The last of the snowpack over the Dakotas and northern Minnesota will meltaway quickly during the week. This will free its pent-up water, which haslately held one to two month's worth of normal April rainfall over part of thisarea. Some rivers not already in flood will swell and spill over their banks.As for the northern Red, flooding has persisted since late March. Now, withrenewed runoff driven by snowmelt, a new crest is taking shape at the upper endof the river south of Fargo, which will get this new crest during the week. Amajor tributary from the west, the Sheyenne, is forecast to top record crestsduring this week as it flows toward the Red near Fargo.
Other rivers in flood or likely to flood are the James in the Dakotas andthe Mouse of northern North Dakota. Streams draining the Black Hills will alsobe swelled by melt waters.
An as-yet uncertain factor in the flooding will be that of a mid- tolate-week storm bringing rain the the northern Plains. Potential is for awidespread moderate fall of rain. Any heavy rain from this storm would furtheraggravate and prolong the floods.
Story by AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Jim Andrews.
