Flood Potential Outlook
Issued by NWS Duluth, MN

000
FGUS73 KDLH 301841
ESFDLH

MNC001-001-017-021-031-035-061-071-075-115-137-WIC003-007-013-031-051
-113-129-011830-

HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DULUTH MN
130 PM CDT TUE APR 30 2013

...SNOWMELT RUNOFF AND FLOODING POTENTIAL CONTINUES ACROSS THE
NORTHLAND 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 HAVE SEEN
ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES SINCE FRIDAY APRIL 26TH...WHICH IS LEADING
TO SNOWMELT AND RAPID RUNOFF OF MELT WATER.

RAPID RUNOFF HAS FILLED DITCHES AND SMALL STREAMS TO BANK FULL AS
THE WATER IS ROUTED TO LARGER STREAMS AND THEN THE MAIN STEM
RIVERS.  PONDING OF SNOWMELT WATER IS POSSIBLE ON LOW LYING ROADS AS
CULVERTS AND DITCHES MAY STILL BE FROZEN.  HOWEVER...IF YOU SEE
WATER RUNNING OVER THE ROADWAY DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS IT AND REPORT
IT TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT.

AN ACTIVE PERIOD OF WEATHER IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT SEVERAL
DAYS.  WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY...OVER 2 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION IS
POSSIBLE OVER NORTHERN WISCONSIN. AT THIS TIME FORECASTS SHOW
TEMPERATURES COOL ENOUGH TO PRODUCE WET SNOW OR COLD RAIN. THE
LOCATION AND TYPE OF PRECIPITATION REMAIN UNCERTAIN HOWEVER IT
APPEARS LIKELY THAT NORTHERN WISCONSIN AND EXTREME EASTERN MINNESOTA
WILL SEE MORE PRECIPITATION.  MANY RIVERS WILL BE CRESTING FROM
SNOWMELT AT THAT TIME SO ANY RAINFALL WILL INCREASE THE THREAT OF
FLOODING.

AS OF TUESDAY MORNING...APRIL 30TH ONE TO TWO FEET OF RIPENING SNOW
REMAINED IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS SURROUNDING LAKE SUPERIOR.  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
TUESDAY.  DOUGLAS COUNTY HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT REPORTS THAT
COUNTY ROAD A BETWEEN MILCHESKI RD AND TRI LAKES ROAD HAS REOPENED
HOWEVER...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 MUCH OF THE SNOW COVER HAS MELTED. 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 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 6 TO 16 INCHES OF SNOW REMAINS.
AS OF 700 AM TUESDAY MORNING...THE BAD RIVER NEAR MELLEN WAS OUT OF
ITS BANKS AND OVER HIGHWAY 169 JUST EAST OF MELLEN AND NORTHEAST OF
MELLEN NEAR THE COUNTY LINE. LOCAL OFFICIALS REPORT THE ROAD WAS
OPENED BUT FLAGGED AND MAY CLOSE AT ANY TIME.
WATER WAS ALSO IMPACTING GLIDDEN IN THE PINE CURVE ROAD AREA
AND WATER WAS NEARING THE LEVEL OF HIGHWAY 13 NEAR GLIDDEN.


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