Chances of flooding along the Mississippi River are slightly higher than normal this spring. In its first flood outlook, the National Weather Service says one of the usual factors, snow melt, should not be a problem this year, but as spring approaches, the Mississippi especially is already at a higher than normal level.
Hydrologist Jessica Brooks at the Davenport office says there's a 65 per cent chance the river will reach flood stage, considered minor flooding in the Quad Cities, compared to 56 per cent in a normal year.
And the chances of moderate flooding here, one foot over flood stage, is 55 per cent, versus 47 per cent in a normal year.
"The numbers are a little higher but yet we're not dealing with a big snow pack that's going to really accentuate any flooding. We're going to be dependent on any heavy spring rainfalls."
Even though the Mississippi might be affected by snow melt in Minnesota and northern Wisconsin, that shouldn't be a problem for the tributaries in Iowa and Illinois where the snow has mainly disappeared already - the Rock, Wapsipinicon, Iowa, and Cedar.
The National Weather Service will update its spring flood outlook in two weeks.
