Flood Potential Outlook
Issued by NWS Duluth, MN

000
FGUS73 KDLH 281632
ESFDLH

MNC001-001-017-021-031-035-061-071-075-115-137-WIC003-007-013-031-051
-113-129-291830-

HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
1132 AM CDT SUN APR 28 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.  SOME THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THIS EVENING
WITH LESS THAN ONE QUARTER OF AN INCH OF RAIN EXPECTED. THE NEXT
OPPORTUNITY FOR WIDESPREAD AND SIGNIFICANT RAIN APPEARS TUESDAY AND
WEDNESDAY...POSSIBLY INTO THURSDAY...FOLLOWED BY COOLER TEMPERATURES.

AS OF SUNDAY MORNING...APRIL 28TH ONE TO TWO FEET OF RIPENING SNOW
REMAINED IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS SURROUNDING LAKE SUPERIOR.  ALONG
THE NORTHSHORE OF LAKE SUPERIOR...18 TO 24 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 1000 AM
SUNDAY.  SOME ICE IN THE CHANNEL MAY OBSTRUCT WATER RUNNING UNDER
BRIDGES CAUSING BACKWATER TO ACCUMULATE IN TYPICAL TROUBLE AREAS.

ON THE BAYFIELD PLATEAU AND THE BAYFIELD PENINSULA...10 TO 20 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 HAVE DISPLAYED INCREASED FLOW WITH RECENT WARM
TEMPERATURES.  HOWEVER...ADDITIONAL INCREASES ARE EXPECTED ON THESE
WATERWAYS AS A DEEP...LATE SNOWPACK STILL EXISTS IN THE HIGHER
ELEVATIONS OF NORTHERN BAYFIELD AND IRON COUNTIES.

MAINSTEM RIVERS HAVE STARTED SHOWING STRONG RESPONSES TO SNOWMELT
RUNOFF AND THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF BANK FULL FLOWS AT LOCATIONS
ALONG MISSISSIPPI WHERE FLOOD WATCHES ARE IN EFFECT.

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

$$