Things are still pretty quiet in northwest Montana, but rain in the eastern part of the state is causing flooding problems . . .
Flooding in eastern Montana has caused the cancellation of several high-school graduations, fisherman have been trapped by washed out roads, a community near Billings has a voluntary evacuation in place and a private dam failed due to high water, meteorologists with the National Weather Service said Saturday.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.