Tag Archives: flood forecast

Flooding roller coaster ride continues

It looks like the flooding roller coaster ride will continue, with river levels dropping for a short time and then rising again by the end of the week. This is reflected in the forecast river levels for the North Fork, which show a slight decrease for the next day or two followed by a steady rise to just at or above flood stage by the end of the week at Polebridge and the Canadian border.

From the Missoulian . . .

Rivers and streams in western Montana were in the recede mode Saturday as cool weather persisted and some expected precipitation failed to materialize…

With warmer weather and rain predicted by midweek, and a good stock of snow still waiting in the mountains, “we’ll probably have most of the rivers going right back up,” said Mark Loeffelbein of the National Weather Service in Missoula.

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Record rain but no real flooding yet in Flathead Valley

High altitude snowpack is still not melting and, in some places, still accumulating, keeping everyone in suspense. The Daily Inter Lake has a good summary of the situation . . .

Record precipitation was recorded in the Flathead Valley and at higher elevations Thursday, but cool weather is likely to halt snow melt and keep local rivers in check for now, according to the National Weather Service in Missoula.

The bad news is that record snowpack at higher elevations will have to melt eventually, creating a potential for serious flooding when higher temperatures arrive in June, Weather Service Meteorologist Bruce Bauck said.

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(Note: if you want to keep an eye on high altitude snow depth, check out the “Flathead River Basin” section at the Montana SNOTEL data summary link on the Flood Information page.)

Cold weather expected, river levels to drop temporarily

Well, cripes, now the Weather Service is saying that the weather system moving in is cold enough that river levels may actually drop a little for the next few days, even though we’ll be seeing some rain initially. The Flathead Beacon has the story . . .

Cold weather and rain hitting the Flathead in the next 24 hours and running through the weekend should slow down snowmelt in the mountains, leading to temporarily decreased river flows in the valley.

According to Chris Gibson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Missoula, the Flathead can expect some “big changes” coming in the weather, including winter weather advisories for parts of the state.

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Rain this week, with flooding likely to follow

Rain and warmer temperature should bring river levels up across the area by the end of the week. Today’s Daily Inter Lake has a good write-up . . .

A mixed bag of weather is expected to push rivers across Western Montana, including the Flathead River, to flood stage this week.

The National Weather Service in Missoula is forecasting light rain, about a quarter inch, hitting Northwest Montana Monday night and today, followed by a dry Wednesday with temperatures in the 70s.

Then the region is expected to get about an inch of rain on Thursday. The chance of heavy rain on Thursday is listed at 100 percent by the Weather Service.

All Flathead Valley rivers are expected to see higher flows through the week.

Continue reading . . .

Main-stem rivers in western Montana could reach flood stage this week

It looks like this would be a good time to start keeping a close eye on the hydrological forecast. The National Weather Service is expecting a steady rise in river and stream levels throughout the week. Here’s the latest write-up from the Missoulian . . .

The National Weather Service cautioned western Montanans this morning to be on alert for rising river and stream flows through midweek.

“Recent warm daytime temperatures and mild overnight temperatures have resulted in a resurgence of snowmelt being added to already swollen rivers and streams,” the Weather Service’s latest hydrologic outlook said.

“In addition, a low pressure system will affect the northern Rockies beginning late Monday through Wednesday. This weather system could deliver rainfall amounts ranging from 0.25 inches to 0.75 inches across western Montana.

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Weather Service drops flood watch; warning still in effect for Stillwater River

The National Weather Service has dropped the flood watch for areas in northwest Montana, but a flood warning for the Stillwater River near Kalispell is still in effect. According to this morning’s forecast, “the river will remain steady at elevated levels before slowly rising again for beginning of the work week. Additional rises may be possible thereafter.”

As temperatures rise, so do next week’s flood worries

Still waiting . . .

From today’s Missoulian . . .

Fluctuating spring temperatures continue to keep water levels across western Montana on a roller-coaster ride.

While lower temperatures at the beginning of this week eased the most urgent flooding fears, National Weather Service officials say temperatures in the high 60s across the region over the weekend will ramp up the worry meter again early next week.

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Small stream flood advisory posted for Northern Flathead County; Stillwater River flooding near Kalispell

Some folks are getting their feet wet down-valley. The National Weather Service has posted an urban and small stream flood advisory for Northern Flathead County and the Stillwater River is beginning to come over its banks near Kalispell. River levels are still modest on the North Fork.

For the full text of official flood advisories and warnings, click the weather graphic in the sidebar and follow the links in the “Active Advisory” section. A link to the same information can also be found on the Flood Information page.

Officials say flooding threat looms across state; Governor adds a positive spin

Here’s the Associated Press write-up on the looming flood threat for Montana. The story includes statements from Gov. Brian Schweitzer putting a somewhat positive spin on the matter . . .

More flood threats loom for Montana as an already-deep mountain snowpack increases and a cool spring brings more moisture.

River basins in the mountains are nearly double their average snowpack levels, and eastern Montana has already dealt with some rivers and flooding in places. The National Weather Service said flood threats could persist into early July due to the cool weather.

“It is going to be a big flood year,” said Gina Loss, a hydrologist with the National Weather Service. “There is not any part of the state void of any chance of flooding.”

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