The National Weather Service is projecting a below normal risk for flooding in much of the western and northern portions of the Missouri River basin and a normal risk for flooding in the eastern portion of the basin.
Kevin Low, of the National Weather Service Missouri River Basin Forecast Center in Kansas City, says the eastern half of the Missouri River basin has had a wetter than normal late fall and early winter.
Low says that means tributary flooding is likely in the lower third of the basin. He says affected river systems include the Platte River in Nebraska.
"The unusually warm winter has limited the extent and the depth of frozen ground conditions, thus frozen ground is not expected to be a factor in plains runoff production this spring. Likewise, the warm temperatures have limited the formation of river ice. And ice jam flooding is not expected to be a significant concern during the spring thaw.”
Low’s comments came during the Corps of Engineers’ monthly conference call.
He says the National Weather Service is issuing its 2016 National Hydrologic Assessment on Thursday, March 17th and that will provide the flood potential outlook for the entire nation.
The Corps’ March runoff and reservoir regulation forecast are available online at nwd-mr.usace.army.mil.