The chances for minor flooding by the Mississippi River have gone way up, but the probability of moderate flooding has held steady. Thursday the National Weather Service released its second flood outlook for this spring.
Hydrologist Jessica Brooks, from the Davenport office of the National Weather Service, says last month, the chance of the river reaching flood stage in the Quad Cities, considered minor flooding, was 65 per cent.
"We see really high numbers for chances for minor flooding, like for instance at Rock Island we have greater than a 95 per cent chance for minor flooding in the next three months. That's because we're expecting to go above flood stage here in the next several days. And then when you go up to the moderate and major stages, those numbers get much, much lower."
The chance of moderate flooding in the Quad Cities, or one foot over flood stage, is still 55 per cent. And with very little snow up north still left to melt, Brooks says rain is the main variable.
"We have some rain in the forecast but nothing significant that's going to make any big impact on the forecasts we currently have out."
The flood outlook also says don't worry too much about flooding this spring by the tributary rivers, the Rock, Iowa, Cedar, and Wapsipinicon - just minor flooding is a possibility right now unless we get a lot of rain.