Tag Archives: flood forecast

Western Montana braces for flood waters; more rain is a concern

May 17, 2011Flood Information, Newsflood forecast, floodingnfpa

Everyone is waiting for the real start of the spring runoff. Of particular concern is the forecast arrival of rain toward the end of the week. The Missoulian has the story . . .

Much of western Montana continued Monday to play a waiting game with its gravest flooding dangers this spring, thanks to cooler-than-normal temperatures.

A prolonged warming trend will release massive moisture still contained in mountain snowpacks. When it comes, officials say it will be the start of a “pretty prolonged flood season.”

But it’s more precipitation, not hot weather, the National Weather Service has its immediate eye on.

Continue reading . . .

Flooding problems beginning in Flathead County

May 17, 2011Flood Information, NewsFlathead County, flood forecast, floodingnfpa

Things aren’t really rolling yet, but issues with rising waters are beginning to appear within Flathead County and the surrounding region. The Daily Inter Lake surveys the situation . . .

High water has started to cause some problems at the outset of a flood season that is expected to last for weeks.

The Montana Department of Transportation put machinery to work Monday removing downed trees from the Stillwater River to prevent damage to a bridge crossing on Twin Bridges Road west of Whitefish.

“It was a debris removal just to prevent them from obstructing the bridge,” department spokeswoman Lori Ryan said Monday afternoon.

The Stillwater River that flows through Kalispell nearly reached its 7-foot action stage Monday, just shy of its 7.5-foot flood stage.

Continue reading . . .

National Weather Service says cold front will delay possible flooding

May 15, 2011Flood Information, Newsflood forecast, flooding, river flow forecastsnfpa

Here’s a good survey of river conditions and general flood forecasting from the Missoulian . . .

Now that the rivers have your attention, spend the next week getting ready for the real western Montana flood season.

While the Yaak and Fisher rivers around Eureka and Libby are nearing flood stage, the Clark Fork, Flathead and Bitterroot drainages may hold back another week before they really let go, according to National Weather Service warning coordinator Marty Whitmore.

Continue reading . . .

Flooding expected in some areas of Northwest Montana this weekend

May 14, 2011Flood Information, Newsflood forecast, flooding, river flow forecastsnfpa

According to an article in today’s Daily Inter Lake, some rivers in Northwest Montana are expected to reach or exceed flood stage this weekend. (The North Fork isn’t on the list, although the stage forecast for a week from now is suggestive.) . . .

Flooding is expected to start this weekend on some Northwest Montana rivers, but the National Weather Service is warning that it is just a beginning, with the highest flows on all rivers yet to come.

The forecast calls for continued warm weather over the weekend, with rain Sunday night and Monday and cooler weather next week that should level off flows on most rivers in the region, said Marty Whitmore, the warning coordination meteorologist in Missoula.

Continue reading . . .

Warm weather accelerates river flow forecast

May 12, 2011Flood Information, Newsflood forecast, flooding, river flow forecastsnfpa

The National Weather Service has bumped up their local river flow forecasts a bit. Today’s Daily Inter Lake has a write-up . . .

The National Weather Service has once again accelerated flow forecasts for some rivers in Northwest Montana due to ongoing warm weather.

Continue reading . . .

National Weather Service predicts warming trend; small streams already near full

May 11, 2011Flood Information, Newsflood forecast, floodingnfpa

From today’s Missoulian . . .

A warming trend is expected to continue as high pressure resides over the Northern Rockies, according an alert issued by the National Weather Service on Wednesday. Small streams across western Montana are already near or at bank-full, the Weather Service said.

Continue reading . . .

Western Montana waters expected to rise fast, hard once snow melts

May 11, 2011Flood Information, Newsflood forecast, flooding, snowpacknfpa

Here’s the Missoulian’s take on the start of Spring runoff . . .

Western Montana’s flood season has a lot in common with the space shuttle Endeavour: It’ll be big when it goes, but the start date keeps getting postponed.

“Even though we’re losing some water in the (snow)pack, it’s not to the level we normally see,” National Weather Service warning coordination meteorologist Marty Whitmore said Tuesday. “But when that snow comes off, it will come in a fairly quick time.”

By Tuesday morning, the region north of an imaginary line along Thompson Falls, Kalispell and Browning was seeing significant melting in the mountains. But below that all the way south to Dillon and Ennis, moisture was still accumulating from storms on Sunday and Monday.

Continue reading . . .

The melt is on; rivers and streams are rising

May 11, 2011Flood Information, Newsflood forecast, flooding, snowpacknfpa

From today’s Daily Inter Lake . . .

A trend of warmer weather will settle in over Western Montana this week and the deep mountain snowpack finally will start to melt, with rivers and streams expected to approach or exceed flood stage by the middle of next week.

The forecast calls for temperatures in the 60s or higher through Saturday, along with a chance of showers and thunderstorms during the latter part of the week.

“We just anticipate the melt to occur,” said Marty Whitmore, warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Missoula. “We’re going to see significant rises in creeks and small streams … Some of those are going to start coming out of their banks.”

Continue reading . . .

Spring flooding expected with record snowpack; could see historic flood levels

May 9, 2011Flood Information, NewsFlathead Valley, flood forecast, flooding, North Fork Flathead River, river levels, snowpacknfpa

The Flathead Beacon posted a good article today on the flood potential in the Flathead River Basin, including the latest forecast estimates. This one is recommended reading . . .

The National Weather Service reported last week that the snowpack in certain areas of the Flathead River Basin have reached historic levels, likely leading to flood or near-flood levels on the basin’s major rivers in May and June.

Ray Nickless, a hydrologist for NWS, said in a spring flooding report that some rivers, such as the Swan and the North Fork of the Flathead, are forecast to reach flood levels that could place them in the top five highest flood levels on record.

In the past three weeks, the Flathead has seen a significant increase in snowpack levels. The levels were at 141 percent of average on April 15, and recent data shows the Flathead now at 183 percent of average.

Continue reading . . .

“Flood Information” page updated with North Fork-specific information

May 9, 2011Flood Information, News, Site Updatesflood forecast, flooding, North Fork Flathead River, river levelsnfpa

We did a little shuck and jive at the National Weather Service site and put together a custom, North Fork-specific page displaying current and forecast river gauge data, as well as weekly forecast flood probabilities for the North Fork of the Flathead River. It is now the first link you encounter on the Flood Information page.

If you want to save a click, here is the direct link: Current and forecast river levels, North Fork Flathead River