GRAND FORKS-The Red River Valley and Devils Lake basins likely won't see much flooding from snowmelt this year, meteorologists predict.
The risk of significant flooding in North Dakota and Minnesota after the snow melts this spring is lower than historical averages, the National Weather Service said Tuesday in its spring flood outlook. It's in part due to dry conditions that have persisted throughout the winter, meteorologists said in the outlook.
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"Current conditions and short-range climate forecasts indicate that minor flooding is the predominant risk," weather service meteorologist Greg Gust wrote in an email. "The second half of winter should be somewhat cooler and snowier than average."
Base streamflow, soil moisture, frost depth and winter snowpack appear to be near to below normal. Most areas along the Red River have about a 25 percent chance of seeing minor flooding, according to the weather service. The chances increase to 50 percent in Fargo and Oslo, Minn.
The Two Rivers River at Hallock, Minn., has about a 95 percent chance of seeing minor flooding and a 50 percent chance of moderate flooding.
Devils Lake likely will stay below an elevation of 1,451.4 feet, according to the weather service. The record crest was set June 27, 2011, at 1,454.3 feet.
