY.
EXPECT CONTINUED RISES ON ALL CREEKS AND STREAMS OVER NORTHERN
BAYFIELD COUNTY THAT DRAIN INTO LAKE SUPERIOR AND CHEQUAMEGON BAY.

IN NORTH CENTRAL WISCONSIN...THE BAD RIVER AND EAST BRANCH OF THE
MONTREAL RIVER ARE NEARING BANK FULL.  EXPECT ADDITIONAL INCREASES
ON THESE WATERWAYS AS A DEEP...LATE SNOWPACK STILL EXISTS IN THE
HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF NORTHERN ASHLAND AND IRON COUNTIES. NEAR THE
HEADWATERS OF THE BAD RIVER 10 TO 20 INCHES OF SNOW REMAINS. THREE
TENTHS OF AN INCH OF RAINFALL FROM SUNDAY NIGHT CAUSED PONDING AND
WASHOUTS CAUSED A CLOSURE OF COUNTY LINE ROAD NORTH AND EAST OF
UPSON.


VISIT OUR WEBSITE WEATHER.GOV/DLH FOR MORE WEATHER AND WATER
INFORMATION.

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON STREAM FLOW CONDITIONS FOR USGS
LOCATIONS PLEASE REFERENCE
FOR MINNESOTA   WWW.WATERDATA.USGS.GOV/MN/NWIS/RT
FOR WISCONSIN   WWW.WATERDATA.USGS.GOV/WI/NWIS/RT

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON STREAM FLOW CONDITIONS AT
MN DNR LOCATIONS...REFERENCE
WWW.DNR.STATE.MN.US/WATERS/CSG/INDEX.HTML
OR
CLIMATE.UMN.EDU/DOW/WEEKLY_STREAM_FLOW/STREAM_FLOW_WEEKLY.ASP

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON CLIMATE OUTLOOKS REFERENCE
WWW.CPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV

$$

SG
National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office
